Empowering Voices, Building Futures: YLAL Celebrates Black History Month

As part of Black History Month, we are sharing conversations with solicitors, barristers and members of the legal profession about their journeys, challenges, and reflections. These stories highlight the importance of representation and inclusion within the Legal Aid Sector.

To kick the stories off, committee member Priya Pandya has a conversation with Patricia Tueje.

Patricia Tueje is a barrister at One Pump Court, specialising in housing, public law, and civil law. She was co-chair of the Housing Law Practitioners’ Association from 2022 to 2024, is a member of the Bar Council’s Race Training Delivery Panel, and also sits as a Fee Paid Judge in both the Property Chamber and the Employment Tribunal.

Building on her experience of assisting a housing solicitor while volunteering at a local law centre, before her pupillage, she worked in the housing advice department at a Local Authority, then worked for Shelter, where she was periodically duty housing adviser at the old Shoreditch County Court.

During the discussion, Priya asked Patricia the following questions about her experiences and reflections at the Bar.

What was your experience when you first began at the Bar, as a Black barrister?

I began the practising stage of pupillage in 2001. In the early days, there were moments when people in court seemed surprised to see me in my role. Rather than dwelling on this, I focused on proving myself through the quality of my work, thorough preparation, strong advocacy and real commitment to my clients.

Of course, there were times when things didn’t go my way, and occasionally that undermined my confidence. But I learned to see each experience as an opportunity to grow.

I have always been lucky to be part of Chambers, where I felt fully supported and included, which gave me the space to thrive.

Has the profession changed since then?

The profession has moved on since I first started. Today, I feel less of an outsider, and I think there is far greater recognition of the need for diversity. Seeing a barrister of colour in court is not so unusual anymore, which is encouraging progress.

Many chambers, including my own, are actively committed to attracting the best talent from all backgrounds. Through my work with the Bar Council’s Race Training Delivery Panel I’ve also seen a genuine drive to improve diversity and inclusion. There is more outreach, more mentoring, and a real effort to ensure that everyone feels they belong at the Bar.

As a fee-paid judge, I’ve witnessed the judiciary itself becoming more representative.

It’s encouraging to see greater diversity within the legal profession, even though there is still more to do.

What would you say to an aspiring or junior solicitor who’s a member of the Black community to support them in their journey?

Resilience is crucial. Any career journey, in particular a career at the Bar, will involve challenges, rejections or moments of doubt, but each step is part of your growth. Even when things don’t go the way you hoped, you are learning, gaining experience, and moving closer to where you want to be.

Reflection is just as important. Take feedback with an open mind, use it to improve, and remember to acknowledge your strengths as well as the areas you can work on.

Progress comes from balancing self-awareness with self-belief.

Above all, don’t let the perceptions of others hold you back. Trust in your abilities, stay open to learning, and keep going with confidence.

And remember, you are not alone. There are excellent support networks to lean on. The Black Barristers’ Network, for example, offers a strong sense of community and mentoring opportunities, while the Inns of Court provide financial, practical and professional support. Reaching out and connecting with these networks can make the journey not only a little easier, but also more inspiring and rewarding.

Did you face any challenges? If so, what challenges, and how did you overcome them?

The hardest part for me was securing pupillage It took persistence, but by gaining relevant legal experience in housing law, advocacy and improving my client care skills, these helped equip me with the skills I needed to secure pupillage and to succeed as a barrister.

Today, the challenges I face are different. The main one is the wider pressure on legal aid, which affects clients and practitioners alike. But personally, I encounter far fewer obstacles than I did at the start of my career.

What keeps me motivated is the knowledge that my work in housing law directly improves people’s lives. My colleagues in Chambers and I are committed to providing a voice, through representation, for marginalised sections of society, which makes the challenges worthwhile.

Patricia’s story is one of resilience, determination, and commitment to change. From early exclusion to her current role as a barrister, judge, and leader in housing law, she continues to push for a more inclusive profession.

Her advice to the next generation is clear: persevere, self-reflect, and make use of the support now available across the Bar.

Want to have a conversation with us? Contact us on: ylalinfo@gmail.com; we can’t wait to hear from you!