Social Responsibility

COMBAR's Scheme for Under-represented Groups is a mentoring scheme for pupillage applicants from communities who have been under-represented at the Bar, and the Commercial Bar in particular. It promotes social mobility and diversity, supporting those who will benefit most from mentoring and guidance. The scheme is an important part of COMBAR’s commitment to improving access and diversity in the legal profession.

The scheme pairs successful eligible candidates with practitioners from COMBAR member sets for a series of one-to-one mentoring sessions.

Devereux is one of 20 sets to have agreed to provide mentors and it is expected that there will be places for at least 250 mentees on the scheme across participating sets. Devereux, like all participating sets, has agreed to cover reasonable travel expenses for mentees allocated.

Bridging the Bar’s vision for the future is a society where the Bar is accessible for everyone regardless of race, sex, class or other characteristics.​

Devereux is proud to partner with Bridging the Bar to deliver interview and advocacy training to students in Chambers as part of the BTB Academy.  BTB candidates spent two mornings in Chambers ahead of pupillage applications getting careers advice and practising their interview technique in realistic conditions before panels of silks and juniors.

Devereux offers equal opportunities and we take seriously our responsibility to collate and provide Diversity Data every three years. The most recent figures were collected in May 2024 and published in July 2024. The survey was conducted anonymously and participation was voluntary: 84 questionnaires were sent to both members and staff and resulted in a 68% response rate.  The numbers relating to those who did not complete the questionnaire, ticked ‘prefer not to say’ or omitted to answer the question, are reflected under the heading ‘Not available’.  Click here to view the results.

Further information on Equality and Diversity Rules and the BSB Equality Strategy are available on the Bar Standards Board website.

We recognise the impact that business has on the environment and we are committed to sustainability, responsible management of resources and social impact. We buy all our office stationery products from a company that was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and Sustainable Development: an accolade for commercially successful products, services and management that benefit the environment, society and the economy. We only buy recycled paper for all our printers and copiers. Our goal is to ensure printing is kept to a bare minimum.

We recycle paper, cardboard, plastic and glass. We carbonate our own water for use in meetings and sanitise reusable bottles.

We donated our old telephone system, handsets and mobile phones to charities for the homeless and guide dogs and do not send any refuse to landfill, such as furniture.

Devereux is a living wage employer and was amongst the first Chambers to pay its staff at least the London living wage.  The living wage is an informal benchmark set independently and updated annually, based on the cost of living in the UK and is some 20% higher than the national minimum wage.

Devereux participates in the Pegasus Access Scheme and agree to take three work experience placements per year. Inner Temple launched the unique scheme in 2011 and provides work experience for university students with the aim of encouraging diversity and social mobility at the Bar.

Devereux members are actively engaged in pro bono work across the employment, tax, and personal injury. In 2024 11 Devereux members featured in the inaugural Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales. 

Devereux is a long-standing annual supporter of Advocate, the pro bono charity of the bar which acts as a clearing house, matching barristers prepared to undertake pro bono work with those who need their help. We do so both financially, by acting as Advocate Reviewers and through undertaking pro bono cases for those in need. Devereux works as part of the Chambers Pro Bono Framework for Advocate as one of their official participating Chambers.

Devereux is proud to support the annual Social Mobility Foundation Bar placement scheme. The scheme was set up to give talented students from low income backgrounds a flavour of life at the Bar. The scheme allows participating students to spend a week experiencing life at the Bar which includes 3.5 days with a nominated barrister.

Every year, thousands of people in the UK face court alone. Often through no choice of their own, they must represent themselves in a moment that could determine the rest of their life. Support Through Court stand with those who have nowhere else to turn, providing a free service across England and Wales, offering support and guidance before, during, and after court.

As a Guardian, Devereux Chambers is enabling Support Through Court to plan ahead and further develop their service to reach even more people. Feedback from 2021/22 found that in 98% of cases the presence of their volunteers made people feel better prepared to go to court.

The members and staff at Devereux support a wide range of organisations through individual donations and charitable activities. They help charities raise money by playing a part in a variety of activities such as walks, fun runs and cycling contests. They participate in charity quiz nights, which raise money for people in need, and take tables at events such as the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) Legal Dinner which raises money for spinal cord injured people.

As a Chambers, Devereux has a yearly charity budget which supports organisations that promote access to justice.