In Your Defence

Barrister Sarah Langford gives an account of 11 cases that shine a light on the current state of the legal system in the UK and the lives affected in the criminal and family courts.

Sarah Langford is a barrister. Her job is to stand in court representing the mad and the bad, the vulnerable, the heartbroken and the hopeful. She must become their voice: weave their story around the black and white of the law and tell it to the courtroom. These stories may not make headlines but they will change the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary ways. They are stories which, but for a twist of luck, might have been yours.

Sarah Langford has been a practising barrister since 2006, both in London and around the country, principally in criminal and family law. She studied English at the University of the West of England. She worked as a barmaid, legal secretary and note-taking clerk before completing a law conversion, in which she gained a distinction. She was awarded a scholarship from Gray's Inn of Court and went on to train as a barrister. She lives with her husband and two small boys in London and Suffolk.

Chaired by Sarah Trotter, Assistant Professor in the Department of Law, LSE.

The Women’s Library is hosting a number of book events for feminist book fortnight (4 to 18 May @FeministBkFt19) relating to the theme of the exhibition on women in the professions. These events have limited capacity, particularly those in the library gallery, and are bookable via Eventbrite.

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