New graduate barristers are very underpaid. I think there needs to be more recognition about professionals that people think are super loaded but actually aren’t. Everyone knows nurses and teachers after finishing their degrees are poorly paid, but everyone thinks barristers, doctors etc are minted upon qualifying.
Why is the UK so underpaid compared to so many other European countries? Especially when you consider that house prices are among the highest in Europe.
This is the problem with the gig economy, you can’t just ignore time spent on a job when calculating how much that job is worth.
Obviously her wages will be a lot higher in future years but this entry year means only people from a certain background can move into law and there is something to be said for wanting legal aid barristers to be properly funded, so that it’s not just the wealthy who have access to good representation
When you make a typo on your CV and have to quickly learn law
From what I’m seeing with a lot of jobs, after graduating, you have to start from the bottom of most places and end up with either no pay or low pay.
I remember after spending 4 years at college and 2 years at uni learning about film, our last essay was how to get from uni to your chosen career path…I can see why they never gave us that essay at the beginning cuz every bit of research said don’t go college and uni.
At 16 after leaving school, go straight into as a runner, you may be on no pay or low but you’re in and work your way up. So by the time you finish uni, you don’t get any short cuts, so that runner at 16, isn’t your boss, their not even your bosses boss, their usually a lot higher up.
That and the experience…uni often doesn’t give you the experience so sending CVs around, someone who didn’t go uni but has the experience is more likely to get the job.
I do like the way they have to subtly clarify the difference between a Barrister and a Barista…
Although she saved money by barely having to change her business cards
She only earned £10k for her first year???
Excuse me, but what the fucking fuck?
I’ve recently finished reading one of the secret barristers books and was so shocked how had they work for so little money. Anyone not supporting this strike should be made to read it. Anyone of us could be accused of something or be a victim of crime and really need one of these to guide us through it all. Society’s geared up to pay those who dedicate their live’s helping other as little as possible. I really hope this rough couple of years we’re facing changes things for the best. If not I fear we’ll all be stuck in Tory work camps!
Isn’t it the case that legal cases take a long time to get paid so effectively they earn so little in their first year because they didn’t bill anything the year before. Where as they probably get a fair amount coming through for a year or two after they retire.
I feel this
I was a night shift supervisor with the coop & upon finishing one year of college, 4 years of Uni & 1 year of a masters I started looking for a legal position.
I’ve yet to find one that even comes close to my work in a shop & I’m kinda nervous that I’ve wasted my time doing the degree. I don’t have any contacts in law (half my class had parents or uncles/aunts that were already established )
10k as a junior barrister? I had no idea they were so underpaid. Thats just insane. Damn right you should strike.
I don’t know how *some barristers can defend people who are in court accused of molesting minors when you can see they’re guilty, they present as controlling and abusive.. In that case, it’s a hell of a lot more moral to stick to pouring coffee.
I was in court giving evidence against an abuser and the look of hatred in the barristers face as she was defending him. He got off. He was given that barrister for free and when I looked her up, she was the dogs bllx at cases around sexual assault.
At the same time I was in family court losing custody of my daughter due to a mental breakdown and I could not get any representation, not entitled to legal aid. The mental breakdown came after worrying every single day if I could raise her without someone coming and doing that to her.
I’d sleep better at night pouring coffee.
*Some, not all, because on the other side of the coin, representing a victim and getting them justice is honourable work.
How do you think people working in a factory feel when they are on minimum wage.
With all due respect, the British legal system, particularly the English judiciary is evil. A pay to win and even a pay to participate justice system in many cases.
I wish you luck in your struggles but too many barristers have played a role in perpetuating a violent, racist and imperialist establishment that has crushed the poor and disenfranchised. Your struggle is not ours.
Reading all these comments about how much graduates are paid is shocking. I’m so glad that I got a trade and work for myself.
I have a physics degree. I ended up taking a conferencing job because a physics degree based job paid shit or needed years experience in the field…to pay less shit.
Conferencing job got me about 25 up to 30k.
Joined the military and got paid a starting wage of 28 rising to 35 without the same overheads.
Now on double that are 10 years. But a house and kid kills the disposable.
Wish we pensioners could go on strike! No one gives a shiny shit about us though😡
Barrister, barista. Tomato, tomato.
It’s all the same thing.
I think you gave me a tall skinny stretch (3 years for killing time)
Wonder if thats the situation in Scotland as well. Whats the ballpark figure and how long are they underpaid?
I think it’s really important that this Tory government has been so good at minimalising the middle class. There are a lot of people getting very wealthy, but jobs and careers in which you would typically assume to be ‘successful’ or at least guaranteed for life aren’t enough to let you achieve modest dreams of homeowning, financial safety etc.
When I went to Uni ~15 years ago, law was so over subscribed. There were more first year law students (straight law, not split with something else) than the entire engineering department (electronic, mechanical, computer etc. bachelor, masters, PhD).
I’m not dismissing the other points made here, just offering up that supply and demand might also play a part.
Why strike? Go and become a barista again.
Did you mis-read the application form the first time round?
TIL: That Starbucks pay their coffee stirrers £80,000 pa.
