A Review of the Pupillage Gateway Report 2024: Has Diversity at the Bar Improved?

Sex

Women continued to outperform men in securing pupillage offers. They received 57.3 per cent of offers, compared with 38.9 per cent for men, a pattern consistent with the previous year. Overall, women do not appear to face significant barriers when receiving pupillage.

Race

The report shows mixed results. 60.8 per cent of pupillage offers went to candidates from white backgrounds. The most concerning statistic is the sharp drop in offers to Black, African, Caribbean, and Black British candidates, falling from 3 per cent to 1.7 per cent. This represents almost a per cent decrease and signals an urgent need for intervention.

Candidates from mixed ethnic backgrounds rose to 10.4 per cent. Offers to Asian and Asian British candidates remained stable at 10.4 per cent, only slightly lower than the previous year. Encouragingly, fewer candidates selected “prefer not to say,” dropping to 3.8 per cent, suggesting greater confidence in sharing demographic data.

Disability

Government data indicates that around 24 per cent of the UK population is disabled. Yet only 10.4 per cent of pupillage offers went to disabled candidates, down from 17.2 per cent the previous year. Chancery, Crime and Family saw the lowest representation at 4. per cent, 5. per cent, and per cent, respectively. These figures fall far below national averages and highlight a significant accessibility gap.

Social Mobility

Social mobility remains one of the Bar’s most persistent challenges. 69.4 per cent of pupillage offers went to candidates with parents in professional occupations. Only 10.4 per cent went to candidates from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. Further, only 12.2 per cent of offers went to candidates eligible for free school meals, despite 23.8 per cent of state school pupils meeting that criterion. The disparity is stark and suggests that socio‑economic background continues to shape access to the profession.

Education

Academic attainment remains the strongest predictor of success. 60.1 per cent of offers went to candidates with First Class degrees, even though only 35.7 per cent of applicants held one. Meanwhile, 36 per cent of offers went to candidates with Upper Second Class degrees, despite per cent of applicants achieving a 2:1.

Interestingly, 57.3 per cent of offers went to candidates who had not yet completed the Bar Training Course, showing that completion is not a prerequisite. Scholarships also played a significant role, with 51.3 per cent of offers going to candidates who had secured Inn scholarships.

Sexuality

6 per cent of offers went to heterosexual candidates. 5 per cent of offers went to gay men and women, compared with 1.5 per cent of people identifying as gay or lesbian in the 2021 census. 13 per cent of offers went to candidates identifying as bisexual. These figures suggest that sexual orientation does not appear to be a major barrier at the pupillage stage.

Takeaways

Despite a substantial increase in pupillage numbers, diversity and inclusion statistics show limited movement. Academic performance remains the strongest predictor of receiving pupillage, particularly achieving a First Class degree. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are securing pupillage, but representation still does not reflect the wider population.

Women continue to enter the profession in strong numbers. Racial representation fluctuates year to year, with a concerning decline for Black candidates. Disabled candidates remain significantly underrepresented. Social mobility indicators show the widest gap, with low percentages of candidates from working‑class backgrounds progressing to pupillage.

More targeted action is needed to ensure the Bar becomes genuinely accessible to all, not just those who already hold structural advantages.