Overview

Barr Ellison is a long-established Cambridge law firm (est. 1874) serving clients across East Anglia from a single headquarters overlooking Parker's Piece. The firm combines strong regional market knowledge with full-service capability, with recognised strengths in real estate and property development, personal wealth & probate, family law, personal injury and contentious litigation. The firm emphasises client care (LawNet mark of Excellence and a published Client Service Charter), close client relationships with Cambridge college and institutional work, and a practical, developer- and business-focused approach to transactions and disputes.

Headquarters: Cambridge, 39 Parkside (overlooking Parker's Piece)
Founded: 1874
Offices: 1

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

Real Estate
Corporate & M&A
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Family Law
Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
Private Client & Wealth
Environment & Planning
Tax
Employment
Commercial Contracts

Geographic Focus: Primary market is Cambridge and East Anglia. The firm positions itself as a regional adviser for private clients, landowners, developers, Cambridge colleges and local businesses, combining local market knowledge with full-service capability for property, commercial and private client matters.

Training Contract

Application Deadline: 31 December 2026

Seat Options

Commercial Property
Property Development
Residential Property
Personal Injury
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Family & Divorce
Personal Wealth
Court of Protection

Apply on the Barr Ellison website →

Notable Matters

Case Study: Collaborative personal injury claim resulting in £6.3m settlement

The firm's Personal Injury team published a case study describing a collaborative catastrophic personal injury claim that resulted in a £6.3m settlement. The matter highlights the team's expertise in life-changing injury claims, rehabilitation-focused work and working with multi-disciplinary experts to secure substantial compensation and rehabilitation funding for a seriously injured client.

Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

Lucy Cavendish College 9acquisition of Castle Street

Barr Ellison is referenced in connection with Lucy Cavendish College's acquisition of Castle Street (regional higher-education accommodation/estate transaction). The firm's commercial property / property development capability includes acting on campus expansion, site acquisition and property management matters for education-sector clients.

Real Estate

Property transaction for King's College (client testimonial)

A testimonial on the firm's Property Development / Commercial Property pages refers to work for King's College (transactional support). The firm describes acting for college and university clients on significant property matters and development transactions, providing title due diligence, contract negotiation and broader transactional management.

Real Estate

What Barr Ellison Looks For

Key Competencies

Client care and empathy
Commercial awareness (especially property and development matters)
Attention to detail
Teamwork and collaboration
Good communication and plain-English drafting
Resilience and pragmatic problem-solving

Evidence Signals

Commercial property / conveyancing or property-development experience
Client-facing experience (work placements, paralegal roles, volunteering)
Experience or interest in family law/mediation or collaborative law
Experience supporting vulnerable clients or healthcare settings (relevant for personal injury/Court of Protection work)
Evidence of strong written communication and practical problem-solving

Benefits & Wellbeing

Awards & Recognition

LawNet mark of Excellence / Client Service Charter (firm commitment)
Legal 500: Ranked in East Anglia – Commercial property (Cambridge) Tier 2
Legal 500: Ranked in East Anglia – Family Tier 2
Legal 500: Ranked in East Anglia – Personal tax, trusts and probate (Cambridge) Tier 2
Legal 500: Ranked in East Anglia – Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant Tier 3

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Committed to a policy of equal opportunity and diversity in employment; publishes SRA diversity data biennially and uses that data to inform DEI actions and transparency.

Diversity & Inclusion policy and dedicated webpage
Publication of the SRA Diversity Data Report (2025) / internal SRA survey

Innovation

Quick Application Angles

Emphasise regional and Cambridge ties: reference the firm's long history (est. 1874), its Cambridge college and education-sector work (e.g. acting on college property acquisitions) and your understanding of local planning/property markets.
For property-focused applications highlight relevant experience in property development, planning agreements (s106/s278), and asset management — the Commercial Property and Property Development teams are core strengths.
If applying to Personal Injury or Court of Protection teams, reference client-care experience, rehabilitation-focused work or healthcare-facing placements (the firm operates an office base at Addenbrooke's Hospital and stresses early rehabilitation).
Refer to the firm's Client Service Charter / LawNet commitments and give concrete examples of how you deliver clear communication, responsiveness and plain-English advice in prior roles or projects.
For family-team roles mention alternative dispute resolution experience (mediation/collaborative law) — the firm actively promotes mediation and collaborative divorce and has collaboratively trained lawyers.

Barr Ellison