I was once the Times Lawyer of the Week - but that week was long ago. Here is what they said
Famous for 15 minutes
The Times
February 26, 2002
Lawyer of the Week - Richard Barr
INTERVIEW BY LINDA TSANG
'If you decide to be a lawyer, do something else first to get life skills'
Richard Barr, a partner at Alexander Harris, is the lead solicitor in the case representing parents whose children, they allege, have been affected by the MMR vaccine and have suffered from injuries ranging from autism to epilepsy, encephalitis to bowel diseases. The case is building up for a hearing in the High Court in London.
The irony of course is that the MMR court trial never happened. See "MMR"
And read about my other brief moment of fame.....
How did you get involved in the case?
I was originally a jobbing solicitor then I became involved in the Opren cases, co-ordinating 317 claims which we took to the Court of Appeal on limitation issues. Nash v Eli Lilly became a landmark case on limitation. These cases changed the direction of my career and set me on the path of being a multiparty solicitor.
Would Tony Blair admitting that Leo has had the MMR injection help the case for your clients?
His decision on whether or not to give the MMR vaccine to Leo has nothing to do with the cases. We are dealing with more than 1,000 children who have already been vaccinated and are now seriously disabled. For them any lead which might be given by the Prime Minister will have come too late.
What have been the most surprising aspects of this case so far?
The lack of long-term safety trials. You challenge vaccine dogma at your peril. Instead of informed debate, those who question received wisdom are vilified and marginalised, as happened recently to Dr Andrew Wakefield (one of our experts) who was eased out of the Royal Free Hospital because his research was no longer in line with the department of medicines research strategy.
What was your worst day as a lawyer?
Undoubtedly the day when the first instance judgment was handed down in the Opren cases. When the judgment was handed down it dismissed virtually all the claims it was like a firm kick in the solar plexus.
What has been your most memorable experience as a lawyer?
Probably the day when, as an articled clerk, I was flown out to Deauville in France to serve a writ on a company director. He was very cordial, entertained me lavishly all day and his chauffeur drove me to my plane at the end of the day.
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
My late uncle Dick. He farmed the inhospitable land in western Nebraska in America. In 1971, the year I qualified as a solicitor, he became virtually blind from macular degeneration. For the next 15 years until his death he and I exchanged cassette letters about life, the Universe and everything.
Why did you become a lawyer?
My mother was the village doctor, and my father was a country solicitor. I did not like the constant intrusion from the patients who called my mother out at any time of day or night. I decided long hours were not for me the irony is that I have ended up doing a job which involves long hours, medicine and law.
What advice would you offer to anyone considering a career in law?
Dont. Solicitors will need to become extremely competent, and the public will need to grow to appreciate them. If you insist, try doing something else first. Lawyers need life skills as well as legal ability.
Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
I have absolutely no idea maybe back as a jobbing solicitor, maybe writing the long overdue novel, or even eking out an existence in Nebraska.
I was originally a jobbing solicitor then I became involved in the Opren cases, co-ordinating 317 claims which we took to the Court of Appeal on limitation issues. Nash v Eli Lilly became a landmark case on limitation. These cases changed the direction of my career and set me on the path of being a multiparty solicitor.
Would Tony Blair admitting that Leo has had the MMR injection help the case for your clients?
His decision on whether or not to give the MMR vaccine to Leo has nothing to do with the cases. We are dealing with more than 1,000 children who have already been vaccinated and are now seriously disabled. For them any lead which might be given by the Prime Minister will have come too late.
What have been the most surprising aspects of this case so far?
The lack of long-term safety trials. You challenge vaccine dogma at your peril. Instead of informed debate, those who question received wisdom are vilified and marginalised, as happened recently to Dr Andrew Wakefield (one of our experts) who was eased out of the Royal Free Hospital because his research was no longer in line with the department of medicines research strategy.
What was your worst day as a lawyer?
Undoubtedly the day when the first instance judgment was handed down in the Opren cases. When the judgment was handed down it dismissed virtually all the claims it was like a firm kick in the solar plexus.
What has been your most memorable experience as a lawyer?
Probably the day when, as an articled clerk, I was flown out to Deauville in France to serve a writ on a company director. He was very cordial, entertained me lavishly all day and his chauffeur drove me to my plane at the end of the day.
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
My late uncle Dick. He farmed the inhospitable land in western Nebraska in America. In 1971, the year I qualified as a solicitor, he became virtually blind from macular degeneration. For the next 15 years until his death he and I exchanged cassette letters about life, the Universe and everything.
Why did you become a lawyer?
My mother was the village doctor, and my father was a country solicitor. I did not like the constant intrusion from the patients who called my mother out at any time of day or night. I decided long hours were not for me the irony is that I have ended up doing a job which involves long hours, medicine and law.
What advice would you offer to anyone considering a career in law?
Dont. Solicitors will need to become extremely competent, and the public will need to grow to appreciate them. If you insist, try doing something else first. Lawyers need life skills as well as legal ability.
Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
I have absolutely no idea maybe back as a jobbing solicitor, maybe writing the long overdue novel, or even eking out an existence in Nebraska.
