Sexuality and the ‘Credible’ Barrister

In 2016, Marc Mason and I began a project looking to explore the experiences and attitudes of LGBT+ barristers. We launched a report on our research (a survey of 126 barristers and Bar students, plus 38 follow-on interviews) in September 2017. Last week, the academic paper from that study was published in the Journal of …

The Unethical Environmental Lawyer – Inaugural Lecture on 13 October

Are lawyers who help their clients achieve 'perfectly legal' environmental harms acting unethically? Come hear more at the inaugural lecture of Professor Steven Vaughan at UCL's Faculty of Laws on 13 October at 6pm. This public lecture, open to all, will be in person and live streamed. Inaugurals are traditional lectures given in public to …

The Rule of Law and Lawyers’ Professional Commitments in the Face of Climate Change

Earlier this year I wrote a blog about lawyers, climate change,. and the rule of law. That was a precursor to a significant conference on climate change and the rule of law that we held at UCL. I've now written up my conference talk into a free-to-access paper. Here's the abstract: Lawyers are everywhere in …

Climate Change and the Rule of Law(yers)

By Professor Steven Vaughan, Professor of Law and Professional Ethics at UCL Laws Lawyers are everywhere when it comes to climate change, whether they realise or not. They lubricate, lobby, legislate, and litigate. They make things happen (the buying and selling of fossil-fuel fired plants; the raising of finance for an energy-to-waste facility; and so on). …

Personal Lives and Professional Principles: Beckwith, Integrity and the High Court

Does it matter that a regulatory rulebook contains professional principles that are headlines only and have no detailed content? To what extent is it ok for those engaged in professional discipline to be interested in the private lives of professional people? These are the two main substantive questions (although not framed in that way...) in …

The SRA, The Qualifying Law Degree, and COVID-19: Thoughts on Law Schools and Assessment in a Time of Crisis

Professor Steven Vaughan, University College London One of the many (many) consequences of the current COVID-19 pandemic is that university law schools are debating what to do about assessments for their law students. Some university vice-chancellors have taken a global decision to move all assessments (across the whole university) online. Others are still debating. Some …

Law Firm Pride. Or, why it might look like law firms prefer gay lawyers to women lawyers

It’s Pride Month. A time for celebration (on which note: go watch Todrick Hall’s ‘Nail Hair Hips Heels’ video if you have not already done so; it will bring you joy). This year I’ve (very kindly) had a couple of invites to Pride events at City law firms from the organisers of the LGBT+ networks …