Barristers form a small elite within Britain’s legal profession.

Evidence

As this description suggests, barristers are an elite group specializing in trial and appellate advocacy. The elite character of the group is reinforced by its size: about 30,000 barristers practice in the United Kingdom. Within the ranks of barristers, there is a further division between Queen’s Counsel and junior counsel. The former, also known as silks because of the material of their robes, comprise less than 9 percent of all barristers. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 956

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Britain has split its legal profession into barristers and solicitors since the fourteenth century. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 952; Britain’s bifurcated barrister-solicitor division structures who appears in court — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 647