Doesn't Sound Right
Doesn't Sound Right
Podcast Description
The podcast exploring the role of UK regional accents in the law.
Doesn't Sound Right uncovers the role accents, class, and identity play in the UK legal profession. Hosted by Matt Fedigan and Denise van der Merwe.
Through candid conversations with leading barristers and solicitors, we explore how the way we speak shapes the way we work in the law.
Perfect for law students, legal professionals, those applying for pupillage and training contracts, and anyone interested in diversity, social mobility and the UK legal profession.
Sponsored by Walker Morris solicitors.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes of accents, class, identity, and their impact on the UK legal profession. Episodes cover topics such as the implications of maintaining one's accent in a courtroom setting, the biases associated with certain accents, and discussions on whether accents should receive legal protection. Example episodes include interviews with barristers discussing the challenges of courtroom advocacy while staying authentic to their accents, and linguistics experts exploring accentism and its implications in legal settings.
The podcast exploring the role of UK regional accents in the law.
Doesn’t Sound Right uncovers the role accents, class, and identity play in the UK legal profession. Hosted by Matt Fedigan and Denise van der Merwe.
Through candid conversations with leading barristers and solicitors, we explore how the way we speak shapes the way we work in the law.
Perfect for law students, legal professionals, those applying for pupillage and training contracts, and anyone interested in diversity, social mobility and the UK legal profession.
Sponsored by Walker Morris solicitors.
How do you come to feel like you belong in UK law when you don’t sound like anyone else in the room?
In this episode of Doesn’t Sound Right, Matt and Denise speak to criminal barrister John Dove and commercial solicitor–turned–legal educator Hayley Crombleholme. Now engaged and co-founders of the online advocacy initiative Speed Mooting, they share their journeys into the legal profession.
From growing up on a Liverpool council estate to being told to “lose the accent” by a Crown Court judge, Hayley’s story raises questions about class, confidence, and who truly gets to feel at home in legal spaces. John reflects on navigating pupillage and courtroom performance, while both reveal how their shared mission is rooted in creating the kind of opportunities they wish they’d had themselves.
Perfect for law students, pupillage applicants, training contract hopefuls, junior lawyers, and anyone passionate about social mobility, regional accents, advocacy, and belonging in the legal world.
🎧 Sponsored by Walker Morris, a leading Leeds-based firm of solicitors.
🎵 Title music: Yours Story by Diamond_Tunes
Disclaimer
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