Day in the life: a barrister
Natasha Shotunde
Natasha is an award-winning barrister and Honorary Doctor of Laws at Garden Court Chambers, where her work encompasses public inquiries and family law. She is an elected member of the Bar Council, sitting on its Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee and the Race Working Group. She also sits on the EDI Committee at the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.
Natasha is the Co-founder and Chair of the Black Barristers’ Network, which aims to provide Black barristers with support, visibility and to work on community outreach. Natasha also sits as a Trustee of AVA, a leading UK charity committed to ending gender based violence and abuse. She has sat on the JUSTICE Working Party on Improving Access to Justice for Separating Families.
Natasha received the Rising Star award at the UK Diversity Legal Awards in 2021 and Highly Commended – Future Leader: Diversity and Inclusion at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2020. She received her Honorary Doctorate in 2022 from Anglia Ruskin University.
I wanted to go into law because …
Growing up with Nigerian-Kenyan heritage, my mum wanted me to go into one of the professions. However, I did not grow up with people in the professions around me and my only inspiration was TV. Whilst in primary school, I initially considered becoming a doctor but quickly discounted it through watching Casualty. I saw barristers in a court scene on Eastenders and became hooked on the profession from then. As I got older, I looked into the legal professions more, including by obtaining work experience, which increased my desire to become a barrister. I was a shy person who did not feel like my views or opinions mattered or were seen as valuable. However, I was drawn to the idea of using my voice, backed up by my intelligence and legal knowledge, in a way that mattered and was of value.
A typical day in my job …
If I have a hearing, my day would start the night before (at least) where I would be preparing a case, sometimes into the early hours of the morning. I would then wake up early to travel to court, which could be anywhere within the South East, Midlands and beyond. At court, I would meet the client, explain what the hearing is about, obtain information from them and provide them with legal advice. I would negotiate (if required) and narrow the legal and factual issues my opponent. After this, I would wait for our case to be called on. Once in the court room, I would make submissions to the judge at the appropriate point. If the hearing is a trial, I would question witnesses and/or give closing submissions (depending on the stage of the trial). The decision would be given by the judge, either in oral or written form. I would then explain to the client what the decision was and what it means for them going forward. After this, I would travel home and take a moment to reset. After a short break, I would draft an order, draft an attendance note to send to my solicitor, respond to emails and prepare for the following day’s hearing.
If I am not in court, e.g. if I am working on a public inquiry or review, I would usually work from home on my laptop, reading, analysing and categorising documents, drafting analysis or questions for witnesses.
I set up the Black Barrister’s Network because …
I wanted to create an organisation for Black barristers to unite and support each other. Back in 2018 when I came up with the idea, there were 489 Black barristers and pupils, and 106 who identified as Mixed White and African/Caribbean. This was out of a total of 17,015 barristers and pupils (see the Bar Standards Board’s report here). We were spread out across various chambers and other organisations, where we would either be the only Black barrister there or one of two or three. The Bar itself is can be a very isolating profession, especially for those who are self-employed and will generally work on their own. Being Black in environments like this made the career particularly isolating and lonely. For many, there was no one to confide in when we felt we were being treated differently because of our race. Equally, there was no one to share other similar lived experiences within the profession. I met Mavis Amonoo-Acquah when volunteering at an event and shared the idea of creating a Network with her. She shared a similar vision and we created the Network.
Since then, we have evolved into a team of Black barristers who run a variety of projects. We provide seminars on key topics in order to support Black barristers to progress within the profession. We have also provided mentoring opportunities and worked with schools to inspire students. We have challenged the issues of access, retention and progression of Black barristers, including the culture of discrimination within our profession. We have also conducted research into the working lives of Black barristers and produced a report on people’s experiences, including those of discrimination.
The most challenging thing about my job …
I think the most challenging thing about my job is the nerves. You are constantly on high alert with adrenaline pumping through you. The nerves can come from a variety of sources, including: undertaking a case in a new area of law or legal issue, undertaking a particularly complex case, lack of preparation time when you receive cases last minute, transport issues and being able to get to court on time, or general nerves about standing up in court and making submissions. However, the adrenaline is extremely helpful in that it keeps you awake (often after little sleep), keeps you sharp and gives you the ability to make quick tactical decisions. I try to harness the adrenaline rush as much as possible, as well as using my instinct.
