Barrister of the month: Jonathan Landau

Name: Jonathan Landau

Role:  Barrister

Specialist in (areas of law): Inquests and Inquiries, Police Misconduct, Healthcare regulation, Public Law

Based mainly: London with cases across the country

Called to the Bar in: 2004

Joined 5 Essex Chambers in…

I joined Chambers in December 2020, during the height of Covid.

Why did you decide to become a barrister? 

On my pupillage application form, I wrote that I wanted to argue for a living.  It was a slightly tongue in cheek hook that helped secure me an interview in the chambers where I took pupillage.  Now, I would say that I am driven by the mix of human interest and intellectual challenge that my cases bring.

What are your career highlights?

So many!  But joining 5 Essex ranks highly.  It’s an incredibly supportive and collegiate Chambers filled with people who combine the highest levels of ability with warmth and approachability.  Recent highlights include being instructed as Counsel to the Inquiry in the Fuller Independent Inquiry, appearing on behalf of Appropriate Authorities in complex Police Misconduct cases, and supporting witnesses through challenging jury / Article 2 inquests.

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

My route to chambers was somewhat circuitous.  Although I practised in Chambers at the start of my career, I also worked in private practice for over ten years.  In my last role, I was a partner leading a team of healthcare regulatory lawyers in Bristol.  I needed to return to London for family reasons and had to choose between joining another firm or returning to the Bar. 

Choosing the Bar resulted in a shift to new practice areas to complement my existing work and there hasn’t been a dull day since. 

I am not alone in 5 Essex in having a varied career.  Members include those who have had careers in the military, industry, and the civil service.  Chambers values the skills and knowledge that other careers bring.

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

Gain as much experience as possible in a variety of areas.  You may find that you are attracted to areas you hadn’t previously considered and that the realities of those you were drawn to do not live up to expectations.

Tell us about a person who has had an influence on your career.

My earliest influence was a criminal defence barrister who was a family friend.  I started going to court with him when I was barely in secondary school.  He was very clever (I am still irked that I never managed to beat him in chess), charming and absolutely devastating in cross examination.  Many years later, he helped me with a tricky case.  He’s sadly missed.

What’s your most vivid memory from being a pupil?

Very early in pupillage, I was instructed on a watching brief in a high profile High Court family case in the event that it touched upon an immigration case of one of the witnesses.  All I had to do, I was told, was take a note.  During cross examination, however, the witness was asked a question that, if answered, could have incriminated him.  I had to rise and seek time to advise the witness, which was granted by the judge.  It was an early lesson to always expected the unexpected.

What others say about Jonathan:

“Jonathan is a very knowledgeable and sound tactician.” (The Legal 500)

“Jonathan is pragmatic, personable and very much on top of the detail – he is a highly effective advocate.” (Chambers and Partners)