Making the leap and landing somewhere that lets you thrive

Tom Cowan’s recent article in Counsel magazine, “Making the leap”, is a thoughtful reflection on one of the most significant decisions a barrister can make: whether, and when, to move to pastures new.

For many, the idea of change brings a mix of excitement and hesitation. Practices are hard-won. Reputations are carefully built. There is comfort in familiarity, even where it no longer quite fits. Tom’s article captures something that resonates deeply across the profession: the real question is not why move? but what are you moving towards?

At St Pauls Chambers, that question is one we hear often in confidential conversations with barristers at different stages of their careers. Junior tenants refining a specialist practice. Established practitioners looking for renewed momentum. Silks seeking an environment that values independence alongside collaboration. The common theme is not dissatisfaction, but ambition, and the desire to practise in a place that actively supports it.

Culture is not a slogan, it is a daily experience

Tom rightly highlights that the success of a move is rarely about prestige alone. It is about people, culture and whether chambers genuinely enables you to do your best work. Those factors are hard to assess from the outside, but they are decisive once you are inside.

St Pauls has always been deliberately small, and intentionally collegiate. That is not accidental. Our members value working in an environment where excellence is encouraged but individuality is respected; where professional ambition is supported rather than managed; and where success is shared rather than siloed.

Leadership that understands modern practice

A recurring theme in Making the leap is the importance of leadership, not in theory, but in how it shapes day-to-day professional life. At St Pauls, that tone is set from the top.

Under Head of Chambers Sam Green KC, the premise is simple: a strong chambers is not one that forces its members into a single model of success. It is one that creates the conditions in which different models can flourish. Excellence, professional satisfaction and personal contentment are not competing goals; they are mutually reinforcing.

That philosophy extends to clerking. Our long-established clerking team works closely with members as genuine partners in practice development. Supporting parenting and caring responsibilities is not treated as an exception or inconvenience, but as part of retaining talent and sustaining excellence at the Bar. Work allocation, listing pressures and client expectations are managed proactively, not reactively.

The same applies to longer-term issues such as fair access to work and progression. Addressing the gender pay gap and structural inequality requires more than statements of intent; it requires transparency, data and practical action. These are areas where St Pauls aims not simply to keep pace, but to lead.

The right move can be transformative

One of the most compelling points in Tom Cowan’s article is that moving chambers is not about escape; it is about alignment. When your professional values, working style and long-term ambitions align with the place you practise, the impact can be transformative, on confidence, on opportunity and on career trajectory.

For some, that realisation comes early. For others, it comes after years of successful practice. There is no single “right moment”. But there is a right environment.

St Pauls Chambers welcomes confidential conversations with barristers who are reflecting on their next step. Sometimes those conversations confirm that the time is not yet right. Sometimes they open the door to something new. Both outcomes are valued.

As Tom Cowan’s article reminds us, making the leap is not about risk for its own sake. It is about choosing a place where your ambitions are understood, supported and allowed to grow.

If you are considering whether your current chambers still reflects where you want your practice to go, we would be very happy to talk. Your enquiry will be treated in confidence and should be directed to the Head of Chambers, Sam Green KC