Barmark and Quality Mark

There are two national quality accreditations for barristers Chambers; Barmark, sponsored by the Bar Council, and Quality Mark for the Bar, sponsored by the Legal Services Commission. Both cover the same ground but differ in detail; Quality Mark may be appropriate for Chambers who carry out a lot of publicly-funded work. It is possible to gain Quality Mark accreditation by "passporting" from Barmark, and this can currently be advisable for a number of reasons.  The Minster Group provide expert consultancy support to Chambers wishing to gain one or both of these accreditations.

Barmark/Quality Mark benefits

• Receive reductions in annual PI premiums
• Respond to growing pressure from solicitors and other clients for Chambers to gain either Barmark accreditation or Quality Mark accreditation
• Raise quality standards across your Chambers, including the Clerks Room
• Greatly improve your marketing, to the benefit of tenants' income
• Assist your Chambers in competing for local authority work
• Provide a clear framework for new barristers, pupils and clerks of how Chambers works.

What we do

• We supply all assessment procedures and forms needed for Barmark assessment and Quality Mark assessment, in draft
• We attend meetings in Chambers to help edit the drafts and start your Chambers using them
• We engage in email correspondence with your Chambers between meetings to edit travelling drafts, resolve queries, and advise on implementation
• We supply knowledge of what Barmark and Quality Mark Assessors are looking for, and help with assessment preparations.
• We advise on how Chambers can be managed and marketed better, to the benefit of tenants
• We carry out any in-Chambers training needed for Barmark assessment or Quality Mark assessment.

Our track record

We have advised over 20 barristers Chambers on preparations for Barmark assessment, Quality Mark assessment and Investors in People assessment. All have succeeded at first-time assessment. Please refer to  what our clients say about us.

Your next step

Please contact us for an initial without-commitment discussion on where your Chambers stands vis-a-vis the Barmark and Quality Mark requirements. We may want to visit your Chambers as part of an initial diagnosis and to assist in producing a Barmark or Quality Mark Action Plan for your Chambers, and to give you an accurate estimate of the costs involved in preparing for Barmark or Quality Mark assessment.