Corcoran: Concerns about anti-white bias
The Bar Council is facing a discrimination claim over its 10,000 Black Interns programme by a white woman who says her application was rejected because of her race.
The representative body for barristers said it would “vigorously contest the claim”.
Working with the wider 10,000 Interns Foundation, the Bar Council offers university students and graduates six-week internships at several chambers and other organisations.
To be eligible, applicants must be Black or of Black heritage (including mixed heritage) and studying at a UK university, or have graduated within the last three years.
Sophie Corcoran describes herself as a writer, journalist and recent graduate from a Russell Group university whose work has appeared in publications including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, ConservativeHome and GB News.
“In my writing, I have previously raised concerns about anti-white bias in Britain and the growing willingness within institutions to tolerate forms of discrimination that would never be accepted in other contexts,” she said on her crowdfunding page.
As part of exploring a legal career, she identified the programme as an opportunity to gain practical experience at the Bar, only to be “shocked to discover that the scheme is restricted to applicants of a particular racial background”. The scheme is called 10,000 Black Interns [1].
Ms Corcoran said: “I found it difficult to believe that in modern Britain a professional opportunity connected to the legal profession could be limited in this way.
“The Bar Council represents the legal profession and the rule of law, and I believe it should uphold the principle that opportunities should not be allocated on the basis of race.”
She said she submitted an application last October and was told she would hear back in November. to the scheme. “They never got back to me. I believe it is because of my race.”
She has now lodged a discrimination claim at the employment tribunal. “I presume the Bar Council and 10,000 Interns will argue that they are allowed to offer this scheme under ‘positive discrimination’. It will be up to the courts to decide whether it is lawful or not.”
She sought an initial £1,500 through CrowdJustice to pay her lawyers – her solicitor is Elliot Hammer, head of employment at central London firm Branch Austin McCormick – and at the time of writing had raised £3,000. Her stretch target is £50,000.
In a statement, the Bar Council said it had been served with a claim under the Equality Act about the programme.
“We have filed our defence which denies all of the claimant’s allegations and we will vigorously contest the claim.
“The tribunal proceedings will not impact the delivery of the 2026 internship programme this summer and we are looking forward to welcoming this year’s interns.”
Last October, in response to Restore Britain MP Rupert Lowe describing the scheme as “anti-white racism”, the Bar Council said [2] it was “lawful positive action under sections 158 and 159 of the Equality Act based on evidence of under-representation in relation to access to the profession”.
It also hit out at the “negative and, in some cases, disgraceful social media posts” sparked by Mr Lowe’s comments.
A statement yesterday from the 10,000 Interns Foundation, which has been working across several sectors since 2022, said it “exists to expand access to opportunity for underrepresented talent, supporting them toward careers that have historically been out of reach for many”.
It continued: “Each year we collect data from our partners and evaluate the evidence of underrepresentation across different sectors. We are confident in the legal basis of our work, which is grounded in the Equality Act and reflects established principles of lawful, proportionate positive action.”
Chief executive Rebecca Ajulu-Bushell added: “Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. That belief has guided our work from the beginning and remains unchanged.
“Our programmes sit alongside many other routes into the world of work and are designed to ensure that young people who remain underrepresented, have a fair and equal chance to access and succeed in the workplace.”