Miranda Grell
My name is Miranda Grell and I am a self employed barrister at Staple Inn Chambers. I was born in East London to parents from the Caribbean.
I went to local state schools before taking a gap year after ‘A’ Levels to learn German. I then went to Manchester University, to read European Studies with Spanish, before undertaking internships at the European Parliament and the European Commission in Brussels.
I then did a Master’s Degree at the London School of Economics before working in various professional roles in policy and politics. After deciding to become a barrister, I completed my Graduate Diploma in Law in 2010 and the Bar Professional Training Course in 2014.
I would call myself as “common law” barrister, as I presently practise in more than one area of law. This was very common in the past but, over recent years, there has been a shift towards barristers specialising in only one or two areas of law. I am predominantly a civil law barrister and enjoy Employment and Housing Law. However, I am also instructed in family cases and some criminal defence cases. At this very junior stage of my career, I wish to enjoy learning about all of these areas before I narrow down my areas of practice.
I decided to become a barrister as a result of being as a defendant in a case where I was accused of misconduct. There were no barristers in my family and I had never been inside of a courtroom before my own trial. I sat behind my barrister and watched the way he applied authorities to the facts of my case. A lightbulb went off and I felt stimulated. As a result of what had happened to me, my journey to the Bar was not easy, as I had to sit before a panel of the Council of the Inns of Court to persuade them that I was a “fit and proper” person to practise as a barrister. They agreed that I was ‘fit and proper’ and the rest is history. I overcame barriers that seemed impossible to surmount by being honest and demonstrating integrity. Those are principles that I carry with me in my day-to-day work as a barrister now.
One of my barrister role models is Baroness Patricia Scotland KC, who attended my local secondary school, and became the youngest QC since William Pitt the Younger. Baroness Scotland was a Black woman from East London, born to a working class family, but she was bright, talented and worked hard. She’s now Secretary General of the Commonwealth.
As a woman, you have to be very well organised to navigate the pressures of the Bar. I am obsessed with making lists on my phone and I love ticking things off. I also set strict boundaries with my professional and personal time to safeguard my mental health and physical energy levels.
The highlight of my career so far is helping other young women, especially young women of colour, to get pupillage after me. That gives me great satisfaction.
As a female barrister, you have to be able to be comfortable saying “no” and also politely demand the respect you’ve earned. Do not tolerate rudeness, sexism or any other unacceptable behaviour.
I am a mentor on a legal access programme called BME Legal, which I highly recommend to aspiring female barristers of colour. When I am mentoring on that programme - and elsewhere, - the words “Imposter Syndrome” are banned. Female barristers are not imposters. We deserve to be here.
Written by Miranda Grell