CLA News / Society of Caribbean Lawyers: Call for Mentors
The Society of Caribbean Lawyers is seeking UK based barristers and solicitors of all backgrounds to volunteer to mentor aspiring lawyers from the Caribbean community based in the UK. Mentors do not need to be members of the Caribbean community.
Aspiring lawyers of Caribbean heritage are well represented at university but are represented in the UK legal profession at much lower rates. Many aspiring lawyers of Caribbean heritage based in the UK are the first in their families to attend university and / or work in a professional services role. This means they often don’t have a built-in network to give them the guidance and insight needed to navigate entry into the profession, such as writing a CV or how to present themselves at an interview.
Research has shown that a successful method for counteracting these social mobility barriers to the profession is through mentorship. Mentorship can provide individuals from underrepresented backgrounds with the knowledge, resources and skills to navigate the legal profession.
This Society of Caribbean Lawyers mentorship scheme does not require immense amounts of time. We merely ask mentors and mentees to meet at least three times during a nine-month period and for mentors to be available to answer mentees career related questions from time to time. Meetings can be online or in person.
Last year’s staging helped aspiring lawyers gain insight into the profession, receive application and interview advice as well as inspiration from professionals.
The Society of Caribbean Lawyers is an organisation that seeks to improve the experiences of students and junior lawyers of Caribbean heritage and those working in the Caribbean, strengthen ties between the legal profession in the Caribbean and the UK, advocate for the Caribbean region and her diaspora, and create a network of lawyers of Caribbean heritage and those practising in Caribbean jurisdictions based in the UK. You can learn more about us at https://www.socalawyers.com.
Please sign up to be a mentor using: https://forms.office.com/e/hXk7ZCHz4x
For questions or further information please email our Student Outreach team at info@socalawyers.com
Society of Caribbean Lawyers
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