By Sophie Stevens, Pupil Barrister at 9BR Chambers
Beating the Stigma:
Barristers are often told to put their best point first in advocacy, and you are probably shouting at the page as I begin by talking about the stigma neurodivergent people face. That is hardly my best point. It is in fact the exact opposite. However, without understanding that there is a stigma faced by neurodivergent individuals, we cannot acknowledge the real conversation needed about defeating stigma and changing the narrative.
Neurodivergent people may read, write, and process complex material differently or at a different speed to others. The most common example of stigma is the assumption that a neurodivergent individual is not ‘intelligent’ or ‘academic’ because of these differences. For applicants to the bar, i...