LawCare is an independent charity offering emotional support to legal professionals through our helpline, peer support network, website, and talks to legal organisations. LawCare is also a partner of Neurodiversity in Law and I am one of their champions. Neurodiversity in Law aims to promote and support neurodiversity within the legal professions and eliminate the stigma often associated with people who think differently.

Neurodiversity can bring great opportunities for chambers as it opens the door for people who may be particularly talented in areas such as problem solving, creativity and attention to detail. However, we know that many neurodiverse people find the lack of understanding and support, particularly within the workplace, can affect their wellbeing and mental health. Here are some ways in which chambers could be more welcoming for neurodiverse individuals.

Talk about neurodiversity

Talking about neurodiversity makes people feel seen, welcome and understood. Hearing from people with lived experiences raises awareness and can help break down stigma and stereotypes.

There are simple ways to start a conversation about neurodiversity in your chambers. You could:

  • Invite a speaker to come and talk about their experiences. 
  • Encourage neurodiversity champions; so that people at all levels talk openly and people share their stories.
  • Use existing internal communications channels to share information that raises awareness and says how to find support. 
  • Go along to Neurodiversity in Law’s events and take part in their projects.

One size doesn’t fit all

Talking about neurodiversity makes it easier for people to take the first step to be open about their experiences and speak out when they need to be accommodated slightly differently. Additionally, chambers may need to provide practical support which could include:

  • Ensuring your recruitment process actively encourages applications from people who are neurodiverse, and which acknowledges their special talents. Make it clear on your website that chambers welcome applications from neurodiverse candidates.
  • Providing adjustments that ensure chambers enables neurodiverse colleagues to be most effective and comfortable. This could include being aware of sensitivity to the physical environment (sound, lighting etc).

Provide regular catch-ups

In our Life in the Law research into legal wellbeing we discovered that of a wide range of measures to support wellbeing, regular catch-ups or supervision were reported to be the most helpful. Having these in place helped to bolster confidence in personal development and reduce anxiety.

If you are in a supervisory role, make these a priority and take the time to learn more about neurodiversity. In collaboration with The Open University, LawCare also offers the free online training course 'Working with others'. This course gives you the opportunity to think about how you work with clients and colleagues.

Support from LawCare

LawCare’s free and confidential emotional support service is a safe place to talk without judgement, with calls, online chats and emails answered by trained staff and volunteers who have first-hand experience of working in the law. We understand life in the law and all its challenges – this is what makes our support service unique, those who contact us speak to one of their peers in the profession. Anyone working in the law can call our confidential helpline on 0800 279 6888, email us at support@lawcare.org.uk or access online chat and other resources at www.lawcare.org.uk  

We also have an article on our website about Neurodiversity and mental health and a podcast called The Legal Mind podcast - Neurodiversity in Law with Oliver May and Ailsa McKeon