*/
I was called to the Bar in 1991 aged 23, and took silk in 2018 on my first application aged 49. At that time, only about 1% of silks were women of colour. The figure hasn’t much improved since then: there are now about 25 women silks of colour. Since the beginning of this year I have been joint head of chambers with my two co-heads, which is an honour and a privilege, as well as a lot of work.
Counsel magazine has asked me to share some of the pivotal moments – obstacles overcome and critical success factors – in getting to this point.
I was born in the United Kingdom shortly after my parents migrated from India (via the United States) with my then two-year-old sister, so that my father, a scientist, could take up employment in industry in the North-West of England. That background – combined with my gender, race, complete lack of familiarity with the legal world and zero knowledge about careers in the law – was highly relevant to whether, how and, crucially, how quickly I was able to make progress at the Bar.
It was never a level playing field and I was under no illusion that it was. I had a strong academic record and studied law at Oxford University, but that wasn’t enough.
I obtained pupillage – Sir Stephen Sedley interviewed me, along with the brilliant barrister (now) Dame Laura Cox, and took a chance on me. However, I was not offered tenancy afterwards and this undoubtedly changed the course of my career.
The early rejection left me disillusioned. I was also in some debt, although it was modest by comparison to today’s students. The pupil who was taken on (a man) was excellent and has since become silk. However, there was no positive action or wider consideration of whether, for instance, another of the 12 candidates might also be offered tenancy.
I was fortunate enough to be able to obtain a post as a legal caseworker. I then moved to a community law centre in Tower Hamlets which led to my first ever judicial review application – coincidentally, in front of Sir Stephen.
Having acquired this depth of experience and expertise in my practice area, as well as (perhaps more importantly) skills in client handling and running a case, I was in a strong position to return to chambers and successfully obtained tenancy when the opportunity arose.
Throughout this period, I had to believe in myself. I reminded myself that I was good enough and could overcome these obstacles. In fact, I have kept that mindset throughout my career and no doubt will continue to do so. Once I returned to chambers, through a combination of hard work, persistence, being offered opportunities and getting good results, I was able to flourish.
Looking back, I can identify several turning points and stages of development in my career. The first was being offered a complex case as a return from a much more senior barrister – which I was able to unravel and win. The second was being brought in as a junior to a silk – whose client ultimately declined to pay for senior counsel, placing me in the role of leading junior in the case. The third was re-evaluating a case where the client had been unrepresented after his silk advised there were no merits – I took on the case and went on to win at appeal. The fourth was receiving my first brief in the Supreme Court as a junior acting pro bono for an NGO [non-governmental organisation] intervener. I was able to build on each of these experiences and ultimately they led to my successful silk application.
Equality of opportunity and clerking are also key to success at the Bar. Underpinning my career – which incorporates two periods of maternity leave and seven years of working part-time – has been excellent clerking by my female clerks. Taking time out did slow the pace of my progress compared with a male barrister in a similar position, but I was fortunate to have that clerking support during my journey.
Today, clerks and chambers are far more proactive about practice management and preparing for silk applications. In my case, much of that was done by myself without a ‘cheerleader’ or coach offering encouragement or practical guidance. That said, I did have the support of my leaders (all of whom were men) and, importantly, opponents and judges – but only after I had plucked up the courage to ask them. One senior female opponent emailed me to suggest I apply for silk; an act of reassurance and encouragement for which I will always be grateful.
Recognising that you are entitled to respect and support is another key step in the process, as is remembering that your own conduct over the course of your career will always be under scrutiny and maintaining high professional standards matters.
As a South Asian woman at the Bar, I have experienced judicial bullying, harassment and being belittled in public by male colleagues and opponents. Even in the worst examples, I did not make any formal or informal complaints for fear of lasting career damage. I now regret that decision, as that behaviour went unchecked and was repeated to others’ detriment.
Over the past decade there has been a change of culture in reporting such behaviour, and I welcome the support that now comes from other colleagues and bystanders. However, that behaviour still continues. All barristers are under a duty to report any breaches by other barristers of the Code of Conduct and I hope that women now feel more empowered and supported in doing so.
But none of what I have said above should put off anyone who wants to pursue a career at the Bar. It can be a rewarding, diverse, endlessly fulfilling and intellectually challenging career – even with the adrenaline-fuelled highs and lows.
The best advice ever given to me was that every woman at the Bar, whether in self-employed or employed practice, needs a mentor, a coach and a therapist (or at least good supportive friends).
So my advice to young and aspiring barristers is to plot a course, expect to be knocked off it, review and reflect regularly on your plan and set new targets. Explore and enjoy the flexibility a career at the Bar can give you. Most importantly, seek out advice, support and mentors: inspiring women are all around you!
Sonali Naik KC is Joint Head of Chambers at Garden Court Chambers. Appointed King’s Counsel in 2018, Sonali specialises in public law, human rights and immigration, asylum and nationality law.
