- New River Head, 173 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4UP
- 07971 119 390
- julianmccombe@qcappointments.co.uk
We are committed to providing the highest quality of professional assistance to barristers and solicitor advocates who wish to maximise their chances of success in the King’s Counsel Appointments (KCA) Competition for England and Wales. We are delighted to have worked with 55 of the 96 successful applicants on the January 2026 list of KC appointments, 57% of all new silks. Although the success rate for the 2025-26 competition was only 29.5% (the lowest ever), the majority of our clients (55%) were appointed. This is the seventh consecutive year that our clients have made up the majority of new silks, each year enjoying approximately double the level of success of a typical applicant in the competition.
We understand that a competency-based system for selection and assessment may be challenging, particularly for those who have not undergone a competitive recruitment process for some time. Our service aims to ensure that applicants fully appreciate what is required of them in both their written application and panel interview, and to assist them in optimising their performance at each stage of the KC Appointments competition.
We pride ourselves on delivering an unparalleled level of engagement and support. Our candidates receive the most robust advice and feedback throughout the application process, and we will only ever recommend a realistic course of action, based on an initial and then ongoing evaluation of candidature. Indeed, as our Principal Consultant, Julian McCombe, has sat on the KC Appointments Interview Panel with the former Chair, Baroness Butler-Sloss, as well as being engaged in implementing and reviewing the KC Appointments selection and assessment process, we are in a unique position to professionally advise applicants for silk, as borne out by our levels of success.
We can take on only a fraction of the prospective clients who approach us each year for assistance. We are interested in working with lawyers who are fully committed to making their silk application, and who will put in the significant effort required at each stage of what is a demanding and time-consuming process.
We work with you on your application form with only one clear goal: that, at final draft, we arrive at a point of consensus that your practice and candidature could not be presented to better effect.
• Robust initial assessment of your candidature against the key criteria for appointment
• Rigorous selection and careful presentation of your 12 cases to ensure the criteria for inclusion are met
• Tactical selection of your assessors to maximise ratings and to avoid unsatisfactory assessments
• Assistance with each section of your draft application in demonstrating ‘excellence’ across the competencies
• Very specific guidance in meeting the requirements of ‘Working with others’ and ‘Diversity’
• In-depth assistance with content, style and editing up until final draft
After undertaking a full review of your application form, we conduct an initial consultation to assist you in identifying and presenting to best effect examples of professional competencies, which are likely to be rated as ‘excellent’ by the KC Appointments selection panel. We provide you with insight into exactly what the interview panel are looking for, and determine the most likely questions which will be put to you.
We talk through any issues or concerns you might have about the interview process, providing solutions as to how any apparent shortcomings in meeting the criteria for appointment might successfully be addressed. A comprehensive list of potential panel interview questions is practised, with an emphasis on ‘Diversity’ (absolutely critical to a successful interview), and your responses discussed and rated. We place great importance on ensuring that your answers are specific to your application form, practice and professional experience, never ‘stock’, but that they, nevertheless, clearly meet the criteria for each of the competencies.
An initial one-to-one coaching session (via Zoom) lasts approximately 2.5 hours. It provides an introduction to the interview process and discussion of any questions or concerns you might have, as well as dealing with the most frequently asked and most difficult questions. These sessions are typically held during late Spring/ early Summer.
A second one-to-one coaching session (in-person) lasts approximately 2 hours. It provides an opportunity to practise a range of competency questions followed by a full-scale mock interview. The focus is on refinement of the content of your answers and your presentation. This session is diarised after the KCA has confirmed the date of your interview.
Potential candidates may be unsure as to whether they should apply for silk. To assist you in making this decision, we undertake a review of your candidature, determining the extent to which your recent cases meet the criteria set by the Panel (of substance, complexity, particular difficulty or sensitivity), and whether you have had sufficient opportunity to demonstrate the competencies to a standard of ‘excellence’. If, upon reflection, you decide not to pursue silk in a particular year, we will provide advice on how your candidature might be bolstered for future competitions. These meetings are conducted via Zoom and last approximately 1 hour.
Coaching sessions are held via Zoom except when immediately in advance of an in-person interview. In-person coaching sessions are held at our London offices at Temple.
Appointments may be arranged for any point during the day, including after court.
Clients vary in the degree and nature of the assistance they require, and advisory and coaching activities are tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual. Therefore, fees are calculated at an hourly rate, with estimates provided whenever possible.
From 1 January 2021, we have adopted a two-tier fee structure in response to the very different earning levels of our clients in recent years.
From 1 January 2026, the company’s standard hourly rate is £450 + VAT.
For those clients with gross salary or earnings of less than £100,000, a reduced hourly rate of £200 + VAT will apply.
To find out more about our services, please contact Julian McCombe on 07971 119 390 or, preferably, by email at julianmccombe@qcappointments.co.uk
