326 applied
There will be 105 lawyers taking silk this year, up from the 95 who became KCs in 2024.
The latest competition attracted 326 applications, with 32% getting the nod for an appointment.
The new cohort consists of 72 men, with a success rate of 30%, and 33 women, with an acceptance rate of 39%. Among them, 18 individuals identified as being from an ethnic background other than white, representing 30% of non-white applicants. Additionally, eight new KCs have a disability, accounting for 42% of disabled applicants.
There was just one solicitor appointed this year from the five who applied, co-head of the India Group at A&O Shearman Sheila Ahuja.
The process of appointing new silks is overseen by the KC Appointments body which assesses aspiring silks on a range of criteria including: advocacy work, cases of substance and complexity, understanding and using the law, and working with others.
Monisha Shah, chair of the selection panel, said:
“I would like to offer my congratulations to all the new silks announced today. The selection process is a rigorous and demanding one and I believe that every one of these new silks will be a credit to their profession.”