42 Bedford Row > London, England > Set Profile

Diversity

Out of our 140 workforce:

• 47% are female.
• 48% are from a non-white British heritage.
• 7% have a disability.
• 4% are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
• 58% attended a UK State School.
• 55% are the primary carer for a child under the age of 18. 42BR have policies in place to ensure carers are equipped to work from home to facilitate childcare arrangements, as well as having a maternity policy in place.
• 80% of our QC’s are female.
• 42BR have one female Head of Chambers, and one male Head of Chambers.

*This data was collected in December 2020 via questionnaire. “Workforce” includes self-employed barristers, pupils and employed staff. The questionnaire return rate for this data was 62%. The results reflect only those who responded. As such, they may not accurately reflect the make-up of chambers as a whole. Some of those who responded to the survey either did not answer all the questions or did not give their permission for their data to be processed or published.

42BR is committed to ensuring that no-one within Chambers, whether a barrister, member of staff, client, contactor, pupil, mini-pupil or student, receives less favourable treatment (directly or indirectly) on the grounds of age, gender reassignment, marital status or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.

42BR, is a diverse and forward-thinking Chambers. Two of our members were recently chosen by the Bar Council to be Social Mobility Advocates in their I Am The Bar campaign. We also have a member who is a Mentor for Bridging the Bar.

We have several initiatives, outlined below, which ensure everyone has the same opportunities to access the Bar.

42BR’s Schools Outreach Programme is grounded in our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. The aim of the programme is to provide access to information about becoming a barrister to those from under-represented or ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds, specifically those from non-fee-paying schools.

Similarly, 42BR offers a University Outreach Programme which works in a similar way to the Schools Outreach Programme, outlined above, but for university students.

42BR is proud to support the Bar Council’s “10,000 Black Interns” initiative, in which we offer an internship to a student of Black African, Black Caribbean, and/or Black British heritage, including those of mixed Black ancestry.

42BR also runs a funded internship scheme to engage those from minority backgrounds, who have completed Bar school, but are yet to obtain pupillage. The purpose behind the programme is to enable interns from minority groups to improve their prospects of beginning a career at the Bar through educational and career development opportunities. An Internship Committee ensures the fair recruitment of interns and ongoing support during their time in Chambers.

42BR offers 8 mini pupillages per calendar month. The selection panel comprises of two members of Chambers, both of whom have undergone equality and diversity training.

Our commitment to pro-bono work has increased significantly over the last year; many members are active supporters of Advocate and we are viewed as a core resource by them. One of our junior members sits on Advocate’s Young Bar Executive Committee.

As part of our on-going support of our more junior members, 42BR has a mentoring scheme in which members below 5 years call are paired with more experienced members. The scheme is designed to facilitate conversation between mentor and mentee to promote well-being, mental health and personal and career growth in Chambers.

We are also in the process of setting up a mentoring scheme in which all members are offered general support, including guidance when returning from parental leave, sick leave, assistance with applications for judicial appointments or any other concerns.