Pupils and barristers from Black/Caribbean/African/Black British ethnic groups remain particularly underrepresented across the Bar, and Black underrepresentation is particularly acute at the civil Bar and, within that, at the commercial Bar. As the Bar Council said in its most recent ‘Race at the Bar’ report, the Bar’s response “must be to double down, to ensure we make better progress, more quickly, in future”, and to work together as a profession to make the Bar more inclusive and accessible for every aspiring and practising barrister, irrespective of their background.
11KBW and 39 Essex Chambers are committed to taking real action. We are starting at the beginning. The costs of initial qualification and the existing underrepresentation are barriers to entry to our profession. We recognise the need for financial and other assistance, dedicated to supporting Black students on the Bar course, to encourage bright and ambitious Black candidates to apply to the Bar and to consider it as a profession where they are welcome and can develop their potential.
In 2021, 11KBW launched the ‘11KBW Scholarship’, offering the successful Scholar a financial award of £30,000 towards tuition fees and maintenance, mentoring during the BPC and pupillage years, a guaranteed assessed mini-pupillage at 11KBW and, if the student scored within a particular relative range in that assessment, a guaranteed interview for pupillage at 11KBW.
The first five 11KBW Scholars have excelled, across industry, academically, and in starting their careers at the civil and commercial Bar: Josiah Senu, Kir West-Hunter, Yaade Joba, Jaizzail Ofori, and Omonefe Orogun. We are immensely proud of their determination and success.
11KBW and 39 Essex Chambers are delighted now to join forces.
From 2026, the ‘11KBW / 39 Essex Chambers Scholarship’ will offer two awards each year, with the same financial award, and equivalent mentoring and mini-pupillage benefits.
Full details are available on the Scholarship website.
Daniel Stilitz KC, Head of Chambers at 11KBW and Charlie Cory-Wright KC and Richard Harwood KC, Joint Heads of 39 Essex Chambers, said: “We are delighted to announce this collaboration of our two Chambers. Together, we hope to make a real difference. We hope that this combined Scholarship will encourage many further talented Black law students to see their future at the Bar, and having so chosen, to go on to succeed at the Bar accordingly.”
