In law, we’re taught to speak with authority, dress with precision, and present ourselves with unwavering professionalism. But for many, those expectations come with an unspoken pressure: to smooth the edges of who you are in order to be accepted. To edit, soften, adjust, until the version of yourself that walks into court no longer feels entirely your own.
Too many aspiring and practising barristers still feel the need to shrink parts of their identity to belong. It might be the suggestion to shorten a name for ease. The discomfort of wondering whether a regional accent will be read as less capable. The silent calculation of whether mentioning a school, a background, or a belief might cost you credibility. These aren’t just passing insecurities, they’re subtle, persistent reminders that the profession wasn’t designed with everyone in mind.
At Ivy & Normanton, we’ve spoken to women across the legal profession who have shared the quiet, often unseen weight of this, from hiding parts of their heritage to questioning how their body or voice fits into the room. And yet, alongside these stories of doubt, we’ve heard something else, too: the quiet strength of women reclaiming it all.
Reclaiming doesn’t mean pushing back for the sake of it. It means returning to something that was always yours. It’s deciding that your name belongs on the brief, unshortened. That your background brings value, not shame. That your voice, whether it carries a lilt, an accent, or softness, is professional just as it is.
Because representation doesn’t start when you blend in. It starts when you show up fully, and in doing so, make space for others to do the same.
So tell us — what’s one thing you’ve reclaimed?
Maybe it was choosing to wear your natural hair in court.
Maybe it was keeping your full name on your CV.
Maybe it was speaking in your own voice — not the one you were told to imitate.
Whatever it is, it matters. And your presence makes this profession better.
Share your story with us by emailing blog@ivyandnormanton.com.