We Set the Bar

“A vibrant and vigorous story long overdue. Warrior and worker – Jo – tells it as it is. An intimate account of struggle on the publicly funded legal frontline – often maligned, often overlooked – but vital to sustaining the values and fabric of an egalitarian society under relentless attack right now from the forces of darkness.” Michael Mansfield KC

“Traces the journey of a woman who rose from a poor, single‑mother household to succeed at the Bar, navigating entrenched misogyny along the way. Her resilience and determination shine out from the many accounts of how she achieved justice for victims. She throws down the challenge to today’s generation, whose social mobility is more limited, by promising that it’s worth it and that the Bar can change.” Baroness Ruth Deech (KC (Hon)

“A brave and honest account, relatable for many who have taken a less conventional journey to the bar. Jo characteristically challenges the power structures and stereotypes which hobble progress and equality, bringing to life their deep-rooted reality. Her ‘love letter’ is an inspiring call to arms for all changemakers.” Jenny Beck KC (Hon),

Solicitor & Director

“An important, personal, angry, informative paeon of praise for the Legal Aid system and a passionate argument for equity at the bar. Deeply personal and equally passionate, it should be required reading in all chambers – especially by leaders.” Martin Elliott, Honorary Master of the Bench at Inner Temple, Professor Emeritus of Cardiothoracic Surgery at UCL and of Physic at Gresham College

Professor Jo Delahunty KC, Emeritus Gresham Professor of Law, is one of the UK’s leading barristers, specialising in child protection law who, over her 40 years at the Bar, has chosen to champion the vulnerable, using her status and public platforms to speak out about wrongs in her working world. Being the child of a single parent from a working-class family and the first to go to university, she has defied the script for class and gender to challenge inequality and injustice, through her actions, achievements and public speaking. By writing about the realities of a life in law, confronting issues such as sexual harassment, bullying and lack of diversity she Sets The Bar for others to follow.