Last night, 12KBW was proud to host clients, members and staff at our special networking event to mark #RaceEqualityWeek2026.
In a time of political uncertainty, this gathering was an opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to fairness, inclusion and respect for all. A chance to celebrate the diversity that makes our professional networks thrive.
We reproduce here the full speech by Pankaj Madan, Race Officer at 12KBW, who spoke at the event.
Good evening.
This week is Race Awareness Week. In a time of political uncertainty, we thought we should be, we believe, the first chambers in the UK to mark the week, in a special and unique way with all of you.
In a profession that can argue for hours about commas, it’s easy to forget the biggest clause of all,…..that each of us belongs.
Inclusion isn’t a poster on a wall. It’s a practice. It’s the welcome at the door, the name pronounced properly, the brief given with trust. Small things, yes, but they are everything.
We are barristers. We live by evidence. So, ask us: what’s the evidence that 12KBW is inclusive?
It’s not a slogan. It’s a series of decisions that set a precedent, who we recruit, who we brief, who we mentor, who we invite to lead. Culture is policy, enforced, or ignored, by a thousand tiny choices.
Race awareness isn’t about guilt. It’s about curiosity, courage, and consistency. Curiosity to learn what we don’t know. Courage to challenge what isn’t right, even when it’s awkward.
Consistency to make inclusion the default, not the exception.
And let me name something plainly. Antisemitism has no place here. To our Jewish colleagues, clients, and friends: you are seen, you are valued, and you are safe with us. That means we challenge the “joke” that wounds, we call out the stereotype that lingers, and we make room for identity in everyday practice – whether that’s getting names right, respecting religious observance, or noticing when silence is actually someone carrying something heavy. Our stand against racism includes a clear stand against antisemitism, always.
What does this look like in our chambers, with our staff, barristers, and clients? It looks like colleagues who intervene with grace. Clerks who widen the shortlist. Silks who sponsor and mentor juniors who don’t look like younger versions of themselves. Clients who ask for diverse teams because they know excellence lives in many places, and they expect to see it.
We won’t always get it right. When we don’t, we’ll do what good lawyers do: listen, learn, and put it right. Not because our regulator says so, but because justice is our business, and justice starts at home.
Every client who comes to us brings a story. Some are written against a background of inequality, some against a background of hate. They deserve advocates whose house reflects the society they serve. When people step into 12KBW, they should feel three things: seen, safe, and able to soar.
So, here’s my three-part brief for all of us, something we can do tonight and every day after.
- Say something. Challenge the joke that isn’t funny; get the name right; invite the quiet voice in.
- Share something. The opportunity, the credit, the contacts.
- Sponsor someone. Use your capital to open a door and stand there until they’ve walked through.
If we do that, we turn good intentions into good habits, and good people into a great culture. Fairness travels at the speed of trust. Let’s make trust our chambers’ accent.
Let us be the set where talent meets welcome, where difference needs no permission, and where the next generation walk in and think…“yes, this is for me”.
Thank you. Enjoy the evening.
