We asked Jon to share their experiences as a neurodivergent legal professional. Their story is part of 'Our Voice, Our Stories' - our series for Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025 featuring authentic experiences of neurodivergent legal professionals.
“Would you mind introducing yourself and sharing which neurodivergent condition(s) you identify with or have been diagnosed with, to the extent you're comfortable doing so?”
I’m Jon Wills. I’m a barrister at Landmark Chambers and I have been diagnosed with both autism and ADHD.
“How has your neurodivergent thinking provided unique advantages or perspectives in your legal work? Are there aspects of your neurodivergence that you consider professional strengths?”
Greta Thunberg has famously called her Asperger’s her ‘superpower’. Whilst it’s impossible for most of us to understand what is going on in our brains neurologically, it’s unquestionably the case that for many people it is the “same thing” that causes non-typical challenges as also causes non-typical abilities. For some autistic people these are the ability to spot patterns, an extreme focus on detail, and a linked ability to remember certain types of information. I certainly identify with these, and they have proven invaluable in analysing the sorts of legal questions on which I advise. They also form a foundation on which to be able to think on one’s feet in response to judicial interjections. Many skills which are vital in some areas of the law are those which are often associated with certain neurodiverse conditions. This has always been the case, but is being recognised increasingly, and discussed in a more grownup way than maybe was the case decades ago.
“If relevant to your experience, how has the intersection of your neurodivergence with other aspects of your identity (gender, race, disability, etc.) shaped your professional journey?”
When I was in pupillage I was highly visually impaired, to the extent that it was certainly a disability. It was certainly a challenge, but not as great a challenge as my ADHD and autism. However, to get through my advocacy assessment, I remember memorising as much of the bundle as possible, in order not to let my sight issues have a negative impact. I don’t think I could have done that if it weren’t for the abilities that I feel my neurodiversity brings. I should say that my Chambers were always fantastic about my visual difficulties, even two decades ago.
“What factors influenced your decision to disclose (or not disclose) your neurodivergence in professional settings? How did you approach those conversations?”
The two main factors were the increasing acceptance around neurodivergence, and the desire to ensure that those starting out in the legal profession do not find it so difficult to disclose, if they decide they want to. Younger members of professions and society often lead the way on issues like this, especially in terms of seeking to promote understanding and tolerance. However, it is understandable to feel at one’s most uncertain at the outset of one’s career, and I think if those further along in a profession show that those who want to do so have nothing to fear in disclosing, then that can be valuable for those starting out.
“If you could travel back in time, what wisdom would you share with your younger self about navigating the legal profession as a neurodivergent person?”
Seek out others facing the same issues at an earlier stage.
“Have you developed any particular approaches to professional networking events or building relationships that work well with your neurodivergent traits?”
I think this is really a major issue in the modern legal profession, and I would say at the Bar in particular, where an individual’s reputation and ability to network is so important. There are so many fantastic tools for networking that never existed in the past, but any opportunity can also feel like an obligation to compete with the way that others use such tools. In an era when the ability to present oneself socially can feel more important to winning work than the more prosaic details like skills and knowledge, neurodiverse barristers have a real challenge. For some, the answer may be to become adept at presenting oneself online, but for others, that is even more daunting on account of the organisational or administrative overwhelm that that would bring. I have no easy answers I am afraid!
“What aspects of law firm or organisational culture are most important for supporting neurodivergent professionals?”
People need to be more important than policies or abstract nouns. It is of course so important to have policies that are effective and constructive but they are not a box to be ticked or an end in themselves. Lawyers obviously care and know about the law, and are rightly keen to ensure that their organisations are run in a way that is legally compliant. But merely having the right policies can never be seen as a complete answer. Even the idea of reasonable adjustments can only ever have a limited impact if there is not a healthy amount of tangible reasonableness to begin with!
What is your vision for neuroinclusivity in the legal profession? If you could change one thing about the legal profession to make it better for neurodivergent people, what would that be?
Training for the Bar has always been built around those entering the profession having substantial access to, and hopefully assistance from, individual experienced members of the Bar. Junior barristers learn so much from their pupil supervisors and other members of chambers both in relation to the substantive law, and in relation to how to navigate practice. I would like a system to exist whereby it is easy for neurodiverse barristers in particular (and lawyers more broadly) to talk with others in a similar situation. The baseline for anyone with a characteristic which poses challenges should be to know that there are others who are similarly affected, that they are therefore not alone, and that these others have managed to get by just fine. Creating a user-friendly system of this kind is vital not only because of the practical advice that can be given, but also because those with neurodiversity can often be those who find it most difficult to ask for help and advice. The good news I think is that younger professionals are more and more aware of neurodiversity issues, and so are in a good position to take advantage of this sort of mentorship.
This was part of ‘Our Voice, Our Stories’, a content series for Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025. Explore more stories in this series at www.neurodiversityinlaw.co.uk/ncw2025
Together, we can raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding neurodiversity in the legal profession because there is strength in all ways of thinking, and no mind should be left behind.
Комментарии