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

There's an old scouse saying: "If you can't change it, take pride in it". Does the same apply to accents in the legal profession?

Yes, according to leading international barrister Cherie Blair. She set up the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, has represented clients at the highest levels internationally in human rights law, and wrote an aptly-named memoir, Speaking For Myself.

Cherie tells Matt and Denise how she forged a career at the Bar from her working-class roots in Liverpool, and how accents may be modified, but never set aside, in order to be more persuasive in court.

Perfect for law students, pupillage applicants, junior lawyers, advocacy trainers, and anyone navigating the UK legal profession while staying grounded in their background. This episode explores how to stay true to your roots while getting ahead in courtroom advocacy.

Get in touch: doesntsoundrightpodcast@gmail.com

🎧Sponsored by Walker Morris, a leading Leeds-based firm of solicitors.

🎵 Title music: Yours Story by Diamond_Tunes

“You belong here. Slow down. You’ve got this.”
That simple but powerful advice from a legal opponent helped criminal barrister James Bruce deliver the most impactful cross-examination of his career—in a murder trial, no less.

In this episode of Doesn’t Sound Right, Matt and Denise speak with James Bruce of The 36 Group, a criminal law practitioner from Lancashire. James shares how confidence, vocal clarity, and self-belief are critical for effective communication at the Bar—and how barristers can balance staying true to their regional accents while ensuring their advocacy is clear and compelling.

He also discusses how, as a student at an international event, he first realized his dialect could be a barrier—and why he chose to adapt his speech without erasing his identity.

Perfect for law students, pupillage applicants, junior lawyers, advocacy trainers, and anyone navigating the UK legal profession while staying grounded in their background. This episode explores the real-world tension between individuality and intelligibility in courtroom advocacy.

Get in touch: doesntsoundrightpodcast@gmail.com

🎧Sponsored by Walker Morris, a leading Leeds-based firm of solicitors.
🎵 Title music: Yours Story by Diamond_Tunes