Attorney General fires gun on selection for regional panels of junior counsel

The Attorney General’s Office is seeking to appoint junior counsel in the regions to undertake civil advocacy work outside London and the South East for all government departments.

It said it was looking to “refresh” membership of the regional A, B and C panels that are open to both barristers and solicitors. The make-up of these panels is as follows:

• Regional A Panel: “Members of this panel deal with the most complex Government cases in all kinds of courts and tribunals. Those previously appointed to the A panel have generally had in excess of 10 years advocacy experience in actual practice (from end of 2nd six months’ pupillage for barristers, date of commencement of advocacy for solicitors).”
• Regional B Panel: “Members of this panel deal with substantial cases but not in general as complex as those handled by the A panel. They will generally be instructed where knowledge and experience of a particular field is required. Those previously appointed to the B panel have generally had between 5 and 10 years advocacy experience in actual practice (from end of 2nd six months’ pupillage for barristers, date of commencement of advocacy for solicitors).”
• Regional C Panel: “Members of this panel will be expected to have at least two years’ experience in actual practice (from end of 2nd six months’ pupillage for barristers, date of commencement of advocacy for solicitors). Those appointed to the C panel will often (but not exclusively) provide the A and B panel members of the future and so should have the potential to join the A panel.”

To be selected, barristers must have a tenancy while solicitors must have a higher court advocacy qualification. Click here for details on how to apply.

The closing date is 31 October 2019.

The contract start date is 1 March 2020 and the end date is 28 February 2025.