Regional and Metropolis Chambers – A Foot in Two Camps!

While Queensland barristers regularly travel – to and between regional centres, to Brisbane and interstate – to conduct cases, a raft of our Bar colleagues have chambers in more than one location. In the regions, a barrister may have home chambers in one city, and satellite chambers elsewhere. Some have home chambers in a regional city and in Brisbane. Some also have chambers interstate. This article seeks to address the considerations, and vicissitudes, involved in such endeavour. Justin Greggery KC was admitted to the Bar in 2000, and took silk in 2017. He is the leader of the Bar in Townsville. He is now a civil lawyer by practice but harbours extensive regulatory and criminal experience. Justin lives in Townsville, but has chambers in both Townsville and Brisbane. At Hearsay’s request, Justin has written this piece describing such dual chamber existence:

Last December my phone pinged with a Qantas notification about my travel in 2024: ‘Your year in review’. I had flown 67 times and covered more than 78,000 kilometres. A clear reminder of ‘the long commute’ necessary for a court-based practice equally shared between Brisbane and North Queensland.

Practice in regional Queensland only requires a short flight between centres. The trip from Townsville to Cairns is less than 40 minutes and the flight to Mackay is not much longer. Regional chambers generally have an open-door policy for visiting barristers and provide a room and printing facilities. When working in Cairns, Mackay or Rockhampton I had little need to join a second regional group or to take up a door tenancy.

The decision to join chambers in Brisbane involves different dynamics to travel in regional Queensland. The flight is almost two hours from Townsville. The airport/city commute, setting up and getting to and from court all takes time. The briefs generally require longer appearances. An increase in the volume of my work in the Brisbane jurisdiction and its complexity created the desire for a sense of constancy of surroundings and the need to replicate the numerous advantages of working from chambers rather than a hotel room. That said, I have always found those instructing me to be very generous with the offers of rooms and the use of the firm’s administration support but this category of assistance only goes so far. I have found that the intangible benefits of interactions within chambers to be well worth the additional cost.

The next issue was which chambers to join? My practice spans a number of areas in order to meet the expectations of regional solicitors who are more comfortable briefing someone they know rather than unknown counsel from Brisbane who might specialise. I was conscious that my choice of chambers would create its own perception of my practice. 8 Petrie Terrace was an attractive option. First, I had a good relationship with the head of chambers, Saul Holt KC. Second, the chambers planned to expand the floor space and increase their numbers of junior counsel. Third, the group took a proactive approach to the career development of law students who are employed as reception and administration staff. All were indicators of a commitment to the profession more broadly which aligned with the approach of 31 Sturt Chambers in Townsville. The conversations about the important practical matters of cost and invoicing were candid. The arrangement was reduced to writing for clarity. These are steps I highly recommend for those considering having a foot in two chambers. Life is much easier when you fit the culture of a new group and there are no potential misunderstandings about money. The arrangement did not require any active involvement in running chambers. I have that responsibility in Townsville and one of those responsibilities is enough.

The planned commencement date was delayed for over a year with the onset of the pandemic. Thereafter courts promoted remote appearances in most interlocutory hearings and some short final hearings which caused me to reconsider whether a second chambers was necessary. The following year (still not being certain either way) I decided to stick with the original plan. I found a second chambers simply doubled the collegiate experience and I looked forward to working between two chambers despite the drawback of repetitive travel.

A further development took place two years later when I moved to a door tenancy to accommodate additional ‘permanent’ members of chambers. I now work from a spare room or the conference room with the same access to administrative support. It has not been a negative experience compared to a permanent room although a door tenancy might not give the same sense of being settled if one was spending more than two days a week on average working from a second chambers.

As I mentioned, the primary negative of having two chambers is the repetitive travel. It can be tiring and impacts personal routine and family life. I was fortunate that my children were finished high school by the time I took up chambers as it would have otherwise imposed a substantially unequal burden in the home. A foot in two camps is unlikely to be as viable for barristers with young children. 

In my experience, the downside of travel is clearly outweighed by the opportunity to forge new friendships, gain a sense of connection with beating heart of practise in Brisbane and be exposed to the breadth of work which is not available in the regions. This is best achieved by way of personal introductions and face to face conversations which are made much easier by being part of a Brisbane chamber group. Exposure to a wider range of judicial figures tends to hone one’s advocacy and improves practical skills. These experiences are not readily available to most barristers in the regions. To most, the Bar in Brisbane is perceived rather than experienced. As an example, the almost daily opportunity to observe the Court of Appeal is not available to barristers in the regions except for the one week each year when the Court sits in either Cairns or Townsville. Federal Court hearings and oral applications for special leave are in the same category of distant events.

I also believe that there is merit in the reverse scenario. Our chambers has door tenants from outside of Townsville who have the benefit of personal introductions to local solicitors. It is not possible for the comparatively few barristers in the regions to provide all the services required locally by solicitors based in Townsville or Brisbane. There are opportunities for counsel who wish to broaden their practice areas in Mackay and Townsville and taking up a door tenancy is a cost-effective approach for those want to test the waters without an obligation for lengthy commitment. Barristers who practise in commercial, succession and personal injury litigation will have work in Townsville if they are approachable and diligent problem solvers.

A foot in both camps has enhanced my experience of practising in Queensland. I recommend it.