Angela in many ways you answer your own question when you mention the "Sleazy middle aged Barristers" you should have added conceited, arrogant, self serving, greedy, avaricious, dishonest, but most of all corrupt, and that is the nature of the Legal industry.
I question why any decent person has any thing to do with it!
"our" Legal system needs massive changes, the main problem is that it is seen by most of it's "professionals" as a "cash cow" and to hell with the truth; they jealously guard their rote and will NOT tolerate any "interference"; in that sort of environment, to gain any "Equality" you will be pushing "excrement" up hill! (I wanted to use the more apt every day word for "excrement" but the precious darlings on this site like to express their oh so pure and holy sensitivity's,so I had to remove the "profanity" tut, tut.