Who We Are
Lincoln’s Inn is an inclusive and diverse professional community, reflecting its historic role and the needs of the modern world. The Inn has been in existence for more than 600 years and is one of the four Inns of Court which have the exclusive right to call students to the Bar of England and Wales.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Inn is to:
- support the rule of law and the administration of justice;
- support the effectiveness and standards of the Bar of England & Wales through education, scholarships, call to the Bar, library, and other services;
- manage, use, and enhance its historic estate in the heart of London for the benefit of members, barristers, tenants, residents, external customers and the wider public.
The Inn aims to achieve the highest standards in its service delivery and operations.
Our Values
- Act with integrity: We will be open and honest in our dealings with each other and those outside the Inn, working together to put the interests of the Inn before personal interests.
- Be inclusive: We will value diversity, be friendly and welcoming.
- Be professional: We will maintain high professional standards in the way we run the Inn and the services we provide, always seeking to learn and improve.
- Look to the future: We will focus on the needs of members and the environmental and overall sustainability of the Inn in the 21st century, while remaining connected to our history.
Our Ambition
The Inn will firmly establish itself as a forward looking and welcoming community, seen as a continuously improving centre of excellence.
The Inn’s purpose, values and ambition are kept under review and members are welcome to share their feedback on these with us on an ongoing basis.
Our People
The Inn’s Benchers form the Council of Lincoln’s Inn, our governing body. From their number are elected a Treasurer to head the Society each year and the Officers of the Inn. The Benchers also form the majority membership of the Inn’s Bench Committees, which oversee the work of the Inn. They are joined in this work by barrister members of the Inn, predominantly drawn from our Bar Representation Committee.
You can read more about our governance arrangements in the Governance section.
The Inn’s professional team is made up of over 150 employees, led by our Under Treasurer, Anne Sharp CBE. The Under Treasurer as Chief Executive of the Inn is responsible for all facets of the Inn’s organisation and operation and she leads the Inn’s Executive Team.
Under Treasurer
Anne Sharp CBE
Anne Sharp is the Under Treasurer (Chief Executive) of Lincoln’s Inn, which she joined in January 2019 from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), where she was CEO.
Anne’s earlier career in the Civil Service involved regulatory, policy, leadership and strategy experience across a wide range of topics and sectors. From 2009 to February 2013 Anne reported to the Lord Chief Justice as CEO of the Judicial Office, supporting judges and magistrates around the country.
Anne was awarded a CBE in the 2017 New Year’s Honours for services to workplace relations.
Executive Team
Henry Skinner, Director of Estates
Responsible for maintenance, letting, and major projects involving the Inn’s buildings and estate.
Faye Appleton, Director of Membership & Education
Responsible for member engagement, outreach, scholarships, and education & training programmes for students, pupils, and barristers.
Katie Shubrook, Finance Director
Responsible for management and oversight of the Inn’s finances & charities and information technology.
Nathalie Brule, HR Director
Responsible for management of our HR policies and processes.
Dunstan Speight, Librarian
Responsible for library services, our archives, and our collection of paintings, silver, and other valuables.
Officers of the Inn
The Treasurer is the annually elected Head of Lincoln’s Inn.
There are also the Keeper of the Library, the Keeper of the Black Books and Dean of the Chapel, and the Keeper of the Walks.
Treasurer - The Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Vos
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 020 7693 5197
Sir Geoffrey Vos was appointed Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice in England and Wales on 11 January 2021. In addition to being President of the Court of Appeal’s Civil Division, the Master of the Rolls is chair of both the Civil Justice Council and the Civil Procedure Rule Committee. He is chair of the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives and of the Forum on Historical Manuscripts and Academic Research. As a member of the LawtechUK Panel and as chair of its UK Jurisdiction Taskforce, he contributes to the government-backed initiative supporting the technological transformation of the UK legal sector.
He was elected a Bencher in 2000. He serves as Chair of the Planning and Development Group and sits on the Wine Committee. He previously served on the Admission, Call and Pupillage Committee and the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
Keeper of the Library - The Rt Hon Lord Briggs of Westbourne
Contact
Email: c/o [email protected]
Phone: 020 7693 5197
Lord Briggs practised in commercial and chancery work before being appointed to the High Court in 2006. He was the judge in charge of the extensive Lehman insolvency litigation from 2009 to 2013. He was appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal in 2013. In January 2016 he was appointed Deputy Head of Civil Justice. He became a Justice of The Supreme Court in October 2017.
He was elected a Bencher in 2001. He serves on the Planning and Development Group, the Finance and General Services Committee and the Library Committee. He previously served as Chair of the Chapel Committee and as a member of the Advisory (Benchers) Committee and the Rent Executive Committee.
Keeper of the Black Book and Dean of Chapel - The Hon Sir Paul Morgan
Contact
Email: c/o [email protected]
Phone: 020 7693 5197
Paul Morgan was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1975 and took silk in 1992. He specialised in property law. He was appointed a High Court Judge in 2007 and was assigned to the Chancery Division. He retired as a judge in September 2021 and now practises as an arbitrator and mediator from Wilberforce Chambers. He was appointed a member of the KC Appointments Panel with effect from January 2023.
He was elected as a bencher in 2001 and in the past he has served as Chair of the Estates Committee and as a member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee and the Pre-Call Committee. He is now Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the Planning and Development Group, the Chapel Committee and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Keeper of the Walks - Elspeth Talbot Rice KC
Contact
Email: c/o [email protected]
Phone: 020 7693 5197
Elspeth Talbot Rice was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1990 and took Silk in 2008. She is head of chambers at XXIV Old Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn and specialises in contentious Chancery matters, in particular international trust disputes.
She became a Bencher in 2012 and currently serves on the Planning and Development Group, the Finance and General Purposes Committee and the Gardens Committee. She served as Chair of the Hospitality, Events and Dining committee for several years and has also served on the Information Technology Board and the Staff and Wine committees.
The Immediate Past Treasurer is Jonathan Crow KC
Contact
Email: c/o [email protected]
Jonathan Crow KC was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1981. He was Treasury Counsel (Chancery) from 1994 until 1998, and then First Treasury Counsel (Chancery) from 1998 until 2006, when he took silk. He was appointed as a Deputy High Court judge in 2001, as Attorney General to HRH the Prince of Wales in 2006, as a Court of Appeal judge in Guernsey and in Jersey in 2011, and as a Deputy Deemster in the Isle of Man in 2017.
He was elected a Bencher in 1998, since when he has served on the Treasurer’s Committee and the University Liaison Executive Committee (2000-2004) and the Estates Committee and Building Executive Committee (2007-2013), the Finance and General Purposes Committee (2018-2021) and the Planning and Development Group from 2021. He has been on the Committee of the Denning Society since its formation, taking on the Chairmanship in 2016.