Launch of the Birmingham CLIPS Scheme

We are pleased to be launching the Birmingham Chancery Litigant in Person Support Scheme (“B-CLIPS”), established alongside the Midland Chancery and Commercial Bar Association (MCCBA) in January 2024.

This duty scheme will mirror existing arrangements in London, Newcastle, Leeds and the Southwest, providing on-the-day advice and advocacy for unrepresented parties on the Interim Applications List of the Business and Property Court in front of the District Judge Chancery Applications List in the High Court every Friday.

Barristers with post-pupillage Chancery experience will be able to volunteer to be on duty for one day at a time, and will be required to be at the designated conference room in the Birmingham CJC on the day on which they are volunteering. Volunteers will accept instructions under the licensed access auspices of Advocate.

Following the success of existing CLIPS Schemes, we have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from volunteers. We have found that volunteering through the Scheme presents a fantastic opportunity not only to build advocacy experience, but also to work with cases that deal with often fascinating points of law requiring specialist knowledge.

The Scheme will be launched at an event held at St Philips Chambers (55 Temple Row, B2 5LS) at 5pm on Tuesday 9 January 2024, with an option to attend remotely, and will aim to provide further information the Scheme and how it will operate,  with talks from those involved in its development and one of the judges who will be hearing the B-CLIPS list. The Scheme will then begin as a pilot on Friday 23 February 2024.

To sign up to attend the launch event, to volunteer for the Scheme, or for further information, please contact our Schemes Caseworker, Jessica, jbates@weareadvocate.org.uk, or Alex Pritchard-Jones at No. 5 apj@no5.com.  

Find out more about our other partner Schemes.