Early morning rain was falling steadily from the gray London sky as I made my way to the Holborn Street underground station. It was the first day of my sabbatical, and I was keen to make the most of it. I got off the train at St. Paul’s and made my way to the barrister’s chambers at 21 College Hill. As I stepped through the door, I was met by a clerk who took me directly upstairs to the Board Room, and introduced me to Sarah Whitehouse, QC (Queen’s Council), the English barrister who had graciously agreed to facilitate my sabbatical.

Barristers are specialists in courtroom advocacy. They practice independently, but generally form together into “chambers,” similar to an American law firm, except each barrister practices independently. Unlike in America, barristers in the same chambers may represent clients opposed to each other in court.

First, some history to give perspective. We owe much of our Anglo-American legal system traditions to two important people: King Henry II of England and Pope Innocent III.

Henry II reigned from 1154 to 1189. These were turbulent times in England, and Henry worked to consolidate government. Previously, England had many local courts with varied legal traditions, which led to inconsistent legal results. In 1176, Henry dispatched a group of royal justices to visit all the counties of England to establish a common law of the land, and to consolidate the administration of justice. Thus, Henry II is regarded as the founder of the Common Law, which the English colonists brought to America.