We are very proud of the efforts made by our barristers and staff to make a positive impact on the wider community. These efforts are focused, at a Chambers level, on two main areas: widening access to the Bar; and widening access to justice.
We are also committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: for further details, please see here.
We are committed to widening access to the Bar. We aim to do this by two main routes: our “Advocate” programme and our mini-pupillage access programmes. In addition, members of Chambers routinely participate in outreach events in schools and other venues.
The Ten Old Square “Advocate!” Programme
The Ten Old Square “Advocate!” Programme is a pioneering scheme aimed at minority ethnic school pupils, taking our barristers into secondary schools, as well as bringing school pupils into Chambers, to teach advocacy and public speaking skills, and engendering an interest in a career at the Chancery Bar through fun court-room themed exercises. We deliver the 6 hour programme in short weekly sessions or over the course of a day. More than 100 students have so far taken part, some already with an interest in a legal career, but many for whom it has opened a door to new possibilities. A past participant now studying law at university has recently written, “I attribute much of my success to the inspiration you have provided”.
Mini-Pupillage Access Programmes
The Ten Old Square mini-pupillage scheme provides 9 mini-pupillage opportunities per year by open competition, of which 3 are reserved for members of under-represented social backgrounds via our Access scheme. Those 3 mini-pupils are also eligible for a guaranteed first-round pupillage interview.
In addition, we provide mini-pupillage placements for access programmes provided by other organisations (Bridging the Bar, Inner Temple PASS and the Middle Temple Access to the Bar Awards). This means that around half the mini-pupillages we provide each year are access placements (either on our own Access scheme or external access programmes).
For further details, please see our Mini-Pupillage page.
At Ten Old Square, we believe passionately in widening access to justice. Many of our barristers volunteer for Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit), either to represent clients pro bono or to review cases. Many also volunteer for CLIPS (the Chancery Bar Litigant in Person Support Scheme), which provides pro bono representation in the Chancery Division interim applications court. Three members of our Chambers featured on the Pro Bono Recognition List 2024, in recognition of contributing over 25 hours pro bono work over the previous year, a record of which we are very proud.
We are a member of Pro Bono Connect, which matches barristers and solicitors acting pro bono on civil matters for those who cannot afford representation.
We also regularly participate in the London Legal Walk to raise funds for the London Legal Support Trust which funds Law Centres and other pro bono agencies in and around London.
The commitment of our Senior Clerk, Keith Plowman, to pro bono work was recognised in 2008 when he was given a Pro Bono Hero Award by the then Attorney General, Baroness Scotland.
