Sexuality at the Bar: An Empirical Exploration into the Experiences of LGBT+ Barristers

Location: Fyvie Hall, University of Westminster, 309 Regent St, Marylebone, London W1B 2HT

Event date and time: Monday 25 September 2017, 19:00 - 21:00

Co-organised event (followed by drinks reception) with UCL Centre for Ethics and Law, the University of Westminster Law School and 29 Bedford Row

Chair:

– Rt Hon. Maria Miller MP (Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee)

Speakers:

– Marc Mason (University of Westminster)

– Dr Steven Vaughan (UCL Laws, Centre for Ethics and Law)

Panellists:

– Amit Popat (Head of Equality and Access to Justice, Bar Standards Board)

– Claire Fox (Barrister, Pump Court Chambers; Co-Chair of the Barristers Lesbian and Gay Group)

– Nicholas Allen (Barrister, 29 Bedford Row; Recorder)

– Susanna Rickard (Barrister, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers; Representative of FreeBar)

About the lecture:

This lecture will launch the results of world-leading research into sexuality and the Bar. It is based on work undertaken in 2016: a survey with 126 LGBT+ barristers, QCs, pupils and BPTC students; and 37 linked interviews. 

The survey and interviews, the first of their kind, sought to understand the career experiences of LGBT+ members of the Bar, to ask those members about the extent to which (if at all) their sexuality has impacted on their practice, and to explore the role and function of LGBT+ support networks for barristers. 

Format for the evening

Opening Address

Rt Hon. Maria Miller MP (Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee)

The Research

Marc Mason (University of Westminster) and
Dr Steven Vaughan (UCL Laws, Centre for Ethics and Law)

Responses to the Research (panel discussion)

– Amit Popat (Head of Equality and Access to Justice, Bar Standards Board)

– Claire Fox (Barrister, Pump Court Chambers; Co-Chair of the Barristers Lesbian and Gay Group)

– Nicholas Allen (Barrister, 29 Bedford Row; Recorder) and

– Susanna Rickard (Barrister, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers; Representative of FreeBar)

Drinks Reception

Generously supported by UCL Centre for Ethics and Law and 29 Bedford Row

About the researchers

Marc Mason joined Westminster Law School in 2013 following a period of practice as a Family Law Barrister specialising in child protection. His current research looks at the regulation of the legal profession and legal service markets, with a focus on the Bar of England and Wales. Marc has previously worked on research projects funded by the Ministry of Justice, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Nuffield Foundation

Dr Steven Vaughan joined UCL Faulty of Laws in the summer of 2017. An ESRC ‘Future Research Leader’, his research involves various aspects of diversity in the legal profession, among other matters. Steven sits on the Policy Committee of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and spent almost a decade in practice as a corporate finance solicitor in the City.