I was called to the Bar in 1991 aged 23, and took silk in 2018 on my first application aged 49. At that time, only about 1% of silks were women of colour. The figure hasn’t much improved since then: there are now about 25 women silks of colour. Since the beginning of this year I have been joint head of chambers with my two co-heads, which is an honour and a privilege, as well as a lot of work.
Counsel magazine has asked me to share some of the pivotal moments – obstacles overcome and critical success factors – in getting to this point.
I was born in the United Kingdom shortly after my parents migrated from India (via the United States) with my then two-year-old sister, so that my father, a scientist, could take up employment in industry in the North-West of England. That background – combined with my gender, race, complete lack of familiarity with the legal world and zero knowledge about careers in the law – was highly relevant to whether, how and, crucially, how quickly I was able to make progress at the Bar.
It was never a level playing field and I was under no illusion that it was. I had a strong academic record and studied law at Oxford University, but that wasn’t enough.
I obtained pupillage – Sir Stephen Sedley interviewed me, along with the brilliant barrister (now) Dame Laura Cox, and took a chance on me. However, I was not offered tenancy afterwards and this undoubtedly changed the course of my career.
The early rejection left me disillusioned. I was also in some debt, although it was modest by comparison to today’s students. The pupil who was taken on (a man) was excellent and has since become silk. However, there was no positive action or wider consideration of whether, for instance, another of the 12 candidates might also be offered tenancy.
I was fortunate enough to be able to obtain a post as a legal caseworker. I then moved to a community law centre in Tower Hamlets which led to my first ever judicial review application – coincidentally, in front of Sir Stephen.
Having acquired this depth of experience and expertise in my practice area, as well as (perhaps more importantly) skills in client handling and running a case, I was in a strong position to return to chambers and successfully obtained tenancy when the opportunity arose.
Throughout this period, I had to believe in myself. I reminded myself that I was good enough and could overcome these obstacles. In fact, I have kept that mindset throughout my career and no doubt will continue to do so. Once I returned to chambers, through a combination of hard work, persistence, being offered opportunities and getting good results, I was able to flourish.
Looking back, I can identify several turning points and stages of development in my career. The first was being offered a complex case as a return from a much more senior barrister – which I was able to unravel and win. The second was being brought in as a junior to a silk – whose client ultimately declined to pay for senior counsel, placing me in the role of leading junior in the case. The third was re-evaluating a case where the client had been unrepresented after his silk advised there were no merits – I took on the case and went on to win at appeal. The fourth was receiving my first brief in the Supreme Court as a junior acting pro bono for an NGO [non-governmental organisation] intervener. I was able to build on each of these experiences and ultimately they led to my successful silk application.
Equality of opportunity and clerking are also key to success at the Bar. Underpinning my career – which incorporates two periods of maternity leave and seven years of working part-time – has been excellent clerking by my female clerks. Taking time out did slow the pace of my progress compared with a male barrister in a similar position, but I was fortunate to have that clerking support during my journey.
Today, clerks and chambers are far more proactive about practice management and preparing for silk applications. In my case, much of that was done by myself without a ‘cheerleader’ or coach offering encouragement or practical guidance. That said, I did have the support of my leaders (all of whom were men) and, importantly, opponents and judges – but only after I had plucked up the courage to ask them. One senior female opponent emailed me to suggest I apply for silk; an act of reassurance and encouragement for which I will always be grateful.
Recognising that you are entitled to respect and support is another key step in the process, as is remembering that your own conduct over the course of your career will always be under scrutiny and maintaining high professional standards matters.
As a South Asian woman at the Bar, I have experienced judicial bullying, harassment and being belittled in public by male colleagues and opponents. Even in the worst examples, I did not make any formal or informal complaints for fear of lasting career damage. I now regret that decision, as that behaviour went unchecked and was repeated to others’ detriment.
Over the past decade there has been a change of culture in reporting such behaviour, and I welcome the support that now comes from other colleagues and bystanders. However, that behaviour still continues. All barristers are under a duty to report any breaches by other barristers of the Code of Conduct and I hope that women now feel more empowered and supported in doing so.
But none of what I have said above should put off anyone who wants to pursue a career at the Bar. It can be a rewarding, diverse, endlessly fulfilling and intellectually challenging career – even with the adrenaline-fuelled highs and lows.
The best advice ever given to me was that every woman at the Bar, whether in self-employed or employed practice, needs a mentor, a coach and a therapist (or at least good supportive friends).
So my advice to young and aspiring barristers is to plot a course, expect to be knocked off it, review and reflect regularly on your plan and set new targets. Explore and enjoy the flexibility a career at the Bar can give you. Most importantly, seek out advice, support and mentors: inspiring women are all around you!
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Developing a tech start-up demands a different definition of excellence to the Bar, says Saara Idelbi. The co-creator of Advocatr on entrepreneurship, AI advocacy training, and matching the thrill of a killer cross-examination
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
