Meet Our Team

Professor Jo Delahunty KC

Professor Jo is one of the UK’s leading family barristers specialising in child protection law, and is a member of 4 Paper Buildings Chambers. She is recognised for her award winning work in contentious cases involving complex medical evidence and catastrophic injuries to/ the death of a child, child sex abuse, witchcraft/ ritualized abuse and ISIS radicalisation cases. Her clients often have mental health difficulties or serious learning difficulties.

Professor Jo is also a Gresham Professor of Law since 2016. Her lecturers have been covered by newspapers such as The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times. In March 2019 Jo was given the Freedom of the City of London to mark the centenary of 100 years of suffrage in recognition of her contribution to the Law.

In 2020, Professor Jo was part of the First 100 Years podcasts series by Spark 21& featured in Middle Temple’s ‘Women of Distinction Exhibition’ which celebrated a 100 years of the right of a woman to join the legal profession and practice as barristers, and solicitors.

Professor Leslie Thomas KC

Professor Leslie is one of the top rated silks in the country, ranked leading individual by both Chambers and the Legal 500 (2020). He has been a QC since 2014. He was educated at a South London comprehensive and studied law at Kingston University.

Professor Thomas is a leading expert in claims against the police and other public authorities, and claims against corporate bodies, with expertise across the full spectrum of civil wrongs, civil litigation, human rights, data and privacy claims. He is an expert in all aspects of inquests and public inquiries, having represented many bereaved families, in particular where there has been abuse of state or corporate power.

As well as winning cases, Thomas has won a string of awards for his work and has been called to the Bar in several other international legal jurisdictions. Until 31 January 2020, Professor Thomas served as a joint Heads of Chambers at Garden Court Chambers. He is a Bencher to the Inner Temple, where he is also Deputy Master for inclusivity and diversity. He is on the Bar Standards Board, the bar’s regulatory body. He has also served on the management committee of Liberty and the Central London Law Centre. He was appointed as a professor of Law at Gresham College in 2020.

Listen to Professor Thomas’ message to future barristers on owning your story here.

Mr Justice Pushpinder Saini KC

Mr Justice Pushpinder Saini is a High Court Judge of the King’s Bench Division and a Presiding Judge of the Western Circuit. He sits in the full range of King’s Bench work including civil and serious criminal trials. He was appointed to the High Court Bench in 2019 following 28 years of practice as Junior and then Silk at Blackstone Chambers, Temple. He is a Bencher of Gray's Inn. In practice his specialist areas of practice included commercial law, public law, human rights, media and entertainment law. He appeared as Counsel in many of the leading cases in his areas of law, including appeals in the English, European and international courts as well as arbitral tribunals.

Mass Ndow-Njie

Founder and Chairperson

Mass is an award-winning Barrister practising at 7 Bedford Row ("7BR") Chambers. Mass joined 7BR after completing his training at the Government Legal Department, with a short secondment at Blackstone Chambers.

In July 2020, Mass became the first ever Pupil Barrister to be awarded ‘Barrister of the Week’ by The Lawyer Publication. In January 2021, he was recognised as Advocate’s ‘Pro-bono Hero of the Month’ for his dedication to a pro-bono case and the result obtained on behalf of his client. In November 2021, Mass was presented with two awards in quick succession after he was declared as the winner of the Middle Temple Young Barristers Association (MTYBA) Rule of Law Essay Competition and commended as a Future Leader at the 2021 Chambers and Partners Awards. 

Mass is committed to enhancing the equality of access into the legal profession. From an early age, Mass did not believe that a career at the Bar was possible for him, largely because he did not fit the conventional image of a practising barrister. Recognising that his achievements in the law can inspire others, he has dedicated himself to opening the doors of opportunity for people from non-traditional backgrounds. Mass has written numerous articles on the topic of diversifying the legal profession and he is regularly booked to speak at events across the UK within various academic and legal spaces. He has spoken to audiences in the UK Supreme Court, the Inns of Court and various universities. 

To find out more about Mass, please visit: www.massndownjie.com.

Aaron Mayers

Vice Chairperson

Aaron is a Commercial and Chancery Barrister at 3PB.

Determined to further equality of opportunity at the Bar, Aaron joined the BTB team prior to its formal constitution with the intention of creating positive, tangible change in the profession.

