Alex Batesmith hosts workshop on equity, diversity and inclusion at the Bar
The event saw participation from a wide array of legal professionals and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) advocates from the Bar, Leeds-based practitioners and academics
As part of his Michael Beverley Innovation Fellowship (MBIF), Alex Batesmith from the Legal Professions Research Group (LPRG) in the School of Law hosted a workshop on EDI at the Bar at University House, University of Leeds on 18th July 2024.
Co-facilitated by ’Teleola Cartwright, an independent Inclusive Education Consultant, the event saw participation from a wide array of legal professionals and EDI advocates from the Bar, Leeds-based practitioners and academics.
Participants included Jason Pitter KC (Leader of the Northeastern Circuit), Her Honour Judge Claire Jackson (Diversity and Inclusion Liaison Judge for the Circuit), representatives from the Bar Council and the Inns of Court, and EDI-focused organisations such as Lawyers Who Care and the Legal Lynk.
The workshop began by discussing the focus group data from Alex’s original qualitative research project for the MBIF, in which barristers and aspiring barristers had spoken about their experiences, reflections and perceptions as members of under-represented groups at the Bar.
Key themes to emerge from the data included the importance of visibility and representation, the impact of educational background and formative experiences, the persistence of pre-pupillage and post-tenancy challenges and barriers, and the need for mentoring and career progression support.
The Northeastern Circuit has a robust history of engagement in EDI initiatives, including funded diversity scholarships, the highly-regarded The Law is For Everybody diversity video, educational talks in local state schools, and monthly EDI meetings.
Despite significant progress over the past 20 years, the focus group data indicates that various EDI areas require further development.
Moreover, the unique structure of the Bar, with most barristers working as self-employed practitioners within individual Chambers, poses challenges for centralised EDI responsibility and consistency of approach.
The workshop provided an opportunity for practitioners, regulators, academics and EDI professionals to share their experiences and to reflect on the next steps for building a sustainable EDI strategy at the Bar. Alex Batesmith commented that:
“The law and its institutions thrive, as does democracy itself, when a legal profession is representative of the society in which it serves, and when that society understands and values what lawyers do.
We hope that this workshop will mark the start of new collaborations between practitioners and academia: we intend to build on the momentum generated by this project by pursuing opportunities to further advance EDI at the Bar and to better understand barristers’ professional self-identity.
The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to deepening connections and enhancing EDI initiatives within the Northeastern Circuit and beyond.
Participants left with a shared sense of purpose and a collaborative spirit, keen to implement the action points discussed on mentoring, EDI training and career awareness raising.
Formerly in practice at the Criminal Bar in Leeds and now an academic member of the Northeastern Circuit, as a result of this MBIF-funded project Alex Batesmith has recently been approached to co-organise a practitioner-wide Diversity Symposium that will be held at the School of Law in December 2024.
These initiatives evidence the closer connections between academia and the professions that is central to the work of the Legal Professions Research Group here at the School of Law at the University of Leeds.
