Barristers are specialist legal advisers and court room advocates. When barristers have achieved sufficient experience and eminence in the profession, they may apply to become King’s Counsel, also known as KC’s ‘s’ or ‘Silks’.
The Inns of Court (Middle Temple, Inner Temple, Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn) are membership organisations that provide training and services to those training to become a barrister and those in practice at the Bar.
The Council of the Inns of Court (COIC) is the representative body of the four Inns, through which they work collectively on strategic and policy matters relating to the Inn’s support for the profession. COIC also serves as the co-ordinating body between all the Inns.