Does your accent matter in law?

A judge once told me, an 18-year-old aspiring lawyer, to "go lose your accent". That advice was wrong.

I am Hayley Dove. I have a Scouse accent, and I shared that story on a recent episode our podcast, Speed Mooting Partners in Crime, in a conversation with John about the advice we received as students.

I did not need to lose my accent to become a lawyer. And you do not need to change how you sound to belong in this profession.

1. Where does the idea come from?

If you grew up watching lawyers on television, you may have absorbed a particular picture of what a lawyer sounds like: polished, measured and often speaking Received Pronunciation (RP).

Think Rumpole of the Bailey or other fictional lawyers from that time. They are memorable characters, but they are not a checklist for entering the legal profession.

As a student, I assumed I would need elocution lessons before I could become a lawyer. The lawyers I saw on screen nearly all spoke in the same polished way, and it was easy to mistake that familiar sound for a professional requirement.

It is not. Clear communication matters. Having a particular accent does not prevent you from communicating clearly.

2. Substance is more important than polish

It would be easy to end there and say accent never affects anyone's judgement. But that would be too neat.

I hear two professionals side by side, one speaking in RP and one with an accent, I might initially be more inclined to assume the RP speaker knows more. I also know that assumption would not be true simply because of the way that person sounds. We can mistake a familiar signal of authority for actual expertise. But a polished sound is not proof of better reasoning, stronger knowledge or greater ability.

The practical point is that when you notice yourself favouring the person who sounds more polished, pause. Ask what they actually said, how they reached their conclusion and whether their reasoning holds up.

On the podcast, John and I also talked about what this means when judging moots. A smooth, confident delivery can be persuasive. That is part of advocacy. But smooth delivery on its own does not make an argument sound or a moot better.

For a judge, the first hurdle is to look past the pull of the polished speaker and listen carefully to the substance. Is the argument structured? Does it address the question? Does the speaker explain why the legal principles support their position? A fluent delivery can help listeners follow a case, but it should not do the judging for them.

The same is true if you are preparing to speak. Focus on what you can control:

• Structure: Put your points in a clear order so the listener can follow your argument.

• Reasoning: Explain the steps that connect the facts and the law to the conclusion you ask the court to reach.

• Clarity: Speak at a pace your audience can follow, and make your points audible.

• Response: Listen to questions and answer them directly, rather than relying on a memorised performance.

Those skills take practise.

3. Practise speaking

If you worry about the way you present and want a chance to practise, the Legal Skills Academy offers a supportive place to build those skills. The alternative to the elocution-lessons mindset is not to ignore how you communicate. It is to practise communicating clearly, in your own voice.

The Academy meets twice a month: on the penultimate Tuesday for Core Skills training and on the final Tuesday for advocacy. Sessions are online, and they are open to students, graduates, career changers and people already in practice. You do not need previous advocacy experience to take part.

The aim is to give you a chance to try, receive feedback and improve in a low-pressure setting. You do not have to arrive as a finished speaker.

4. Believe in yourself

I mentioned at the start of this blog that I would told to lose my accent as a young, Scouse aspiring lawyer. Thankfully, I didn't take this advice to heart. All these years later, I still have my accent and I have been able to have a very successful career in the law. As long as you can find your way to communicate clearly in your own way, you will be absolutely fine!!