Meet the influencers that kept us entertained and educated over the past 12 months
It’s the question on everyone’s mind: who’s going to pick up this year’s Legal Cheek gong for best use of social media?
As we countdown to the Legal Cheek Awards, here is this year’s shortlist selected by our editorial team, and listed alphabetically below. It features the very best of the legal Twitter, Insta-law influencers, ‘vlawing’ YouTubers and legal-lip syncing TikTokers who kept us entertained and educated over the past year.
The winner will be announced at next month’s ceremony, an invite-only virtual event sponsored by BARBRI on the evening of Thursday 25 March 2021.
The winner will be decided by an independent judging panel, made up of The Secret Barrister (anonymous criminal barrister, bar blogger and author), David Lammy MP (shadow Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice), and Miriam and Jonathan Seitler, aka ‘Carpool Caselaw’ (barrister dad and daughter duo who won last year’s ‘Best Use of Social Media’ award).
Alexandra Wilson
Author, Barrister & Campaigner 🖤
…Someone said the other day that I’m an “influencer”. 😳
BUT I’ve thought about it… if I can influence people to work hard, pursue their dream and fight for justice then that truly is a wonderful thing.
What a privilege.
— Alexandra Wilson (@EssexBarrister) January 30, 2021
Bio: Junior criminal and family barrister Alexandra Wilson — who revealed she was mistaken for a defendant three times in one day — candidly tweets about race and class as she works to change the public perception of the bar.
Platform: Twitter
Username: @EssexBarrister
Follower count: 45,100+
Dan Neidle
Bio: Dan Neidle, a tax partner at Clifford Chance, uses LinkedIn to inject levity into City law and has featured on a Q&A collab with corporate law meme account, ‘CityLawBois’.
Platform: LinkedIn
Username: Dan Neidle
Follower count: 5,500+
Daniella Swinson
@itslegallybrunette MY LAW STUDENTS KNOW🤣🤣 #lawschool #lawyer #propertylaw #lawstudent #lawtok #law #unistudent
Bio: TikToker Daniella Swinson explores the funny side to law student stereotypes — in 60 seconds or less — while flexing her lip-syncing skills.
Platform: TikTok
Username: @itslegallybrunette
Follower count: 30,900+
Holly Moore
Bio: Instagrammer Holly Moore raises awareness of alternative routes to qualification as she documents her experience as an in-house solicitor apprentice at ITV.
Platform: Instagram
Username: @thatlawblog
Follower count: 4,600+
Justin Farrance
Bio: Allen & Overy trainee Justin Farrance tackles diversity & inclusion with his ‘Grow Mentoring’ initiative, a free mentoring service which uses social media to pair students with legal professionals.
Platform: Instagram
Username: @justinfarrance
Follower count: 6,600+
‘Have We Got Planning News For You’ with Keating Chambers, Kings Chambers, Landmark Chambers, No 5 Chambers and Town Legal
Bio: Taking a legal spin on the hit BBC show, barristers from Keating Chambers, Kings Chambers, Landmark Chambers, No 5 Chambers and Town Legal came together over lockdown to raise money for the NHS as they discuss the latest news in planning law and policy from the week. One episode even features Judge Rinder!
Platform: YouTube
Username: Have We Got Planning News For You
Follower count: 1,100+
Leticia Santoro
@leticia.santoro The case is R v Brown 1994 if you want to know more xx
Bio: King’s College London law student Leticia Santoro breaks down classic case law with her 60-second TikTok summaries.
Platform: TikTok
Username: @leticia.santoro
Follower count: 48,500+
Liam Porritt
Bio: Vlogging his way through law school and now an IGNITE trainee at Clifford Chance, YouTuber Liam Porritt helps subscribers enhance their studying using savvy productivity tips.
Platform: YouTube
Username: Liam Porritt
Follower count: 82,300+
Lola-Rose Avery
11 years in the making… tomorrow my pupillage ends and I finally qualify.
I am apparently not what many people picture a barrister to be and am not from a ‘traditional’ background, but I did it. I am here taking up space. I Am a Barrister. #IAmtheBar #BHM pic.twitter.com/O69h5yGNIp
— lola (@legally_lola) October 5, 2020
Bio: Since sharing her personal experiences with racism — from childhood to law school — in a viral Twitter thread, junior family barrister Lola-Rose Avery speaks openly about diversity & inclusion at the bar.
Platform: Twitter
Username: @legally_lola
Follower count: 8,900+
Lucy Cole
Bio: Future magic circle trainee Lucy Cole embraces Instagram’s Stories, TV and Reels features to share her study and application tips with the masses.
Platform: Instagram
Username: @lucydoeslaw
Follower count: 9,000+
Sahar Farooqi
Bio: Sahar Farooqi, barrister and partner at DAC Beachcroft, keeps his LinkedIn connections motivated by speaking honestly about determination, diversity and overcoming rejection.
Platform: LinkedIn
Username: Sahar Farooqi
Follower count: 25,100+
Toby Willcocks
@tobywillcocks TikTok Law School: Conjoined Twins 🍼🤓 #tiktoklawschool #lawschool #law #lawstudent #alevels #lawyer #learning #uni #studyhacks
Bio: Oxford and Harvard Uni law grad Toby Willocks outlines the legal basics in his ‘TikTok Law School’ series in hope of educating the next gen of aspiring lawyers.
Platform: TikTok
Username: @tobywillcocks
Follower count: 75,000+
All figures are correct at the time of writing.
The winner of this category will be announced at The Legal Cheek Awards 2021, sponsored by BARBRI, on Thursday 25 March 2021.
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