Kicked out of school, called to the Bar: newly-called barrister goes viral

A newly-called Middle Temple barrister has been met with an avalanche of support online after sharing the story of her unlikely journey to the Bar.

Leonie Hughes, called to the Bar on 16 April, shared that she was kicked out of school in year 10, grew up around domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse and was a primary carer for her sister at age 11.

Posting on LinkedIn, she said: “The girl who was kicked out of school in year 10 and who was on a downward spiral of self sabotage is a Barrister. Yes. A BARRISTER."

“Coming from a household of domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse & very little to our name it was very easy for people to judge and claim you will be nothing," she continued.

“I encourage you to lap up all of those shameful judgements, hold them loosely but still hold them - for it is these that will rocket launch you into success!”

Hughes “battled” to get back into school, and, after moving to Manchester, finished her education and pursued law at Manchester Metropolitan University.

In a video shared by Middle Temple and viewed hundreds of thousands of times across social media, she said: “Everyone said that I probably wouldn’t be very successful, so I thought to myself, what are the two hardest careers to go into? Either to become a doctor or become a lawyer.

“I’m really proud of myself, and I think this is probably the first time - sorry if I get emotional - that I’ve genuinely said that. That I am proud of myself.”

She also paid tribute to her late uncle, an important figure in her childhood - Hughes’ call to the Bar landed on the 14th anniversary of his death.

Barriers to the Bar

Hughes’ journey from educational and social precarity to the Bar is still rare. The path to becoming a barrister is an exclusive one that selects for stellar academic records and skews towards those from more advantaged backgrounds.

According to figures from the Bar Council, 43% of pupil barristers attended a non-selective state school, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of school-age children in the UK are educated at this type of school.

Pupillages at top chambers are also dominated by graduates from elite institutions. The Council’s most recent pupil survey found that Oxbridge attendees were 15 times more likely to attain pupillage awards of at least £60,000 than those who attended any other university.