Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to providing a working environment in which all members of Chambers, pupils, mini-pupils, staff, clients and the public are treated with dignity, respect and  fairness, in which everyone is treated equally and can flourish, and which is conducive to the professional growth of our members, pupils, mini-pupils and staff and to the promotion of equality of opportunity.

It is in our, and our clients’, interests that our members and staff build successful and fulfilling careers. We fully support practice development, with flexibility in working practices, assistance with leave or career breaks, whether for parental or other reasons, help at all stages, and a working atmosphere that encourages motivation and wellbeing.

We make no distinctions of social, educational or economic background or circumstances. We will never allow discrimination on grounds of race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, age or religion or belief; nor will we allow harassment, victimisation, bullying or an unsafe working environment. Any such conduct would be anathema to our principles of fairness. It would also be unlawful.

We are proud of our standards, our friendliness and sense of community, and of the services that we provide. We are committed to promoting and advancing equality and diversity.

We are proud signatories to the Women in Law Pledge created by the Bar Council of England and Wales, The Law Society, and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). We are committed to the progress of equality, elimination of sex discrimination and pledge to make positive change for the legal profession.

See our Women In Law targets.

We have members of Chambers that sit on the Bar Council Pro Bono and Social Responsibility Committee and the Chancery Bar Association’s Equality and Diversity Sub-Committee.

Members of Chambers also give their time as volunteers to support many equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives, including:

• The Middle Temple Access to the Bar Scheme: Supporting applications to the Bar by those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• The International Lawyers for Africa Secondment Programme: Hosting secondees in Chambers each year.
• The Technology and Construction Bar Association’s BAME Network: Providing mock interviews and reviews of CVs for prospective pupillage applicants.
• Step into Law and More: A social mobility collaboration between Achievement for All and the Chancery Bar Association, providing weekly one-to-one sessions with secondary school students.
• Leducate: Promoting an understanding of everyday legal rights among secondary school students.
• The Lincoln’s Inn Mentoring Scheme.
• The Bridging the Bar Mentoring Scheme and Mini Pupillage Programme: Promoting equality of access to opportunities in the legal profession across all underrepresented groups.
• The Bar Placement Scheme: A scheme organised by the Bar Council working with Pathways to Law and the Social Mobility Foundation to provide the opportunity for students in years 12 and 13 to explore the career of a barrister by shadowing a barrister in chambers and court.
• 10,000 Black Interns Project: A programme designed to support Black students and graduates and address under-representation of Black talent across various sectors.
• The Inner Temple Schools Outreach Programme.
• Middle Temple Vis Moot Team: Providing support and coaching for the mooting teams.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Code

Download the Code

Diversity data

Chambers publishes diversity data in accordance with rC110 of the BSB Handbook.

Diversity Data, Dec 2022