'How can we effectively be a voice for care-experienced clients and share their stories in court if we do not yet understand, or give visibility to, care experience? For care-experienced people, access to the profession is access to justice'
Lucy Barnes, Our Co-Founder and CEO (14th June 2024 Bar Council article 'Raising the Bar: care-experienced people belong here.'
Fostering care-experienced talent in legal careers.
Care-experience led
Aspiring for inclusion
Raising the Bar
Erasing barriers
“The Lawyers Who Care initiative is a brilliant one that I fully support. The purpose to give some targeted support to care-experienced aspiring lawyers is both unprecedented and absolutely focussed on a cohort of legal talent that both needs the initial support, and which has historically been underserved, even ignored. It’s fantastic to see a number of chambers have already signed up as members and I am sure that many barristers will be keen to act as mentors.”
Sam Townend KC, Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales
We always bring a little spark in some way, and that’s just waiting to be found.
Lucy Barnes, Our Co-Founder and CEO, discussing care-experienced people on BBC4 Women's Hour
About Us
Lucy Barnes
(Co-Founder & CEO)
Future Pupil Barrister at East Anglian Chambers | TEDx Speaker | Keynote Speaker | 100 Faces Universities UK
Lucy Barnes is a care-experienced Future Pupil Barrister at East Anglian Chambers (commencing October 2024). She is also a TEDx speaker, keynote speaker and advocate for care-experienced people, speaking often on inclusion and diversity within the profession. She is passionate about bringing trauma-informed law to England and Wales, having passed the Scottish accreditation course in 2023. She most recently spoke on BBC4 Women's Hour on CEP in higher education and was recently selected by Universities UK as one of the 100 faces of their #100faces campaign.
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For more information on Lucy, visit her website: lucykatebarnes.co.uk
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Kate Aubrey-Johnson
(Co-Founder)
Leading Barrister at Garden Court Chambers | Mediator | Child Rights Specialist
Kate Aubrey-Johnson is a leading barrister and mediator at Garden Court Chambers. She is a youth justice and children's rights expert, author and trainer. She regularly advises on issues affecting children in the criminal justice system and has an extensive mediation practice. She works to ensure lawyers have the specialist skills and expertise to represent children. Kate chairs the Youth Justice Quality of Advocacy Working Group (QAWG) and is the Executive Director of Child Rights and Youth Justice CIC. Kate is co-author of the leading textbook Youth Justice Law and Practice (LAG, 2019) and consultant editor for Halsbury’s Laws of England, Vol 27, Criminal Procedure (5th Edition). She is co-author and creator of the 2023#DaretoCare Guide
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For more on Kate, visit her page on Garden Court Chambers' website here.
Gemma Creamer
(Chief Operations Officer)
ICCA Bar Student | Keynote Speaker
Gemma Creamer is a care-experienced Bar Student currently studying with the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) to later qualify as a family barrister. After moving up to London from her hometown of Brighton back in 2020, Gemma completed her LLB at The University of Greenwich and was awarded the John Bowater Memorial Award for her outstanding voluntary contributions to Law outside of education, including her commitment to improving the prospects of Children in Care coming into the legal profession.
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For more on Gemma, visit her LinkedIn page.
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"On behalf of the Law Society of England and Wales I would like to welcome the Lawyers Who Care initiative. Those who have been in the care system have unique experiences that often go unacknowledged. It is important that care-experienced individuals are given the opportunities and support they need to access and thrive in the legal profession. We are pleased to see solicitor firms taking the initiative to sign up to Lawyers Who Care too. We wish the scheme every success. “
Nick Emmerson, President of the Law Society of England and Wales
What we do
Facilitating long-term Mentoring
Creating the UK's first mentoring organisation to support care-experienced aspiring lawyers with long-term mentoring (2+ year).
Facilitating paid work experience
Liaising with our legal network to create paid opportunities for care-experienced aspiring lawyers. Please note: We do not offer paid work experience ourselves, we are just working towards ensuring work experience would be paid for care-experienced people.
We also consult with firms/chambers on our standard offer.
Community Building
Building a sense of community accross the legal profession for care-experienced people by providing inclusive events and opportunities to network. Because we are even stronger together.
The truth is, we all just need someone to care, even if it were just one person. That one person could change your life.
Gemma Creamer, Our CEP Chief Operations Officer
Reach out
For
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Care-experienced aspiring lawyers
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Prospective mentorship firms/chambers;
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Firms/chambers wanting to facilitate paid work experience;
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Schools/Virtual Schools;
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Other partnership/collaboration enquiries; or
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Media.