Aaron understands the journey of coming to the Bar from a non-traditional background. He grew up in social housing, attended an underperforming state school and attended a non Russel Group university as part of the first generation of his family to venture into Higher Education.

Despite, or rather, because this background, Aaron is building a successful commercial and chancery practice at 3PB, whilst fulfilling his leadership role at Bridging the Bar, advising other not-for-profit organisations and pursuing his own entrepreneurial ventures. As a result, Aaron understands and demonstrates the importance of making the most from adverse circumstances. He aspires to assist all aspiring barristers who share this mentality.

Aaron has often attended events to speak as a panellist and offer advice to aspiring legal professionals. He has also written and contributed to a number of published articles.

Aaron’s chambers profile can be found here.

If you would like to make an enquiry about Aaron directly, you can contact Aaron here.

Mat Swallow

Mat is the Deputy Chambers Director of Blackstone Chambers. He is a member of the senior management team responsible for the strategic planning, management and administration of Chambers with a particular focus on practice management and marketing/business development. This is his second stint at Blackstone Chambers, having first been employed as the Communications and Marketing Manager (2005-2007). He was then recruited to launch and run a joint venture between YouGov, the leading research organisation, and Centaur, the listed publisher. Previously, Mat spent seven years as a journalist with The Lawyer magazine, latterly as deputy editor. He rejoined Blackstone Chambers in June 2008.

Abdul Qadim

Treasurer

Abdul is a Higher Executive Officer at the Department for Transport (DfT). He read Law at university and graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in July 2018. It was during his degree that his interest and passion for law, negotiation and advocacy was cemented.

Abdul is passionate and committed to advancing the cause of equality of opportunity. He is an active member of the Positive Support Group and Social Mobility Network at DfT, both of which support those who are typically disadvantaged to gain access to career opportunities. He views Bridging the Bar as a similar yet unique, and purposeful organisation that will support those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and are chasing a career at the Bar. He is determined to play his role in making the Bar a place where the only barriers to entry are your work-ethic and competency.

Ishan Kolhatkar

Ishan was a practising Barrister for almost a decade before moving into Education, first as a Lecturer on the Bar Exams, then he became Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching and finally Director of Group Education before moving to Inspera, a leading digital assessment platform where he is General Manager in the UK.  Though his day job is in the education technology space, he continues to teach advocacy for Middle Temple and others, and run a legal education consultancy.  Away from work he’s a keen amateur chef, posting pictures and videos of his food online.

Srishti Suresh

Srishti is a specialist family law barrister at Coram Chambers, a leading family law set in London. She studied Law at the University of Oxford, the BPTC at BPP Holborn, and a masters in Law and Gender at SOAS. She is passionate about equality and representation both in the legal profession and in the treatment of the law itself. She has published articles on the impact of race and gender on the welfare analysis in radicalisation cases in the family court. In her spare time, she is a trained dancer, loves learning languages, and (sometimes successfully) experiments in the kitchen.

Her chambers profile can be found here.

Sonia Masaun

Sonia is a common law pupil barrister at Exchange Chambers. She studied Law at the University of Warwick and completed the Bar in Birmingham. She was state school educated and the first generation in her family to attend university. She appreciates the barriers that come with breaking into the profession for those who are underrepresented and is committed to assisting others from non-traditional backgrounds around the UK to break down those barriers.

Emma Hughes

As a mature student of dual heritage and a single mother, the challenges facing diversity and equality within the legal profession are a stark reality for Emma. Emma received an Access to the Bar Award and a Jules Thorn Scholarship from Middle Temple which made her career at the Bar a tangible possibility. 

Emma is honoured to be part of the Bridging the Bar Committee and create opportunities for those from underrepresented backgrounds, some with experiences similar to her own. She is dedicated to diversifying the profile of the Bar. In her role as MTSA President in 2018, she organised and hosted the first Black History Month Qualifying session, which has now become an annual event and wrote an article on the MT Black Lives Matter Event. Outside of her role at BTB, she serves as the Middle Temple Young Barrister’s Association (MTYBA’s) Vice President and was MTYBA Diversity and Inclusion Officer for two years and sits on the Bar Council Race Working Group.

Emma is a pupil barrister at Four Brick Court Chambers, a specialist family set.