27 comments
Why not just get back to making coffee?
New graduate barristers are very underpaid. I think there needs to be more recognition about professionals that people think are super loaded but actually aren’t. Everyone knows nurses and teachers after finishing their degrees are poorly paid, but everyone thinks barristers, doctors etc are minted upon qualifying.
Why is the UK so underpaid compared to so many other European countries? Especially when you consider that house prices are among the highest in Europe.
This is the problem with the gig economy, you can’t just ignore time spent on a job when calculating how much that job is worth.
Obviously her wages will be a lot higher in future years but this entry year means only people from a certain background can move into law and there is something to be said for wanting legal aid barristers to be properly funded, so that it’s not just the wealthy who have access to good representation
When you make a typo on your CV and have to quickly learn law
From what I’m seeing with a lot of jobs, after graduating, you have to start from the bottom of most places and end up with either no pay or low pay.
I remember after spending 4 years at college and 2 years at uni learning about film, our last essay was how to get from uni to your chosen career path…I can see why they never gave us that essay at the beginning cuz every bit of research said don’t go college and uni.
At 16 after leaving school, go straight into as a runner, you may be on no pay or low but you’re in and work your way up. So by the time you finish uni, you don’t get any short cuts, so that runner at 16, isn’t your boss, their not even your bosses boss, their usually a lot higher up.
That and the experience…uni often doesn’t give you the experience so sending CVs around, someone who didn’t go uni but has the experience is more likely to get the job.
I do like the way they have to subtly clarify the difference between a Barrister and a Barista…
Although she saved money by barely having to change her business cards
She only earned £10k for her first year???
Excuse me, but what the fucking fuck?
I’ve recently finished reading one of the secret barristers books and was so shocked how had they work for so little money. Anyone not supporting this strike should be made to read it. Anyone of us could be accused of something or be a victim of crime and really need one of these to guide us through it all. Society’s geared up to pay those who dedicate their live’s helping other as little as possible. I really hope this rough couple of years we’re facing changes things for the best. If not I fear we’ll all be stuck in Tory work camps!
Isn’t it the case that legal cases take a long time to get paid so effectively they earn so little in their first year because they didn’t bill anything the year before. Where as they probably get a fair amount coming through for a year or two after they retire.
I feel this
I was a night shift supervisor with the coop & upon finishing one year of college, 4 years of Uni & 1 year of a masters I started looking for a legal position.
I’ve yet to find one that even comes close to my work in a shop & I’m kinda nervous that I’ve wasted my time doing the degree. I don’t have any contacts in law (half my class had parents or uncles/aunts that were already established )
10k as a junior barrister? I had no idea they were so underpaid. Thats just insane. Damn right you should strike.
I don’t know how *some barristers can defend people who are in court accused of molesting minors when you can see they’re guilty, they present as controlling and abusive.. In that case, it’s a hell of a lot more moral to stick to pouring coffee.
I was in court giving evidence against an abuser and the look of hatred in the barristers face as she was defending him. He got off. He was given that barrister for free and when I looked her up, she was the dogs bllx at cases around sexual assault.
At the same time I was in family court losing custody of my daughter due to a mental breakdown and I could not get any representation, not entitled to legal aid. The mental breakdown came after worrying every single day if I could raise her without someone coming and doing that to her.
I’d sleep better at night pouring coffee.
*Some, not all, because on the other side of the coin, representing a victim and getting them justice is honourable work.
How do you think people working in a factory feel when they are on minimum wage.
With all due respect, the British legal system, particularly the English judiciary is evil. A pay to win and even a pay to participate justice system in many cases.
I wish you luck in your struggles but too many barristers have played a role in perpetuating a violent, racist and imperialist establishment that has crushed the poor and disenfranchised. Your struggle is not ours.
Reading all these comments about how much graduates are paid is shocking. I’m so glad that I got a trade and work for myself.
I have a physics degree. I ended up taking a conferencing job because a physics degree based job paid shit or needed years experience in the field…to pay less shit.
Conferencing job got me about 25 up to 30k.
Joined the military and got paid a starting wage of 28 rising to 35 without the same overheads.
Now on double that are 10 years. But a house and kid kills the disposable.
Wish we pensioners could go on strike! No one gives a shiny shit about us though😡
Barrister, barista. Tomato, tomato.
It’s all the same thing.
I think you gave me a tall skinny stretch (3 years for killing time)
Wonder if thats the situation in Scotland as well. Whats the ballpark figure and how long are they underpaid?
I think it’s really important that this Tory government has been so good at minimalising the middle class. There are a lot of people getting very wealthy, but jobs and careers in which you would typically assume to be ‘successful’ or at least guaranteed for life aren’t enough to let you achieve modest dreams of homeowning, financial safety etc.
When I went to Uni ~15 years ago, law was so over subscribed. There were more first year law students (straight law, not split with something else) than the entire engineering department (electronic, mechanical, computer etc. bachelor, masters, PhD).
I’m not dismissing the other points made here, just offering up that supply and demand might also play a part.
Why strike? Go and become a barista again.
Did you mis-read the application form the first time round?
TIL: That Starbucks pay their coffee stirrers £80,000 pa.