She has appeared as a Family Law expert on programmes such as ITV’s This Morning, Alan Titchmarsh & Daybreak as well as on the BBC News Channel, Sky News and ‘This Day Live’ for Arise TV. In the High Court she dealt with subjects such as mothers, fathers, contact (access), residence (custody), child abduction abroad, fertility, child support agency issues, divorce, maintenance, childhood disability, postnatal depression, domestic violence, education appeals, grandparents and many other issues over a 10 year period. Sophia was educated at Queen Mary College, University of London, gaining a LLB Law degree with Honours followed by Brunel University where she obtained a LLM Masters in Child Law and Policy and ICSL (Inns of Court Law School) at The Temple. She was called to Middle Temple in 2001 and practised as a Barrister at Law in Tooks Court Chambers.
1) What is your current position?
I'm a broadcaster but a barrister by training. Due to the changes in legal aid, my old chambers went under four years ago, however, I had already established my portfolio career as broadcaster and was working with the BBC Academy. I could combine this whilst being a single mother of twins on maternity leave- working evenings and weekends.
I'm on currently on BBC training schemes for both radio and television. I have approached to appear on BBC Question Time next year having been established by monthly appearing on either BBC Papers or BBC Radio London.
I'm currently writing the eponymous UnderCoverMutha, Wifey and Skirt - social justice commentaries on mothers, marriage and women in work.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
Three law degrees, twin children, single mother.
3) What inspires you?
My careers advisor, laughed in my face when I said I want to be a barrister. He didn't say you're black, you're poor and you're a woman but I knew what he meant. Just for that, I took two extra GSCE's to spite him, came top of the year and got a scholarship out.
He actually said, "Look at you! You're tall, you're slim, you speak French, you could be an air hostess! You could be a maid in the sky!" I have it written on the back on my three law degrees - Maid in the sky.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
Poverty. Poverty of opportunity, expectations and resources countered by my circumstances. Thankfully, I have a wealthy of ambition, aspiration and achievement.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
Helena Kennedy was as a child. I wrote to her asked her to come to my school. She did.
Doreen Lawrence. Stephen Lawrence and I are the same age - his death during my A Alevels made me get up and get on with it.
All my female ancestors. I'm the first in six generations not to be a cleaner, housekeeper maid or a slave.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
As a social justice and political commentator, I attend all the party conferences and digest the newspapers. I have made firm friends from the right and the left realising we are all passionate about this country but in different ways.
7) And the worst?
Notwithstanding the political and social commentary I provide, as a woman, you have to be good, sound good and look good - according to which publication or medium your political views appear in or on, the order changes.
8) What are your long term goals?
I'm looking for a career in politics or policy whilst studying for a doctorate in law or politics.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
I would repeal the Fixed Term Parliaments Acts 2011. The Act has skewed the primacy of the first past the post system that makes our Parliament withstand extremism and nationalism and leads to
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
May I cheat? I would have the two masters of non-violent protest Martin Luther King and Gandhi with whom I would happily act as a maid and serve the tea listening to political discourse.