Diversity in the legal system is important in because …
It is important for the proper administration of justice. The justice system is used by a wide variety of people, yet has been built by, and to serve, white middle to upper class men. There is an over-representation of certain demographics within certain parts of the justice system, and without knowledge and understanding of the particular racial or gendered issues that may come into play, there is a risk of miscarriages of justice. An example would be the criminal justice system where Black people are over-represented. In some cases, there are racial nuances that non-Black people might not appreciate, understand or seek to challenge. It is important that Black people (legal representatives and judges) are in the room to ensure that such nuances are understood and the lack of understanding does not become detrimental. This is something that was discussed in an interview I undertook with Martin Forde QC who sits as a crown court recorder. He discussed an assault case where there was a discrepancy between description of the skin complexion of the perpetrator, and the skin complexion of the defendant. No one in court was dealing with it and he had to be the one to bring it up. This led to the defendant being acquitted. The interview can be read here.
Equally, having a diverse legal profession is important for our clients to feel understood and at ease when interacting with their legal representative.
Finally, it is important at everyone with talent and ability has the opportunity to get into any career they want, including the legal profession.
The biggest challenges I’ve faced in my career …
My lack of self-esteem and self-confidence made the beginning of my career especially difficult for me. It meant that I would constantly check everything, strive for perfection, and beat myself up when I felt like I had not achieved it. I would blame myself for anything that I perceived went wrong but would not acknowledge my achievements whenever things went well.
Various methods of therapy, including CBT and talking therapy, have increased my self-esteem, self-worth and confidence, and have made the job much easier. That is not to say that I do not have wobbles – we all do. But I have tools in my arsenal to ensure that I continue to believe in myself.
Another challenge has come from others within the legal system – both opponents and judges – who can sometimes be rude, condescending and cruel. This can knock your confidence, your desire to stay within the profession and your ability to do your job to the best of your ability. For someone like me, it can also make me question whether the treatment I am receiving is because I am a Black woman. This is very tricky to navigate. Luckily, the work that I and others at the Bar Council are doing to change people’s attitudes and behaviours will hopefully reduce the number of these incidents in years to come. I hate that those coming into the profession sometimes experience these incidents to this day. It is my core desire to eradicate it so that no one else has to go through what I have done.
The best career advice I’ve received was…
To stop worrying about things. We often make mistakes in life and that is true of our work. At the beginning, we are prone to taking mistakes out of proportion because we believe that we have to be perfect. This is not helped by the bravado that we see amongst our colleagues, many of whom pretend to be flawless. I have been lucky to have senior barristers to confide in at the beginning of my career whenever I made an error. They have shared with me times they have made mistakes and provided advice on what I should do (which was sometimes nothing as the mistake was not a big issue). The fact that they are thriving in the profession also provided me with perspective that the mistakes I made were things that I could grow from and would not be a setback.
The three qualities I think you need for this career are …
Resilience: you will receive knock-backs from time to time, either in trying to get into the profession or while in it. It may be losing a case or applying for a role and being unsuccessful. You need to be resilient in order to overcome these hurdles and thrive.
Discipline: as I am self-employed, I am not supervised nor do I have to work a set pattern. This comes with a lot of freedom but also a lot of responsibility. You need to be disciplined with your time and to motivate yourself to work in a way that suits you and is the most efficient.
Confidence: you need confidence which starts with being confident with yourself. In order to stand up in court and make submissions, or to provide legal advice in oral or written form, you have to be confident in your abilities. There are times where you will be unsure, which is completely natural. In those instances, you need to be confident to seek advice from others where possible. You need to be able to back yourself and be your own cheerleader.
The best thing about my job …
I enjoy using my voice and the law to empower others. I am passionate about eradicating gender-based violence, and to be able to assist women and girls who have suffered abuse to obtain freedom, deal with child contact issues, keep their children where the local authority intends to place them into care, and protect them from FGM and Forced Marriage, is a privilege. I also enjoy assisting children by ensuring that their rights are at the forefront in cases, and ensuring that they are protected from harm. Furthermore, working on important and ground-breaking public inquiries fulfills my desire to work for the greater good.
On a personal level, the freedom of being self-employed is one of the best aspects of my role. It comes with its downsides but the fact that I am able to get a manicure during a weekday if I do not have court or meetings, go on holidays for significant periods of time without having to count the amount of leave I have (albeit without getting paid leave), and work at any time I choose, makes this career flexible and enjoyable.
What I do to switch off …
One of my favourite things in life is music. I listen to music all of the time and usually switch off by dancing, either in my house or at bars and clubs. I used to play several musical instruments and may get back into it one day. In addition, one of the things the pandemic has encouraged me to do is to look after my physical health. From being averse to exercise, I now train regularly and eat well. I am particularly interested in boxing and Muay Thai as I feel like I am learning a skill while building on my stamina and strength. I also enjoy cooking as a way to unwind, as it requires minimal brain power and the use of my hands, which can be very therapeutic.
