11KBW and 39 Essex Chambers Join Forces to Expand Scholarship for Black Aspiring Barristers

Why It Matters

The expanded funding and structured support directly tackle diversity gaps in the UK civil bar, potentially increasing the pipeline of Black barristers and prompting other chambers to adopt similar models.

Key Takeaways

• Two £30k awards (~$38.4k) now available each year
• Mentoring and guaranteed mini‑pupillage provided by both chambers
• First‑round interview at 39 Essex secured for scholarship recipients
• Initiative aligns with Bar Council’s “double down” diversity directive
• Winners include LSE‑Harvard alum Kofo Boboye and Cambridge graduate Adewole

Pulse Analysis

The civil and commercial bar in England and Wales has long struggled with a stark lack of Black representation. The Bar Council’s 2024 “Race at the Bar” report warned that Black barristers make up less than 2 % of practising counsel, a gap most acute in civil chambers. In response, 11KBW launched a £30,000 scholarship in 2021, supporting five candidates to date, while 39 Essex has run its own diversity initiatives. The two chambers now combine forces to amplify that effort. The collaboration also reflects a broader shift among elite chambers toward measurable equity outcomes.

The newly branded 11KBW‑39 Essex Scholarship will award two £30,000 grants—approximately $38,400 each—annually to Black students enrolled in the Bar Professional Course. Beyond tuition relief, scholars receive year‑long mentorship from senior members of both chambers, a guaranteed assessed mini‑pupillage at 11KBW, and a first‑round pupillage interview at 39 Essex, with the possibility of a full interview based on performance. The inaugural cohort includes Kofo Boboye, an LSE graduate with an LLM from Harvard, and Oluwatoni Adewole, a Cambridge law graduate and former clinical negligence paralegal, both poised for public‑law and clinical‑negligence practice respectively.

By institutionalising financial support and a clear recruitment pathway, the partnership sends a powerful market signal that diversity is a strategic priority. Other chambers are likely to emulate the model, creating a competitive environment for talent that has historically been excluded. Over the next decade, the increased pipeline could narrow the racial gap at the civil bar, improve client access to culturally aware counsel, and enhance the profession’s credibility in a multicultural economy.