Name: Claire Palmer

Role:  Barrister; Deputy District Judge (Civil); Bencher (Lincoln’s Inn), ED&I Committee

Specialist in (areas of law): Inquests, Inquiries, Public, Civil and Employment claims

Based mainly: London (but nationwide for cases)

Called to the Bar in: 2003

Joined 5 Essex Chambers in…

I joined 5 Essex in May 2014 after pupillage at an employment/commercial set and 10 years in a common law set. I was the only person on the AG’s panel in my then chambers and just appointed to B Panel. Having met a former member of Chambers at the ‘Welcome to Panel’ drinks, I thought that it sounded like a great set. On investigating further, I could see that it was both a great fit for me and for chambers. I have loved every minute of the last 11 years.

Why did you decide to become a barrister? 

When I was growing up, my parents would talk to me about becoming a doctor, vet or lawyer. Somehow, not an accountant, which on reflection is surprising as maths was my strongest subject at school. After I saw an episode of James Herriott (involving a cow – for those old enough to remember the TV series), I decided I definitely couldn’t be a vet, and was also likely too squeamish to be a doctor. Thankfully, I already enjoyed both public speaking and arguing and was fiercely independent (facts that my parents and teachers readily pointed out to me). So, aged 9, I was set on becoming a barrister. Every piece of work experience reinforced that it was the job for me. As I quoted in my university personal statement, “Law combines the scientist’s respect for logic and reason with the artist’s intuitive feel for words and emotion”. Being a barrister is the perfect combination of analysis, problem solving, advocacy and helping others achieve justice.

Career highlights?

I am incredibly privileged to love what I do almost every day. My practice includes cutting edge work: the Covid Inquiry, Post Office Inquiry, Independent Inquiry Related to Afghanistan, the Undercover Policing Inquiry, as well as high profile inquests, civil claims and employment cases. Each is a career highlight. However, for me, there is a great sense of satisfaction in helping witnesses and others navigate the Court process, from the most junior to those in high profile public roles. In most of my work, I represent the State. Whoever my client is, my role is to advise independently, including saying where I think things have gone wrong, and how it might be improved in the future. My role also includes reminding the Chair, Coroner, or Judge, and the public, that my client is not the faceless State but rather made up of individuals doing their best in complex circumstances. I work closely with those who give their life to public service, and it is a privilege to represent them.

Outside of my practice, I was honoured in November 2022 to be appointed a Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn. At the time, I was the youngest female to be appointed an Ordinary Bencher and second youngest person at that stage. This recognised my contribution to the Inn particularly in advocacy training and education.

Tell us about a sliding doors moment when your career could have gone in an entirely different direction?

In 2006, I represented Alex Sibley, former Big Brother contestant, against his ex-girlfriend, another former Big Brother contestant in a dispute over custody of their dog Poppy. I got the opportunity after meeting him at a possession hearing for a property his dad owned. We won and got joint custody on the basis of specific performance of a contract, the Judge rejecting the allegation of duress. A week later, I was invited onto the GMTV sofa to discuss the case. I couldn’t go as I was doing my first case against a silk, in Manchester Employment Tribunal. I often think how different my career would have been if I had gone.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to do the job you do?

Every barrister’s career is different and there are many routes to a successful career at the Bar.

For those starting out, take every opportunity you can to go to Court. It doesn’t need to be a formal mini-pupillage. Since Covid, many hearings are now online, and most Court hearings are accessible to the public. Take any opportunity to go to events organised by the Inns. There are hundreds of barristers that give up their time to teach advocacy, give career and interview advice, or sit on scholarship panels. Meet them, ask them questions and ask their advice. Academic excellence matters, so getting a good degree is important. However, it is also important to be able to interact with clients and judges and to gain their confidence.

For those in practice, the best advice I can give is to be able to recognise what went well rather than just focus on areas you think you can improve on. Accept the compliments and bank the experiences when you achieved a great result. Share your successes with your clerks and colleagues. It will help when you have those difficult days. Secondly, never underestimate how much impact giving evidence or being involved in litigation or Inquiries has on clients and/or witnesses, even the most senior individuals. Thirdly, be kind, and always thank the usher and those who work behind the scenes.

Tell us about a person who’s had an influence on your career?

My parents have been the biggest influence, and I am so grateful to both of them for everything they have done and continue to do. They worked full time whilst supporting me in everything I did – from teaching me to read at an early age which put me ahead at school and ultimately led to academic scholarships from age 11, ferrying me around for Karate tournaments and lessons, and showing me the value of teamwork and ‘mucking in’ as members of the PTA or helping others. Neither of them had been to university (although mum went as a mature student 2 years before I did), but they had much experience from the school of life. That too was invaluable and an undervalued commodity in the law. They also taught me to believe in myself and to have confidence in whatever I did. That they met working in the Metropolitan Police in the early 1970s and my dad having had a 30-year career in the police has inevitably influenced my move to 5 Essex and the enjoyment and understanding of the work that I do.

It may also seem strange to say, but the girls that bullied me at school had a real impact too. At the time, it was hard, and it’s not a route I’d recommend, but it is a large part of what made me who I am. It made me want to succeed even more. Once I realised that whilst they left me out of the friendship groups, they weren’t going to suddenly be nice if I did less well in my exams. So, I might as well do well and have something to show for it. It also taught me that bullies are mainly insecure and unhappy people notwithstanding any public bravado. More often than not, they back off when you stand up to them, politely and firmly. I have a strong sense of fairness and justice as a result, and that has certainly influenced my choice of career and approach to it. It has also influenced my desire to try to help others succeed, to mentor and to encourage.

What’s the hardest question you’ve ever been asked at interview, and how did you answer? 

In a pupillage interview, I was answering a legal problem question, in an area of law that I hadn’t studied in detail (I was still at university when I applied). I started my answer with saying that in real life, I would have gone off to the library to research the point before providing advice, but in the absence of having that luxury, I set out my answer. The response came from the Panel that there was a Court of Appeal case that said the opposite of what I had set out and I was asked what I had to say to that. I explained my surprise at the decision and noted that I would look forward to reading it to see the reasoning adding “well I’d hope I would have found that in my research”. They laughed and told me that the outcome had also been a surprise to practitioners in that field of law. I was offered pupillage even though I got the answer wrong. They were testing my analytical skills, advocacy, and reasoning. It reinforced that whilst preparation and research are key, so too is the confidence to articulate your case when asked to do so, and to reason logically. A little humour (in the right places) doesn’t hurt either.

What others say about Claire:

“Claire is an excellent advocate. She provides quality advice and goes the extra mile in order to put the client at ease.”

“Claire represents the best of barrister qualities – she’s clear and articulate about the big picture, but in preparation her attention to detail is excellent.”