Barrister turned Labour MP for Tottenham becomes associate tenant
David Lammy MP has joined Doughty Street Chambers as an associate tenant.
In a statement on Twitter last night Doughty Street welcomed the barrister turned Labour MP for Tottenham to the famed human rights set.
We are honoured to announce that @DavidLammy MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice & Shadow Lord Chancellor, joins us at Doughty Street Chambers as an associate. David’s biography summarises his exceptional career & achievements to date. https://t.co/LkWIiVyUKX Welcome,David. pic.twitter.com/BGdwaZWMeY
— DoughtyStPublic (@DoughtyStPublic) June 1, 2020
The Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice will serve as an associate tenant at Doughty Street, much like his boss and fellow ‘chamber mate’, Sir Keir Starmer QC.
Commenting on his appointment Lammy said this morning:
“It’s an honour to join Doughty Street Chambers as an associate tenant. I have worked with many of Doughty Street’s preeminent barristers over the years and have long admired their internationally renowned work. I look forward to contributing and drawing on this expertise.”
The news was welcomed by Doughty barristers Adam Wagner and Zimran Samuel on Twitter. “[H]onoured to have the Shadow Justice Secretary (and all round superstar MP) joining Doughty Street,” wrote Wagner.
Born in Tottenham, north London, Lammy was awarded a choral scholarship to attend The King’s School, a state boarding school in Peterborough. He graduated in law from SOAS, University of London, where he is now a visiting professor, and went on to become the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, where he graduated with a masters in law in 1997. He was called to the bar in 1994 and practised as a barrister in England and as an attorney in the US.
In 2000, aged 27, Lammy became the then youngest MP, representing Tottenham. Since entering parliament, the politician has been involved in a number of high profile cases affecting his constituents including Victoria Climbié, Baby P and Mark Duggan.
In 2016, he lead an independent review (The Lammy Review) into the treatment of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in the criminal justice system. He is a prominent campaigner for social justice and has led the campaign for Windrush citizens to be granted British citizenship, and fought for justice for families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
Lammy, a Spurs fan, has authored two books: Out of the Ashes: Britain after the riots examines the causes of the 2011 London riots, while Tribes: How Our Need to Belong Can Make or Break Society, published this year, explores the tribalism gripping British politics.
