IT support for barristers and chambers

IT for barristers & chambers

Chambers are an unusual setup. Each barrister sole runs their own practice with their own clients, instructing solicitors, finances and confidential briefs, yet they share a building, reception, meeting rooms, printers and usually an internet connection. Junior barristers, clerks and shared administrative staff move between practices. IT that treats chambers like a single firm risks one barrister's files being reachable by another, which is not acceptable when privilege and confidence are at stake.

Barristers also live on their laptops and tablets. Briefs, bundles, authorities and submissions travel to court, to client meetings and home, often with a hearing the next morning. A lost device, a corrupted bundle or a failed sync the night before a hearing is a serious problem. And because many barristers work alone, there is nobody down the corridor to check the backup is running or the email account is secure. Problems tend to surface at the worst moment, often in the middle of preparing for a trial.

Office IT supports shared chambers and individual barristers with practical, private IT. We separate each practice's network, accounts and storage while sharing the infrastructure that makes sense, keep court devices encrypted and synchronised, protect email from impersonation and back up every barrister's work. Chambers in Auckland and Hamilton get onsite support, and barristers elsewhere in New Zealand are supported remotely. Each barrister can see exactly what is set up for their own practice, and nothing is shared without their agreement.