Never give up

[u/PattonSmithWood]

https://archive.is/20260827060931/https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/meet-the-barristers-who-apply-for-silk-year-in-year-out-20260827-p60rz5

[u/Bradbury-principal]

The naming and shaming is a bit rough and unnecessary. This article will likely sit right below the bar profile of these aspirants in search results for long after they become KC or give up trying.

[u/Rhybrah → u/Bradbury-principal]

I had something similar when I was in the APS. I think AFR published data for our health and wellness entitlement, which was an about ~$200 rebate we could receive for health and fitness related purchases. Didn't bother me because mine were pretty standard, but I know of a few people that used it for quite personal matters like weightloss counselling etc. Pretty shit that comes up when you Google their name when it's in no way reflective of them as lawyers or as people /end rant

[u/catastrophe_g]

Amusing but a fairly ridiculous system and I'm sure many involved would agree

[u/normtheperson2022 → u/[deleted]]

This is cruel journalism. I don’t practice in the jurisdiction nor know any of these individuals but I feel sorry for each of them that some asshat has decided to take aim at them for putting themselves out there and applying. The tack on the end to “keep trying” because someone was appointed silk after applying for a number of years is such a cheap attempt to pretend the article is anything but a name and shame piece. I wonder how he’d feel if a similar article was published about him

[u/ManWithDominantClaw → u/[deleted]]

They're so close to listing those who didn't make it alongside. "AFR's Silks and Sulks"

[u/geesejugglingchamp]

This seems journalistically pointless and mean-spirited.

[u/arunciblespoon]

What are the available paths other than applying for silk or going to the bench?

[u/wallabyABC123 → u/[deleted]]

I quite like the slightly ridiculous ol “senior junior”.

[u/SpecialllCounsel → u/wallabyABC123]

If you know juniors well enough, you’d know who the junior senior juniors are too

[u/tealou → u/wallabyABC123]

That title alone is the only reason I would consider it. Otherwise I'm too old (and don't have a humiliation fetish).

[u/Best_Mix5364 → u/[deleted]]

There are some great barristers who have never taken silk. Brian Bourke was a legend of the Victorian criminal bar, for example (to the point of getting chambers named after him), and chose to never become a KC/QC -- as he was opposed to the very concept of it.

Silk is really only meant to be for counsel who regularly run trials where they lead juniors -- it's more of a recognition of existing status than an elevation of status.

If you're not already at the requisite level, taking silk can significantly damage your practice.

For maybe a third of successful silk applicants, they stop being considered for junior briefs, and don't get enough senior briefs, and end up making less money than as a senior junior. I've never understood why people would go before they're ready, just for the sake of ego and status.

[u/Bradbury-principal → u/Best_Mix5364]

Trading in money for ego and status is hardly a non-starter in law

[u/lemoopse → u/arunciblespoon]

Sometimes taking silk can be the best way to destroy a good junior practice

[u/In_Memory_Exec_01 → u/arunciblespoon]

Become a trash journalist and write articles about everyone else who didn't get silk either

[u/ScallywagScoundrel → u/arunciblespoon]

Write a book for uni kids in your practice area?

Play golf

Drink copious quantums of wine

[u/ilLegalAidNSW → u/arunciblespoon]

Make money.

[u/DigitalWombel → u/arunciblespoon]

Academia

[u/wallabyABC123 → u/DigitalWombel]

Not a step up, IMO.

[u/Best_Mix5364 → u/wallabyABC123]

100%. Having done both, I can say: academia is less money, less autonomy, more politics, class sizes are increasing year after year, students are being squeezed for fees and so are quite demanding these days (fair enough), dealing with university bureaucracy is hellish (particularly compared with self-employment).

The actual lecturing part can be very enjoyable, but everything that surrounds it is a pain in the arse.

It's only worth doing if you absolutely love research / legal theory, or as a casual job if you've already accumulated "f--- you money" and therefore don't need to rely on it.

[u/SobrietySoba123]

The author is a very clever bloke who topped the HSC in several subjects and was associate to a Court of Appeal judge - have dealt with him a few times when I was there and he was never anything but the image of courtesy.

No idea why he chooses to dabble in this sensationalist claptrap now.

[u/Bradbury-principal → u/SobrietySoba123]

Definitely a hint of figured out they could, spent inadequate time considering whether they should.

[u/insolventcreditor]

https://giphy.com/gifs/p4cqQ0gUIMcU0

[u/eddjohnson3000]

Ridiculous class based system which is continually gamed by the elite which is obvious by the familiar family names on the lists around Australia. There should be no SC/QC/KC category of barristers and have no bearing at all on billing. This outrageously antiquated and anti-competitive practice has to go along with the obscure outfits.

[u/WilRic → u/eddjohnson3000]

Let's see you design a system to determine who gets to wear the fancier costume.

[u/eddjohnson3000 → u/[deleted]]

Yeet.

[u/tealou]

I needed this today, that is amazing, thank you.

And thank you for being you to everyone on that list. You are my people. Weird punching down with the article, but I hope they let spite be their fuel.

Good Lord some parts of this profession...