Chambers
The majority of active criminal law barristers operate out of chambers, offices that are specific to the legal profession. Chambers are loose associations of practising barristers and Queen's Counsel who each pay a set rent or income-based fee in order to be given office space and legal secretarial assistance. Unlike firms or partnerships, barristers who are associated with specific chambers are not accountable financially or legally for the other barristers who operate from the same location. Each barrister is in charge of their own case-load, clients and specializations and in fact it is often the case that two barristers from the same chambers will be on opposite sides of the same case.
Chambers Structure
When you hire a barrister's services or your solicitor organizes an advisory meeting, you may need to meet with your barrister at their chambers. Because chambers can be very busy and seemingly regimented places it can be helpful to be aware of the way they are run. Chambers are organized and administered by Senior Clerks and are overseen by Queen's Counsel, with upwards of twenty barristers each running their own cases from the same quarters. Many high-profile barristers have their chambers within the Inns of Court.
Barristers' Dress
Nowadays not all court hearings involving barristers and QC's are 'robed' (that is, the legal representatives do not necessarily have to appear in their professional garments), so it is not as common to see barristers in their chambers fully attired in their traditional black and white garb. If a robed hearing was to take place (usually all Crown Court and High Court appearances are robed), the barrister would be required to wear the traditional horse-hair wig as well as a black gown over which a white collar and white cotton strips are draped. QC's and solicitors have different official uniforms.
Professional Associations And Regulatory Bodies
All barristers operating within England and Wales are subject to the guidelines and legislation set down and monitored by the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Bar Standards Board. In Scotland the official body is the Faculty of Advocates, assisted by the Law Society of Scotland. Other regulatory associations relevant to barristers operating within the United Kingdom include the Bar European Group (for barristers working on European Union based cases or in association with European lawyers), the Criminal Bar Association (for criminal-law barristers), and the Public Access Bar Association (for barristers that work within the Public Access Scheme). Councils of importance include the Advocacy Training Council, the Legal Practice Management Association, the Council of the Inns of Court and the Inns of Court and Bar Educational Trust. While these latter organizations do not necessarily have control over the operations of individual barristers their policies and guidelines can be incredibly influential.