Lay Board Member

Bar Standards Board

London

  • Location London
  • Sector Regulation & Professional Standards
  • Client Bar Standards Board
  • Job Type Fixed Term Contract
  • Salary/Remuneration £10,000 for two days per month
  • Reference GSe125330
  • Closing Date 17:00, Monday 22 September 2025

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is the independent regulatory body for barristers in England and Wales. Established by the Legal Services Act 2007 and with responsibility for the regulation of over 18,000 professionals, the BSB works with the profession and the public to set and apply standards for qualification and practice and handles complaints about the conduct of barristers. We play a critical role in advancing the public interest in the legal services market and our vision is to be an active, consumer-focussed and modern regulator and to ensure that we regulate the Bar in the public interest by promoting high standards, equality and access to justice. As legal services in the UK continue to face new challenges, including the opportunities posed by Artificial Intelligence, the BSB has a pivotal role to play in protecting the consumers of legal services and in promoting a strong, independent and diverse  profession which plays its distinctive part in safeguarding the rule of law.

This is an exciting time to join the BSB. We are changing and changing fast. Our Reform Programme, is moving at pace, but there is more to do. We have recently completed an initial consultation on our new 5-year strategy which will set the Bar Standards Board’s priorities to the end of the decade. 

Our Board comprises 11 members, of whom six are lay, including the Chair, and is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Bar Standards Board and holding the Executive Team to account. Board members must be able to provide high-level strategic thinking, advice and leadership on the development and implementation of policy relating to the work of the BSB and, if appointed to a committee, members must take an active part in the committee's work.

The BSB is now seeking to appoint a new lay Board member for an initial 4-year term. This is an influential role and your personal credibility, strong diplomatic skills and ability to command confidence will be core to your work for us. With strong regulatory expertise, most likely with a background operating at board level in a regulator or regulated organisation, you will demonstrate the clear ability to understand professional regulation, with an appreciation of the complexities of working with an oversight regulator. You must be able to demonstrate a minimum of one full term served as a non-executive board member or trustee and bring a clear understanding of the distinction between governance and executive delivery. With the ability to influence at the most senior level, you will have experience of developing, maintaining and leveraging a wide range of relationships to drive positive outcomes, as well as experience in leading organisational change and development. You will be politically aware, a capable strategic thinker, as well as being an excellent communicator to varied audiences. Your ability to quickly grasp a complex regulatory and policy environment is also critical.

To be eligible for this role, you must be a lay person as defined in Schedule 1 to the Legal Services Act 2007, specifically you must never have been authorised as a legal services professional as defined in the Act.

We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation; one that reflects the profession we work with and the public that we protect. We actively encourage those with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply to work with us.

For a confidential discussion please contact russell.brandon@gatenbysanderson.com. For further information including how to apply, click on the button below.  

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