Before starting her pupillage, Emma Hughes gained extensive experience working in the Public Family Law department at a leading London law firm. Her work focused primarily on care proceedings involving serious issues such as non-accidental injury, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, forced marriage, and radicalisation. Emma was awarded both an Access to the Bar Award and a Jules Thorn Scholarship from Middle Temple, which significantly supported her journey to the Bar.

Emma plays a pivotal role in promoting diversity and inclusion at the Bar. She was the Head of the Mentoring Programme at Bridging the Bar (BTB), a charity committed to increasing diversity within the legal profession. Through mentorship, mini-pupillages, advocacy training, internships, marshalling, and other initiatives, BTB creates opportunities for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. She then sat on the BTB executive committee.

Emma is an active member of the Bar Council’s Race Working Group and the Young Bar Council, which published the Race Report 2021, and updated report 2024 addressing racial inequalities at the Bar and putting forward recommendations for systemic change.

Emma served as the Vice President of the Middle Temple Young Barristers’ Association (MTYBA) for 2 years. Previously, she was MTYBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Officer for two years, during which she wrote a notable article on Black Lives Matter. As President of the Middle Temple Student Association (MTSA) in 2018, Emma organized and hosted the first-ever Black History Month Qualifying Session, now an annual tradition.

Currently Emma sists on the Inns of Court  Alliance for Women (ICAW) which exists to encourage and support women throughout their careers, and to increase retention and diversity within the profession. The ICAW recognises the challenges and barriers to career progression and wellbeing faced by women in the law, and the intersectional disadvantage faced by women.