In a bid to help break down socio-economic barriers to a legal career, final-year Kent law student Jessica Luu has established a mentoring scheme for sixth form pupils at her former secondary school in London.
Jessica said: ‘When I had chosen to study law at university, I had very little knowledge of what I needed to do, and what was required of me. When I first started studying law at university, it was a big jump, one I was not really prepared for. What really pushed me to set up this scheme is the restrictions that I think the legal sector has on people from a specific background. The requirements that are needed to ‘succeed’ in a legal career are usually unrealistic from those of deprived backgrounds. This may be seen as a wall that only those who are from privileged backgrounds are able to climb. This mentoring scheme tries to put those who are socially and economically disadvantaged on a pedestal and help them break into the unfair system. I want my students to understand that they are able to compete and that they can achieve whatever they want as long as they work hard.’
The scheme has been enthusiastically welcomed by her former teachers, with Jessica currently offering face-to-face support to two year 13 pupils as they navigate the UCAS application process.
Jessica said: ‘The students that I am currently mentoring are interested in the content of the law course itself and what is required of them. We also talk more broadly about university and not just the academic side, such as time management, balancing the work load as well as having a social life. The scheme is not specifically about what we learn in law, but the bigger picture, studying law as a whole. Examples are extra-curricular activities, societies, exams.’
During her mentoring sessions, Jessica asks her mentees what they want to achieve and works with them to help them achieve their goals: ‘Each meeting we usually have an agenda, this could be things such as looking through universities and deciding which ones are the best suited, to going over grades and what needs to be done academically.’
After she graduates next summer, Jessica hopes to become a solicitor at a London firm and, at the same time, to see her scheme develop as she begins her legal career: ‘I will stay in touch with my mentees and continue to help them. I would also like the expand the scheme by adopting more students who are interested in law. My goal is to break the barriers and restrictions that the legal sector has based on social and economical factors; I want to be the gateway to others who have the same dream as me.’
Jessica has found the experience to be very rewarding: ‘When you see your students following the right path and get closer to their dreams it is very fulfilling. It helps my personal development too because I am helping others get to where I am today. And hopefully I am inspiring them to do well in the future.’