29 Bedford Row Chambers

29 Bedford Row Chambers is committed to the principle of equality of opportunity regardless of age, race, nationality, sex, gender re-assignment, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, disability, religion or belief, pregnancy or political persuasion.

29 Bedford Row’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities, diversity, and ensuring an absence of discrimination requires that positive steps are taken to identify and eliminate possible discrimination in the decisions that need to be taken concerning:

• The recruitment of pupils, tenants, clerks or other staff;
• Relations between pupils, tenants, clerks and other staff – both professionally and socially;
• The treatment of those connected with chambers, whether directly or indirectly as lay and professional clients.

A full copy of our equality and diversity policy can be found on our website and sets out in more detail the steps which we are taking to ensure that 29 Bedford Row is an environment free from discrimination.

However, a commitment to equality, diversity, and opportunity must be more than ‘on paper’. We therefore support (including financially) initiatives and organisations which encourage disadvantaged and minority groups to consider pursuing a career at the Bar. We also support organisation that provide legal advice and assistance to those who cannot afford representation. Over the last 12 months, this has included:

• Participation in Bridging the Bar - https://www.bridgingthebar.org;
• Sponsorship of 10,000 Black Interns and hosting one of the students - https://www.10000blackinterns.com; Sponsorship of Queen Mary University Bar Society – where 91% of undergraduates are from state schools; 62% are BAME; 42% are the first into Higher Education in their families; and 27% are from households where the annual taxable income is less than £15,000 pa - https://www.queenmarybarsociety.org;
• Participating in Middle Temple’s Access to the Bar Scheme - https://www.middletemple.org.uk/becoming-barrister/access-bar-award;
• Supporting the LEDLET Summer Scheme - https://www.ledlet.org.uk/copy-of-summer-scheme;
• Participating in FreeBar’s Visibility Project which contains a collection of profiles from LGBTQ+ members of the profession - https://freebar.co.uk/visibility-project/;
• Becoming a Guardian sponsor of Support Through Court, a charity which provides free, independent assistance to litigants attending court without legal representation - http://supportthroughcourt.org; and Individual members visiting educational institutions to promote access to the Bar.