Although most barristers are self-employed, around 1 in 5 of them (see below) work as employees of other, larger organisations, either being retained in-house by firms of solicitors (who can therefore save on the cost of instructing counsel separately) or by legal bodies such as the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), HMRC or CPS.
There are advantages and disadvantages to this mode of working: while many barristers value the prospect of a steady month-to-month salary and stable employment, many also relish the independence and variety that comes with a self-employed practice.