GetBriefed Podcast

In this episode, Orlagh sits down with former Director General of the Bar Standards Board, Mark Neale. Just weeks after retiring, Mark dives into the inner workings of the regulatory landscape that shapes the future of barristers and the justice system in England and Wales. Covering some of core topics at the Bar today, he shares candid insights on the cracks and opportunities within legal regulat...

In this episode of the GetBriefed Podcast, Orlagh sits down with AI and data protection specialist at 5 Essex Chambers, Alex Ustych. Called to the Bar in 2010, Alex has long been interested in emerging technologies and the challenges that a phenomenon like AI would present, even before its current rise to prominence. As AI reshapes industries worldwide, Alex explores what it means for the legal pr...

In our latest episode of the GetBriefed Podcast, Orlagh sits down for a second conversation with Kathryn Stone OBE, as she bids farewell to a career at the Bar spanning the last seven years. Throughout her time leading the profession’s regulator, Kathryn has experienced the Bar in some of its highest and some of its lowest moments. Her main goal as Chair ofthe BSB has been clear from the very begi...

In the latest episode of the GetBriefed Podcast, Orlagh sits down with Bibi Badejo - a barrister, advocacy trainer and founder of The Advocacy Coach and The Advocacy Podcast. With a long-standing passion for law and a career spanning both courtroom practice and legal education, Bibi is committed to helping lawyers develop practical, impactful advocacy skills. Her work bridges the gap between tradi...

In this latest episode of The GetBriefed Podcast , Orlagh is joined by Jayne Drake , Senior Clerk at St Pauls Chambers and newly appointed member of the IBC Executive Committee . Jayne first stepped into the clerks' room in 1995 and has led the team at St Pauls since 2009. With three decades of experience, she brings a sharp perspective to an enduring question: What is the essence of clerking...

In the latest episode, Orlagh sits down with Sarah Longden, Chief Operating Officer at Quadrant Chambers . Appointed as Quadrant’s COO in May 2024, Sarah brings nearly 30 years of experience in the legal sector, with a background deeply rooted in marketing and businessdevelopment across both law firms and chambers. In this conversation, Sarah reflects on her path from marketing to leadership, shar...

How do criminal barristers navigate their most distressing cases? How does constant exposure to trauma impact their well-being—and the profession as a whole?  In this gripping episode of the GetBriefed Podcast, Orlagh sits down with Farrhat Arshad KC, a leading criminal barrister who has spent over two decades at the Criminal Bar. Appointed KC in 2024, she has tackled some of the most complex and...

In this episode of the GetBriefed Podcast, Orlagh is joined by the current Chambers  Director of 42BR, Vincent Denham.  Officially known as the first-ever appointed Chief Executive in the Chambers world, Vincent is one of the most experienced leaders within the chambers profession, having led 7 different legal entities, including 3 sets of chambers and 4 law firms.  In this conversation, Vincent s...

In this episode of the GetBriefed Podcast, Orlagh is joined by high-profile criminal barrister, author and broadcaster, Chris Daw KC. As an established criminal defence lawyer, Chris made a name for himself dealing in a niche of cases that garner major attention from the media. He notably played a part in representing professional footballers, John Terry and Ryan Giggs in their majorly publicised...

In the first episode of our 2025 season, we welcome the current CEO of Doughty Street Chambers, James Whiting.  Having only recently stepped into the chambers world in 2022, James brought with him a plethora of knowledge gained from 25 years in the charity sector, where he picked up vast amounts of experience in deputy director and director roles. Taking on the role of CEO at one of the UK’s most...

In this compelling season finale of the GetBriefed Podcast, Orlagh sits down with Kathryn, the Chair of the Bar Standards Board, for a conversation on integrity, justice, and the future of legal standards. Kathryn’s journey began from humble origins, where her commitment to fairness was sparked at a young age. A formative experience caring for individuals with profound disabilities as part of a sc...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by current judge and former Head of Chambers of 3 Paper Buildings, HHJ Nigel Lickley KC. As a teenager, Nigel had little to no knowledge of what a barrister was or what they did. However, one trip to the crown court as part of a work shadowing showed him that it was the best job in the world. From then, Nigel joined 3PB as a pupil and spent 34 years at the set, sp...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by Senior Clerk at 5RB, Andrew Love. Having joined chambers fresh out of school in 1995, Andrew found himself 21 years later becoming the Senior Clerk of the set. An appointment that, despite some kind of succession plan in place, he could never truly prepare for. Andrew entered the profession when there was a general drinking culture around chambers - the usual d...

