Home Legal & Insurance Secret Barrister gives hush-hush interview to Women in the Law UK

Secret Barrister gives hush-hush interview to Women in the Law UK

Sally Penni

The blogger, author and Twitter sensation the Secret Barrister has become the latest high-profile figure from the legal sector to be interviewed for Women in the Law UK’s “Talking Law” podcast. The recording is now live on Apple, Spotify and the professional development organisation’s website.

The Secret Barrister, who was named Independent Blogger of the Year in 2016 and 2017 by the Editorial Intelligence Comment Awards, has just published a second book, Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies. The blogger and author’s self-titled first book, published in 2018, became a Sunday Times Bestseller.

In an interview voiced by an actor to maintain their anonymity, the Secret Barrister talks about their route into the law, barriers to justice, social mobility and the reasons they began writing their blog. They also reveal how their first book came about.

Sally Penni, founder of Women in the Law UK and herself an award-winning barrister, carried out the interview. She said, “The Secret Barrister is a great campaigner for access to justice, which is an issue close to the hearts of Women in the Law UK, so it was fascinating to talk to them properly about this.


“It was also intriguing to hear about the experiences that motivated them to start – and continue – writing their explosive blog, leading them to become such a sensation in the legal world and beyond. Even after this interview, though, I am still none the wiser as to their identity.”

Listeners can subscribe to the Talking Law series, which is available from Apple and Spotify, or stream it direct from the Women in the Law UK website. Launched in early 2019, it is the brainchild of host Sally Penni, who practises out of Kenworthy’s Chambers in Manchester and is vice chair of the Association of Women Barristers, and produced by the BBC Radio5Live presenter Sam Walker.

Talking Law, which was previously posted online monthly, is being produced to a weekly schedule for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis. Other recent interviewees include the barrister and TV personality Robert “Judge” Rinder and the businesswoman and campaigner Gina Miller.

In addition to the Talking Law podcast, Women in the Law UK in normal times hosts events around the country featuring inspiring speakers and career development insights. For the duration of social distancing restrictions, however, it has replaced its face-to-face meeting with a programme of four webinars per week.

Women in the Law UK’s events are held under the Chatham House Rule, enabling speakers and audience members to speak freely and learn from each-other’s experiences in a confidential environment. Previous events have covered subjects including career progression, why lawyers need to sit on boards, how to network and make it work for you, and what lawyers can learn from inspiring businesswomen.

To book places at Women in the Law UK webinars readers should visit the organisation’s website or book directly via Eventbrite.