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CEO & Co-Founder

Pupil Barrister

East Anglian Chambers

Keynote & TEDx Speaker

Advocate

Social Mobility & Neurodivergence

Writer

Trauma-Informed Law, Diversity and Inclusion

About

LUCY BARNES SPEAKING - ABOUT

"I can be a voice for care-leavers and disadvantaged young people who haven’t found theirs yet."

Lucy went into care at 13 and fell off the “care cliff” at 16. Aged 18, she came to Surrey to study law. She has now begun her pupillage as a barrister. Alongside her legal career, she set up Lawyers Who Care CIC and is a vocal advocate for social mobility for care-experienced, neurodivergent and disadvantaged young people.

Trauma Aware Lucy Barnes
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PUBLICATIONS & ADVOCACY

"Care Leavers can be lawyers too."

MY JOURNEY FROM ADVERSITY TO THE BAR...

Inspiring hope for Care Leavers to be seen for their talents. #CareLeaversCan

@CEPbarrister

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Lucy Barnes Barrister
Publications

MARTIN QUINN

Organiser of the NCCTC Commissioners Conference (June 2024)

"Lucy co-chaired and delivered an amazing keynote address at the two-day Commissioners’ Conference. Lucy managed this brilliantly and came across as if she had been doing both for many years! Her keynote was one of the highlights of the two days and delegates have asked if she can come back next year. Lucy speaks with passion and intellect, tailors her involvement to the audience in front of her and I can’t recommend her highly enough."

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Speaking

Apr 2025

KEYNOTE - ARU CHELMSFORD

Speaking: Lucy was a Keynote speaker at ARU Chelmsford event ‘Lawyers as a voice with the vulnerable’ - Lucy delivered a speech on how lawyers can be a voice for the vulnerable inside and outside of court. She also spoke about how vulnerable individuals/groups can also be valuable, and the importance of #solidaritynotcharity

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Mar 2025

NAGALRO SPEAKER - 2025 SPRING CONFERENCE

Speaking: Lucy spoke at NAGALRO's spring conference on 'neurodiversity within the family justice system' on the important intersection between care experience and neurodivergence, as well as the importance of adopting a trauma-informed practice.

Feb 2025

KEYNOTE - ATHENA SWAN LECTURE

Speaking: Lucy delivered her keynote speech 'Addressing an “invisible inequality:” care experience as a civil rights movement' discussing care experience as a human rights cause and how discrimination cases against Care Leavers is ripe for challenge under the Human Rights Act 1998.

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Feb 2025

OXFORD LAW SOCIETY

Speaking: Lucy speaks as a panellist for Oxford Law Society's 'intersectionality in the legal profession' event on her intersectionality of care experience, sex, socio-economic background and neurodivergence alongside an esteemed panel of speakers.

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Sep 2024

TRAUMA-INFORMED LAW: GARDEN COURT CHAMBERS

Lucy spoke as a panellist as part of a Garden Court Chambers seminar on 'Trauma-Informed Law in the family justice system' alongside Amanda Weston KC and Amanda Meuez.

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Jun 2024

CO-CHAIR AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Lucy co-chaired the annual NCCTC conference alongside Kathy Evans, previous CEO at Children England. Lucy also delivered her keynote address 'From Foster Care to Lawyers Who Care' to an audience of 500 delegates across local authorities.

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May 2024

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: AimHigher

Keynote speaker at AimHigher's 'Smoothing the Path' conference for care-experienced people in Higher Education at Goldsmith University. Lucy delivered her keynote speech 'From Foster Care to Lawyers Who Care' and shared ideas for making university more accessible for care-experienced people.

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May 2024

KEYNOTE SPEAKER -HOUSE OF COMMONS

Lucy spoke in the House of Commons to the Education Select Committee on the launch of Lawyers Who Care and what care-experienced people can go on to achieve with the right opportunities.

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Mar 2024

NAVSH CONFERENCE

Lucy was a panellist for the 2024 NAVSH (National Association of Virtual School Heads) conference hosted by BBC's
Ashley John-Baptiste.

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Dec 2023

BBC 4 WOMEN'S HOUR

Lucy spoke on BBC4 Womens Hour episode on 'High Flying Care Leavers' and discussed her journey and the barriers for care-experienced young people in higher education alongside and Rebecca Munro (also care-experienced), hosted by Krupa Padhy.

Oct 2023

KEYNOTE SPEECHES IN SCHOOLS

October 2023: LB Hounslow's 'Inspirational Speaker' for their 2023 Kids in Care awards

October 2023: Spoke at Quorn Hall School to care-experienced students and brought the law back down to earth by engaging them with the law.

July 2023: Spoke at the University of Surrey Summer School

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Oct 2023

PANEL - GARDEN COURT
CHAMBERS

Lucy was a panellist for Garden Court Chambers' 'Neurodivergent Children in the Justice System' webinar speaking on the relationship between care-experience, trauma and neurodivergence.

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Jul 2018

TEDx Talk

Lucy delivers a TEDx talk with over 100,000 YouTube views on 'The Dreaded Drama Triangle:' the psychological theory of the Drama Triangle and how to move from Victim to Creator consciousness (or a Victim or Creator mindset)

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#100faces campaign

Lucy was recently selected as one of the #100faces for the UniversitiesUK's #100faces campaign, celebrating the voices of 100 university graduates who were the first in their family to go to university. 

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