Anand Beharrylal KC

Meet Anand Beharrylal KC. Anand has forged a successful career as a barrister and is now a King’s Counsel and Recorder of the Crown Court.

Delivering career-ready graduates

Hertfordshire Law School has a strong reputation for delivering career-ready graduates and Anand Beharrylal KC is a perfect example of this. He has enjoyed a successful career since graduating from Herts in 1996. In 2018, he was appointed a Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) by the late HM Queen Elizabeth II and in 2023, he was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court by HM King Charles III.

Anand says, ‘Herts provided one of the few opportunities to complete the LLB (Hons) degree in two years on the accelerated course, which was relatively new at the time. I always wanted to qualify as a barrister and this intensive degree course allowed me to complete the first stage of that task and gave me a better prospect of obtaining pupillage.’

Despite studying an intensive course, Anand says, ‘I made good friendships at Herts and had an excellent study group, which afforded time for some fun in between study periods.’

One of Anand’s favourite memories from his course was learning about the law of criminal procedure and the discussions they had on his course about the right to silence, adverse inferences and the sufficiency of evidence, and what it meant in the then modern era. Anand adds, ‘It was this that sparked my interest in criminal law, which showed me that whatever practice I might develop in the future, I wanted criminal law to be part of it.’

Fantastic facilities

Anand has since come back to Herts to assist in mooting with full-time judges from St Albans Crown Court in the University’s fantastic mock courtroom, which didn’t exist when Anand studied at Herts. Anand says, ‘The mock courtroom was a fantastic addition for students, and it really distinguishes Hertfordshire Law School from other universities. It is also a great environment for testing whether advocacy is your forte.’

Anand has also attended employability events at Herts, and regularly provides advice and mentoring to students who aspire to become barristers.

His advice

Anand says, ‘I cannot overstate the value of obtaining an LLB (Hons) degree from Herts. It has enabled me to achieve the first step in my career at the Bar and equipped me with the necessary skills to start that career, both in pupillage and as a junior barrister in practice.

‘The best advice I can give is to consider carefully whether a career at the Bar is right for you, and research and speak to people like me who can help you in making that decision. If you decide to go to the Bar (or indeed any legal career) remain firm and committed to that course and do not get discouraged by anything or anyone. This for me is the best formula for success.’