We are pleased to announce Colette Allen, aspiring barrister, as our Next Generation Media Lawyer of the Month (November)! Congratulations Colette. 

Called to the Bar of England and Wales in November 2022, Colette is an aspiring barrister interested in new media, privacy, data protection and internet law. She is an author for Inforrm’s Blog, the producer on the Media Law Podcast and a visiting lecturer in Media Law at City, University of London.

She studied History at University College London (UCL), before completing the Graduate Diploma in Law at City, University of London, and the Bar Training Course at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy. Colette was a Lord Denning Scholar (2019) and Lord Brougham Scholar (2018). 

Colette's contributions to the commercial awareness of our industry shouldn’t be understated. As the author of the "Weekly Round Up" on Hugh Tomlinson KC's Inforrm’s Blog and producer of the "Newscast" segment on The Media Law Podcast—two leading sources of media law news— she plays an important role in keeping the media law industry informed. Through her work, Colette not only ensures we stay up-to-date but also actively engages in shaping public and academic debate. The Committee has chosen Colette in recognition of these contributions. 

Find out more about Colette’s journey into media law below: 

What started your journey in becoming a legal commentor?  How did you get involved in the Media Law Podcast?

New technologies, changing communication styles, and the surge of statutes attempting to regulate speech and information flow means uncharted legal territory, which makes media and information law the most exciting field of practice. I first got involved with The MLP because there was no media law module on the GDL and I wanted to learn more about how our fundamental human rights to privacy, expression and protest were changing. I wanted to learn more to see if this was the area in which I wanted to specialise. Five years later, I am entirely convinced this is the field for me and now I do it to share my enthusiasm for the subject.  

Your work for Inforrm is very impressive. How do you stay up to date? Or decide what to write about?

There are a lot of great resources out there for those who are interested in media and information law: the 5RB blog, Doughty Street blog, 11KBW’s Panopticon blog, Press Gazette, HawkTalk, the list goes on. The Weekly Round Up just aims to synthesise the specialist blogs, summarise relevant judgments and headline news items on subjects that fall under the umbrella of “media law.” There is certainly value in having everything in an easily digestible format and ChatGPT can't do it just yet (I check). Until it catches up, I'll be in the job. 


Tell us about a time where you had to stay motivated and inspired when faced with challenges or setbacks. 

Four years ago, I turned down a pupillage offer at a chambers that wasn’t the right fit for me in order to do my master’s and give breaking into the media law field my all. I’ve been trying to secure pupillage in this field for the last three years. I’ve come painfully close, but it’s a brutally competitive field with very few chambers offering specialist placements. I have, of course and on occasion, questioned whether I made the right decision four years ago. It’s really hard picking yourself back up. But to find a career that genuinely excites you is a rare blessing and I firmly believe that you can’t go far wrong if you’re doing what you enjoy. The rest works itself out. Any readers who, like me, are finding it hard to break into this brilliantly brutal field, I hope you hang in there. It’s the best field to be in, so there’s your motivation. I look forward to seeing you in court.


Which public figure has inspired you and why?

Cole Palmer. I feel like that’s self-explanatory.


Which new law enacted in your lifetime has had the most impact on you personally?

The criminalisation of deepfake non-consensual intimate-image abuse (commonly referred to as “deepfake porn”) by the Online Safety Act is the first law I’ve seen change having engaged in the academic debate around reform. I make no claim to being part of the change to the law, campaigners and academics focused on improving the lives for women and minority voices in this space deserve all the credit. But I have published the odd article on the topic here and there and worked with victim-survivors. This change in the law has had the most impact on me personally because it is an example of effective campaigning and highlights the importance of academic scrutiny. While the change to the law is by no means perfect (there is an MLP episode where I explain why), it is a pretty inspiring example of the system working.

In an alternative universe where lawyers didn’t exist and every job was paid exactly the same – what would be your job and why?

Boxing promoter. I have no time for boxing and think it’s a bit of a ridiculous sport. But I’d be really good at promoting fights. Plus, I come in at a strong 5’3 and ¾ myself, so it would be a funny juxtaposition to be in that world.