Junior Bar Association Round-Up
This year has marked a fresh chapter for The Inner Temple Junior Bar Association (JBA), with several new faces joining the committee. We were pleased to welcome Christie O’Connell as Co-President, who now shares the helm with Nancy Kelehar. We were also delighted to appoint Alex Ferrigno as our new Treasurer, who has already brought energy, efficiency and a suspiciously well-formatted spreadsheet or two.
The JBA continues to champion the professional and social development of junior members of the Inn. Our aim remains the same: to provide events that support junior barristers in building meaningful connections and navigating the early years of practice.
We were thrilled to end last year on a high note with the inaugural JBA Annual Dinner – a black tie evening of fine food, wine and general merriment. Junior barristers gathered in force, proving once and for all that the junior Bar scrubs up well. Given the success of the evening, we are delighted to confirm its return to the calendar as an annual tradition.
This year began in earnest with Surviving on Your Feet, a well-attended panel discussion for first and second six pupils. Seasoned juniors shared practical advice on managing court appearances, avoiding rookie errors and keeping your wig on (literally and figuratively).
We also welcomed prospective barristers to an event focused on cracking the pupillage process, with a panel of barristers sharing tips on making it through second-round interviews and securing those elusive offers. The atmosphere was equal parts inspirational and reassuring: proof that everyone starts somewhere, and nobody forgets the terror of a ten-minute advocacy exercise.
In June, we hosted our Summer Soirée on The Inner Temple terrace. The weather was kind, the canapés plentiful and the drinks cold – an ideal setting for junior barristers (and a healthy contingent of clerks, solicitors and friends of the Bar) to enjoy a relaxed evening of conversation and camaraderie.
Looking Ahead
We are very much looking forward to a busy and engaging autumn. The ever-popular Autumn Quiz returns, offering an opportunity to showcase your obscure legal trivia, niche pop culture knowledge and questionable team names.
Finally, following the success of last year’s event, we will once again be hosting our Career Sustainability Networking Evening. This event provides junior barristers with an opportunity to explore important topics such as financial planning, career breaks, well-being and how to have constructive conversations with clerks (without needing to rehearse them in the shower first).
The ever-popular Autumn Quiz returns, offering an opportunity to showcase your obscure legal trivia, niche pop culture knowledge and questionable team names.
Tickets for all upcoming events will be available via The Inner Temple Members Area. JBA events during 2025 are generously sponsored by expert mortgage advisers Henry Dannell, ensuring that we can keep our ticket prices affordable for junior members.
If you would like to get involved with the JBA or have ideas for future events, we would love to hear from you. Please email us at jba@innertemplesocieties.org and follow us on social media by searching ‘Inner Temple Junior Bar Association’.
Christie O’Connell & Nancy Kelehar
Co-Presidents, Inner Temple Junior Bar Association