Jessikah Inabah, 24, feels that her blindness has aided her in establishing a closer rapport with some clients, particularly those from minority groups, during her time spent working with clients as part of her studies.
As she begins to contemplate the future, the first blind, black, female barrister in Britain states that her accomplishment “hasn’t completely sunk in yet.”
Jessikah Inabah, aged 24 and a graduate of a five-year university program will apply for a pupillage when applications open in January 2023. Pupillages provide newly-qualified barristers with their first position in chambers.
She tells: “It hasn’t truly sunk in yet.” “I hope it does once I am actively in my pupillage phase.”
Ms. Inabah, a native of Lewisham in south London, is known to her friends and family as Jess. She aspires to break down obstacles, she says.
“I’m sure that when people think of lawyers, a young black woman with a white cane is not the first image that comes to mind, but perhaps I can change that perception.”
Some of the largest legal organizations in the United Kingdom, including the four Inns of Court, the Bar Council, and the Bar Standards Board, were unable to locate another blind and black barrister.
As a young child, Jess began fighting to alter these perceptions. After periods of wanting to be a singer, historian, and author, she “came full circle” at the age of 18 by opting to study law.
As a student in London, she encountered numerous obstacles, including a dearth of study materials in braille, and the tactile reading system she employs. This necessitated assistance from her friends, tutors, and family members, including her nine-year-old younger brother at the time.
“It was challenging for him, but as he read, I brailled,” she recalls. “I would give him the page references, and after a century he would discover it.
“When he eventually arrived, I would instruct him to read some of the headings, and we would locate the precise heading I’m seeking.
That was the only way I could have completed my bachelor’s degree, therefore I had no social life.
During Jess’s studies, her family’s support was crucial, as she was on several times near breaking point due to the stress of her degree.
The completion of her degree was her way of “thanking” her parents for raising her in the same manner as her brothers, even though she had never interacted meaningfully with a blind person before she was born.
During her time spent working with clients as part of her studies, she thought that her blindness aided her in establishing a closer rapport with certain individuals, particularly those from minority backgrounds.
“When people see me and I introduce myself, I explain the assistive equipment I’m carrying and how it works,” she said. And how I will record their notes. They can suddenly tell me how they’re feeling and what they need me to do.”
Sam Mercer, the Bar Council’s director of equity and diversity, agrees that representation is significant.
She told, “Barristers must reflect the variety of our society because I believe it gives people a great deal more faith in the court system and access to justice.”
Individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds who aim to become barristers have a more difficult time securing pupillage, according to a study completed by the Bar Council on inequality and containing a set of recommendations for improvement last year.
The data also revealed that a black female junior criminal barrister with the same degree of expertise as her white counterpart would charge an average of £18,700 less per year.
At the time of the report, there were only five black or black British female King’s Counsels (KCs) in England and Wales, a highly prominent legal position, and just one percent of judges were black.
This year, however, a bar council follow-up report revealed that nine out of ten chambers have embraced at least one of the Race at the Bar recommendations. These include mentoring and internship schemes.
Several chambers have also collaborated with Bridging the Bar, an organization that matches students from varied backgrounds with barrister mentors.
Ms. Mercer believes that individuals like Jess serve as vital role models for individuals from minority backgrounds. She stated, “I believe the significance of Jess and others as role models should be honored.” “Because I believe it makes a difference if people see someone who has surmounted obstacles to become a professional barrister.”
After completing law school, Jess is optimistic about the future. Her aspirations include becoming a judge and teaching law.
If you want to follow in her footsteps and break down barriers, her advice is straightforward: “If you want to become a barrister or anything else, but you believe that your disability, race, or gender means that you cannot achieve what you want to achieve, show them wrong.
“Show them you can do it, and they will realize they cannot govern your life or your future.”
