Ep 109: Lawyers who Care – with Lucy Barnes
In this inspiring episode, host Sarah Henry speaks with Lucy Barnes, a Pupil Barrister at East Anglian Chambers. Lucy is also Co-Founder and CEO of Lawyers Who Care, the UK's first organisation to facilitate mentoring, community and legal opportunities for care-experienced aspiring lawyers. Lucy shares the story behind the movement she started advocating for meaningful change within the legal profession. From her personal journey to her recent recognition as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion of the Year at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards, this conversation highlights the power of empathy, action, and what it truly means to be a lawyer who cares.
Lucy Barnes is a Pupil Barrister at East Anglian Chambers and Co-Founder and CEO of Lawyers Who Care, the UK's first organisation to facilitate mentoring, community and legal opportunities for care-experienced aspiring lawyers. Lucy is proudly care-experienced herself and an advocate for social mobility. In 2024, Lucy was recognised as one of the #100 faces of the Universities UK 100 Faces campaign, highlighting those who were the first in their family to go to university. She is also a TEDx speaker and a Major Scholar of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Lucy appeared on BBC 4 Women's Hour in December 2023 and has also been featured in The Times and Counsel magazine. In March 2025, Lucy won Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion of the Year at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards.
Lucy passed the Scottish Law Society ‘Trauma-Informed Law’ accreditation course in 2023 and is passionate about making legal practices in England and Wales trauma-informed. As part of this aim, Lucy co-designed and facilitated the UK's first 'Care Aware' and 'Trauma-Informed training' course for Lawyers Who Care as part of mandatory training for its mentorship scheme. Lucy also wrote the first case for inclusion of care-experienced people in the legal sector in her June 2024 Bar Council article 'Raising the Bar: care-experienced people belong here.'
Activist Lawyer
The Activist Lawyer podcast offers a platform for lawyers to share their story and journey into law and activism. Guests will discuss the challenges and highlights of their work as well as important cases, opinions on legal and political matters and will offer advice and tips for anyone interested in pursuing a career in human rights law, public interest law or criminal justice.
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