Mentoring

A mentor can really help you to develop your understanding of a career, assist in growing your network and give excellent tips for successful job hunting (often including CV advice, mock interviews and sometimes work experience!)

Kent Career Mentoring  

The Kent Career Mentoring Scheme can connect you with an alumni who now works in law (or other career areas). You are able to browse and select your own mentor from a dedicated online platform. To find out more see https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/mentoring Here you will find the details to set up your profile and search for a mentor.

Mentors wanted:

We continue to seek mentors from:

  1. KLS Alumni working in careers which have links to the law such as journalism, human resources etc.
  2. International alumni who have returned to their home countries to work in the legal profession, or who have stayed in the UK to qualify. We have a particular need for mentors in Canada, Hong Kong and Nigeria. There is also a some need for mentors in East Africa, the Caribbean and South East Asia.

If you would like to get involved please contact Irene Omiunu on careermentoring@kent.ac.uk

Other Mentoring Schemes

  • Junior Lawyers Division Mentoring Scheme – puts future legal professionals in touch with fellow solicitors.
  • Society of Asian Lawyers mentoring programme is open to any member of the society – it is free to join the society.
  • Young Legal Aid Lawyers have a mentoring scheme
  • Pegasus Access and Support Scheme – the Inner Temple offers a mini-pupillage and skills development programme. Deadlines are usually the first Friday in November but please make sure you check.
  • The Society of Labour Lawyers mentoring scheme – open to students and recent graduates looking to pursue a legal career. The Scheme is not limited to those studying for a law degree.  
  • Grow Mentoring – GROW pairs aspiring lawyers with professionals who have similar backgrounds or interests in the legal industry. They are a charity and since launching in 2020 they have matched over 1800 mentees with mentors.
  • Society for Visually Impaired Lawyers – has a mentoring scheme for students at any stage of their education (and beyond).
  • Discuss –  Discuss is an exclusive training programme, sponsored by five top City firms and run by Rare, for brilliant students who are interested in City law. The programme is open to students from any discipline in their first year or second year of a four year course at any university. The programme is aimed at students from lower socioeconomic status groups, for example, students who have been in receipt of free schools meals, are the first generation in their family to attend university, or have experienced other forms of social disadvantage.
  • SEO London City Solicitors Horizons Scheme – The City Solicitors Horizons (“CS Horizons“) programme, a social mobility initiative to improve access to the legal profession for undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some of the biggest city law firms take part in this scheme.This scheme recruits 50 students each year to participate in a programme that will support them over a three year period, from their first year at university to graduation.   The programme goes beyond mentoring and also includes training sessions and a guaranteed work experience placement. There is a selection process for this scheme.  See their website here for details. Applications usually open in January.   You will find application information here.
  • Aspiring Solicitors Ambassador Scheme –  The AS Ambassadors are able to offer advice and mentoring within all strands of diversity and inclusion. Read their profiles and find the person who you think will be best placed to answer your enquiry. You are able to send them an email via the AS website.
  • The Law Society Diversity Access Scheme – This scheme aims to increase social diversity in the legal profession by supporting promising entrants from disadvantaged backgrounds or those who face exceptional obstacles to qualification. The DAS offers financial assistance, course fees, access to relevant high-quality work experience and a professional mentor. Applications for the scheme can only be made during the application cycle (usually March/April).
  • The Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship – this scholarship includes mentoring, interview coaching, commercial familiarisation, interview at the firm, and money towards study costs.  This opportunity is available annually via the Careers & Employability Service. There are some very specific criteria to meet and eligible 1st year students will be contacted by email in December with an invitation to express their interest.
  • Careers in Ideas mentoring Hub – for anyone considering a career in intellectual property law. Did you know there are different types of legal professionals who work in IP?   You will find them represented here – but you can also use the website for career advice and exploration.

Other External schemes of interest – not law specific

  • ZeroGravity – this innovative tech company matches students from area of low opportunity to mentors in a range of career sectors, including law.  There are also events, talks, internships.
  • The 93percentclub – is the “least exclusive members club” where members, whether students or professionals, are one of the 93% of the population who attended a state school.   It’s been set up to address the fact that people inequalities of state school education people holding the top positions i.e. only 34% of FTSE 350 CEO and 56% of journalists are state school educated.   Whilst this is not strictly a mentoring scheme they have lots of inspiring speakers, and socials where you can speak with people who will act like a mentor in that moment or longer!