Emma previously worked at Miles & Partners Solicitors in the Public Family Law department, dealing primarily with care proceedings, featuring non-accidental injury, radicalisation, sexual abuse and a range of matters. She also featured in the advertisement of the Centenary Exhibition of prominent female middle templars, as part of the commemoration to recognise 100 years of the Sexual Disqualification Act 1919, which made it legal for women to be barristers, judges and jury members.

Eleanor Tack

Eleanor joined BTB in March 2020, shortly before we first launched in August 2020. She was intrinsic to securing and developing the first ever UK Supreme Court internship programme, and is now working with courts across the country to expand these projects.

Eleanor has a keen interest in reframing imposter syndrome, failure and workplace identity. She builds on over four years experience as a mediation coach with the Society of Mediators and combines this with her passion for Marshal Rosenberg’s theory of Non-Violent Communication and life coaching. This experience has led Eleanor to incorporate elements of mutual learning into all of our schemes where possible. She is keen for candidates and institutions alike to fully understand the added value of diversity and enable our candidates to thrive within these spaces without feeling like an imposter. She has since lead collaborations with institutions such as the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board in developing training and mutual learning to address these psychological barriers.

Since June 2022, Eleanor has been spearheading the development of the new BTB Academy in her interim role of Programmes Coordinator. 

Eleanor currently sits as a Judicial Assistant in the Constitutional Court of South Africa. 

Ronnie Evans

Partnerships Manager

Ronnie has always had a passion for volunteering and helping others and was awarded the Jack Petchey Award for his contribution to charity. This continued forward in his LLB degree as he dedicated many pieces at university to providing a voice to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Ronnie initially found a passion for law following an inquest case his family experienced. Following the help of the charity Inquest, Ronnie saw that the law was not accessible to everyone, and this spurred him to follow a career in the Bar. As someone from a lower socioeconomic background, Ronnie received the Access to Learning Fund to help him study for his LLB at the University of Kent and was granted the Disabled Student Allowance due to his neurodiversity. Initiatives such as these allowed him to progress with his LLB degree, and BTB is carrying this momentum onwards.

Ronnie understands how daunting a career at the Bar can seem when you may not be able to see yourself represented there. That’s why he is excited to join BTB to help their mission of diversifying the bar.

Adila Hilmi

Business Development Assistant

Adila, an international student from Malaysia, embodies a commitment to diversity and inclusion rooted in her personal experiences as a member of a minority background. Growing up in culturally diverse environments across multiple countries, she intimately understands the struggles of navigating societal expectations and striving to find acceptance when one's identity differs from the norm. This fueled her unwavering dedication to championing diversity and inclusion in all facets of her life.

Driven by her vision of promoting global harmony and understanding, Adila is eager to pursue a career in international law at the bar, where she is particularly enthusiastic about tackling cross-border disputes. Currently studying the Bar course alongside an LLM specialising in International Commercial Trade and ADR, she offers a distinctive perspective to the BTB team. Her experience at Johnson and Johnson MedTech and background as a Death Penalty case worker have deepened her understanding of access to justice, fuelling her passion for effecting positive change.

Adila is eager to contribute to BTB's mission of empowering aspiring barristers.

Fatima Ali

Programme Assistant

Fatima is the BTB Programmes Assistant. She studied Law (LLB) at SOAS, University of London. 

She is an aspiring barrister who has a particular interest in immigration law, and is currently completing the Bar Vocational Studies course and an LLM at City University of London. She is also a Royal Scholar at The Honourable Society of Middle Temple Inn, having been awarded the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Scholarship in 2023. 

As a full-time wheelchair user, Fatima is strongly dedicated to supporting aspiring barristers with disabilities accessing the Bar and is honoured to work with BTB to help fulfil their aim of diversifying the Bar.

Marianne Allen

Programme Assistant

Marianne is the BTB Programmes Assistant. She worked as a professional ballet dancer with the Hungarian National Ballet and the Astana Ballet in Kazakhstan.

She built a relationship volunteering with the charity Kids Love Lambeth, which aimed to improve social welfare in her community by providing free ballet performances for primary-aged children in London’s more deprived areas.

She recognises the importance of organisations like BTB that create real and positive impacts, and is dedicated to supporting a diverse pool of aspiring barristers in accessing the Bar and seeing themselves represented in the legal field.