The legal profession remains out of reach for many talented aspiring barristers from low-income and minority ethnic backgrounds because of financial and structural barriers. Our scholarships and education programmes help remove them, building a justice system that reflects the society it serves.
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The justice system can’t serve society fairly if talented people from under-represented and low-income backgrounds are excluded from the legal profession. Becoming a barrister requires £12k–£20k+ in fees alone, preventing many capable candidates from even competing for pupillage, where only 12% of offers go to low-income applicants. With 1% of judges identifying as Black, the result is a profession that doesn’t reflect the community it serves and weakens public confidence in the justice system.
We will build the diverse legal talent pipeline the justice system needs by removing financial and structural barriers to the Bar. We will identify talented students through state-school outreach, provide means-tested scholarships to remove financial barriers, deliver advocacy training and mentoring to build skills and networks, and support progression into pupillage, creating a more diverse legal profession that better serves society.