This week, we are spotlighting Graeme Kirk. We hope that you enjoy reading his Q&A:
Tell us a little about yourself and your practice.
“Since my move to Lamb Chambers in 2016, I’ve specialised in property and commercial law. I have been practising since 2001 and did a broad range of civil work during the 15 years before that move, including chancery work (such as insolvency) and employment.”
What is your first memory of wanting to be a barrister?
“It feels a little embarrassing to say this, given how hard it is to become a barrister, but I hadn’t always dreamt of being a barrister. I left university in 1990, having studied History, not knowing what I wanted to do. I toyed with journalism and ‘something in the media’. After an accidental seven year career in the travel industry, I did mini-pupillages in my late 20s. It was only then that I realised why others (well, my Mum) had suggested that I should consider a career at the Bar, even though I come from a family of opticians (not lawyers). The penny finally dropped and I am so glad I decided to do the CPE at that point.”
Is there a certain case that stands out to you in your career? If yes, why?
“Though it’s not ‘one of mine’, I often think of an immigration hearing I attended during a mini-pupillage. I don’t do immigration work and I was only doing ‘work experience’ at the time. It was the case that made me realise how a barrister can really add value and change a client’s life for the better. The barrister listened intently and compassionately and conveyed her client’s story, learnt just minutes before, as a compelling piece of advocacy.
However I find it difficult to point to a particular case that stands out in my own career. There are few that I haven’t enjoyed on some level. It may sound cheesy or trite, but every case is important to the client. It is often the only time they’ll be involved in litigation and will inevitably involve enormous financial and personal risk. So while I am focussed on it, I make each the most important case to me.”
What’s your favourite thing about being a barrister?
“The people. Definitely. I get to meet all sorts of people from so many walks of life. Property owners often have ‘day jobs’ and commercial disputes require me to dip into all sorts of industries. I enjoy the feeling of not being desk-bound and travelling to many different parts of the country, however unglamorous some may seem (naming nowhere in particular!). I love the friendly collegiality of the Chambers environment and the unusual infrastructure that allows me to be self-employed but not isolated.”
What do you do to relax?
“I used to cycle, but not so much since we got our fabulously furry cocker spaniel, Bentley, after the pandemic. These days, I walk him. My real passion is music, particularly guitar-based music from the 80s and 90s and all things Bowie and Prince. I play the piano, and am trying to get back to somewhere near the level I reached as a teenager. I used to travel a lot, especially before I got married and we had our three kids, and now that they’re teenagers travel is becoming more doable.”
If you weren’t a barrister, what would you be?
“What I’d like to have been and what I could realistically have been aren’t necessarily the same thing! As a teenager I assumed I’d end up doing something with music. However I realised at A Level quite how talented everyone else seemed to be. I might have persisted with earlier ambitions as a journalist or in the travel industry, or (like my two brothers) have been more entrepreneurial. However, after my ‘gap decade’ I eventually found my true calling and can’t imagine doing anything else.
