Disabled Solicitors Network advisory committee
Lizzie Hardy (chair)
Lizzie is a senior associate at Eversheds Sutherland, specialising in employment law and diversity and inclusion issues.
She has a particular focus on reasonable adjustments compliance and best practice.
Lizzie joined the committee in 2019. She is passionate about recruiting and training disabled talent in the law and is regularly invited to speak at panel events.
Lizzie founded Project Rise, an initiative that seeks to introduce part-time training as standard practice across the legal profession.
She was shortlisted for Disability Champion of the Year 2024 at the Legal 500 ESG Awards.
Demi Rixon
Demi joined the committee in October 2019.
She is a diversity and inclusion advisor at Gateley and is studying her LPC and LLM part-time at BPP University Birmingham.
Since joining the legal profession in 2018, Demi has become a vocal advocate for disability and neuro-inclusion.
As well as other barriers facing disabled lawyers, Demi is keen to raise awareness of non-apparent disabilities and the importance of accessibility of technologies.
Her work has included featuring on the BBC's Not All Lawyers podcast series in 2021 and leading work to support our digital accessibility guidance in 2024.
In March 2025, Demi was shortlisted for Neurodiversity and Disability Champion of the Year at the Legal 500 ESG Awards.
Hannah Campbell
Hannah is a senior associate solicitor at Higgs LLP, specialising in serious injury.
She represents claimants who have suffered catastrophic injuries.
Hannah is passionate about disability inclusion and speaks openly about her experience of living with a disability.
Chris Fawcett
Chris is an inclusion manager at Clifford Chance and joined the committee in 2023.
He is passionate about progressing disability inclusion in the legal sector.
Since registering as severely sight impaired/blind in 2015, Chris has used his lived experience to advocate for disability equity and accessibility in all areas of society.
He has presented at national and international conferences on disability etiquette, barriers in education, workplace disability strategy, inclusive design, and disability legislation across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Dr Elisabeth Griffiths
Dr Elisabeth Griffiths is an associate professor at Northumbria Law School, Northumbria University.
She is an employment lawyer with specific interest in equality law and disability legal studies.
Elisabeth is a qualified solicitor (non-practising). Her research interests focus on equality, disability and legal education.
She has a professional doctorate in law on the lived experience of disability in law school.
Elisabeth has a particular interest in building inclusive professional cultures for disabled law students as they transition from education into the legal profession.
Ryan Kelly
Ryan is an in-house lawyer who qualified in 2014.
Ryan joined the network in 2023 and is registered blind, so has first-hand experience of living, studying and working with a disability.
Ryan is passionate about equality and diversity. He hopes his experiences will help to guide and inspire businesses and individuals to embrace their differences.
Coralie McKeivor
Coralie is a director in the real estate team at Freeths LLP in Bristol, specialising in energy and infrastructure work.
She joined the committee in 2021. Coralie is president of Bristol Law Society and co-chairs its ED&I committee.
Coralie has a particular interest in support for legal professionals with non-visible disabilities, as well as intersectionality.
Placida Uzoamaka Ojinnaka
Placida is a non-practising lawyer who promotes inclusion across the legal profession and its regulators.
Since 2023, Placida has represented the network on the Law Society's Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee.