Department profile
Doughty Street Chambers

Education

UK Bar Guide 2026 : London (Bar)

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Doughty Street Chambers

Rankings

Chambers Review

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Education - London (Bar)

Band 3

What the Team is Known For

Doughty Street Chambers offers expertise across the education sector, including assistance with judicial reviews and negligence and discrimination claims against schools and universities. The set isn't afraid to tackle any education issue, from bullying and disability discrimination claims to appearances in the First-tier and Upper Tribunals fighting for adequate special educational needs provision. Recent work includes claims challenging Bristol City and Devon County Councils' decisions to enter into "safety valve" agreements with the Department for Education.

Sian Wilkins is the senior clerk for civil matters.

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Doughty Street clerks are very good and proficient.

    Education respondentUK Bar

  • Sian Wilkins, Rachel Finch, senior practice manager, and Emily Norman, practice manager, know the solicitors and the barristers, and they know who to put forwards. This is important for us.

    Education respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Shu Shin Luh
    Shu Shin Luh

    Shu Shin Luh

    Shu Shin Luh is a highly regarded education and community care junior with a strong background in advising vulnerable clients and in counselling parents in relation to complex equality claims. She will often work with NGOs and is active in testing the limits of local authorities' education funding duties towards children and young adults under their care.

    • Shu Shin Luh is phenomenally hard-working. She's very tenacious and a real fighter in cases. She really does engage with the evidence and witness statements, and she is extremely thorough.

      Education respondentUK Bar

    • Shu Shin is a great advocate. She is very effective, very crisp and very easy to follow.

      Education respondentUK Bar

    • Shu Shin works exceptionally hard and is very strategic and tactical in her decision-making. She cares very much about cases and clients. She has an empathy and understanding for clients' situations.

      Education respondentUK Bar
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  • Alice Irving
    Alice Irving

    Alice Irving

    Alice Irving is noted for her knowledge and specialism in education law. She routinely appears in the First-tier and Upper Tribunals in education, health and care plan appeals and disability discrimination cases, often acting for parents bringing challenges against local authorities.

    • Alice was incredibly helpful throughout. Alice is able to adapt her approach to be very client-friendly.

      Education respondentUK Bar

    • Alice Irving is lovely and incredibly caring. She always goes the extra mile on complex legal issues. She breaks it down so that the client can understand technical matters in easy terms.

      Education respondentUK Bar

    • Alice Irving is fantastic and incredibly detailed. She goes above and beyond in her commitment to the case and the facts.

      Education respondentUK Bar
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  • Nicholas Bowen
    Nicholas Bowen

    Nicholas Bowen

    Nicholas Bowen KC is the head of the education law team and represents a range of clients, including parents with disabled children, in fraught education disputes with local authorities. He also has significant expertise in community care, Court of Protection, and civil liberties and human rights work.

    • Nicholas Bowen was excellent. He is great with clients, gets to the point and is fearless.

      Education respondentUK Bar
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  • Louise Price
    Louise Price

    Louise Price

    Louise Price has significant experience in the education space, in particular in matters relating to special educational needs appeals. She is well-versed in highly sensitive discrimination claims and has a strong knowledge of issues concerning the application of the Equality Act 2010 within the education sector.

    • Louise Price is amazing. She is a go-to for education judicial review.

      Education respondentUK Bar
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Ranked Barristers at Doughty Street Chambers (4)

London (Bar)

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