The Bar is a different place to when I started in chambers as a junior clerk in 1985. Some members still wore pin stripe trousers and black jackets, the fax machine had not been brought in, and marketing was not permitted.

Those who identified as LGBTQ+ were reluctant to come out as they thought it would be the end of their career.

Fast forward 37 years…. the legal community is now a different and more accepting place altogether. I think it fair to say that law firms led the way for change in the legal profession and the Bar followed. There is more to be done, as everyone needs to feel comfortable in the profession and more so for the people looking to join it and that is why the FreeBar Visibility project is important. I also hope that this will send a positive message to the Bar communities around the world.