One Essex Court is offering a unique opportunity for potential applicants to the Commercial Bar to connect with a female barrister who can share their experiences and provide career guidance.
The scheme, now in its third year, will run during the 2021/2022 academic year. Each mentee will be paired with a female barrister from One Essex Court who will act as their mentor. The scheme includes the following opportunities:
- One-to-one meetings with your mentor through the course of the year (virtual or in person)
- A skills afternoon to build on application, interview and advocacy skills (currently planned for 14 January 2022)
Applications are open to those who are intending to apply for pupillage in the year 2021/22 or 2022/23. We welcome applicants of any gender, although applicants will be asked why they feel they will particularly benefit from a female mentor. We particularly welcome applications from those under-represented at the Commercial Bar, including people of minority ethnic origin, people with disabilities, LGBT+ people, and people who attended state schools or are first-generation university students.
The meetings between mentee and mentor can take place in person or virtually, depending on what is convenient to both.
A poster on the scheme can be downloaded here.
To apply, fill in the application form and submit it to mentoring@oeclaw.co.uk by 12 noon on 22 October 2021. Successful applicants will be notified by email by 12 November 2021. The guidelines we will use in assessing applications are available here.
If you have any questions, please contact Kirsty Hough by e-mail at: khough@oeclaw.co.uk