Barristers working within a set of chambers are self-employed and are known as tenants.
Tenants therefore work under the 'umbrella' of chambers for themselves, but with an experienced barrister at its head and usually a clerk to manage the flow of work. There are approximately 8,000 independent barristers in England and Wales, with about 5,500 in London. They work within some 500 sets of chambers, including sole practitioners. Finding a tenancy Even though you have completed pupillage there is no guarantee that you will manage to secure a tenancy. In fact, as low as only one-third of pupils find a tenancy.