In this episode, Orlagh sits down with joint Head of Chambers at St Pauls Chambers, Denise Breen-Lawton KC. Called to the Bar in 2000, Denise is an experienced criminal barrister, who specialises in terrorism, homicide and organised crime cases. She is first ever female Head of Chambers at St Pauls and the first criminal silk to come from the set. Unlike most practising barristers, Denise's life a...

In this episode, Orlagh sits down with Nikki Alderson, a former barrister turned specialist coach for female lawyers. Called to the Bar in 1996, Nikki quickly gravitated toward criminal law, driven by her passion for human interest stories and advocating for the underdog. Her career at the Bar saw her specialise in RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) cases at Broadway House Chambers. Ten year...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by practicing barrister and founder of Bridging the Bar, Mass Ndow-Njie. Mass' passion for law was sparked from a very early age, and his goal in life was set - to become a barrister. Mass' goal, however, was dependent on one thing in his mind - he had to attend either Oxford or Cambridge to have the best chance of making this become a reality. After apply...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by Partner and Head of Public Law Children in London at RWK Goodman, Keeley Lengthorn.  Keeley began her career as a solicitor in 2006, specialising in Family and Children, and became a partner in 2018. She is also a leading campaigner for Baby Loss and the founder of George's Law - a new piece of legislation that would grant 3 days paid leave to anyone who ex...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by the current Chambers Director at Oriel Chambers, Nicholas O'Neill. Although not involved with the Bar until much later in his career, Nick has had a keen interest in the legal sector throughout his studying and working life. After studying law at university, Nick went on to practice for 20 years as a litigator, before getting into chambers management for th...

In this episode, Orlagh sits down with Emily Martin, Senior Clerk at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square, to discuss her remarkable journey in the world of chambers. Emily began her career in 2008, stepping into the role of a junior clerk—a position she initially saw as a short-term job before university. However, inspired by her Senior Clerks and drawn to the dynamic environment of chambers, Emily quickly real...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by the former Senior Clerk-turned-Director of Development and Compliance, Lucy Barbet. Lucy joined chambers in the early 90s as a receptionist, but found herself in the clerks' room after a failed hiring process at her then chambers, 1 Essex Court. Despite a number of personal struggles, by age 35 she had given up her role as second junior clerk to have a fami...

Welcome back to the GetBriefed Podcast. In today’s episode, Orlagh is joined by the long-standing Senior Clerk at 4 Stone Buildings, David Goddard. David began his clerking career in the early 70s, where suits and boots were mandatory and the idea of promoting a barrister’s services was illegal. Planning only to stay in chambers for 6 months as a stopgap, he is still going strong 50 years later. D...

In today’s episode, Orlagh is joined by the Director-General of the Bar Standards Board (BSB), Mark Neale.  With a wealth of experience in the public service sector, covering everything from tax to counter-terrorism, Mark has now entered what he calls his third career leading the BSB – the regulator of the Bar.  Mark’s role as Director-General is to continually assess the landscape of the Bar and...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by former Chambers Director and long-standing Senior Clerk, Martin Secrett.  Martin began his career in the clerks' room when chambers was a different place. No technology was available and members relied solely on conversations with their clerks to manage their practice and acquire work for the coming days. With modern advancements in technology now firmly in...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by practising barrister at Francis Taylor Buildings and certified exec coach, James Pereira KC.   James was called to the Bar in 1996 and incurred rapid success in his early career, where he won multiple awards and went on to take Silk at the young age of 42.   It was then that James was exposed to many personal challenges that high performing professionals encoun...

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by the Co-Founder and Business Development Director of The Barrister Group, Stephen Ward. Stephen entered the chambers world in 1983 as a young junior clerk then labelled "The Boy" - his mission was to help chambers run as smooth as possible and effectively learn the trade that was clerking. In the present day, Stephen is now an instrumental part of a te...