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Mentoring is a valuable resource for supporting career advancement and development, particularly for those from marginalised backgrounds, such as disabled individuals. Aspiring barristers can, through mentoring, build the skills, networks and confidence needed to succeed in pursuing a career at the Bar.
The benefits of having a mentor are countless. To begin with, a mentor can act as a sounding board for your ideas. When you have a mentor, you have someone with whom you can discuss your plans or concerns and, since they have experience at the Bar, they can provide relevant and informed feedback. Furthermore, you develop a network of connections in the profession, which leads to many opportunities. As an aspiring barrister, your knowledge of available experiences and opportunities at the Bar can be limited; therefore, your mentor can point you in the right direction and open your eyes to a range of possibilities you hadn’t previously considered. Last but not least, a mentor can act as a confidence boost in moments of self-doubt; as your ‘personal cheerleader’ they will remind you how far you have come in your journey to the Bar and that everyone can and will make mistakes.
In fulfilling BDABar’s mission to support disabled aspiring barristers in their journey to the Bar, BDABar developed the Two-Way Mentorship Scheme. The primary purpose of the scheme is to enable aspiring barristers, with any form of disability, to gain support from a practising barrister in pursuing a career at the Bar.
The secondary purpose of the scheme is to allow practising barristers, and their chambers or employers, to gain an insight into their mentee’s disabilities and the various hurdles they encounter in their pursuit of a career at the Bar.
The mentorship cycle lasts approximately 12 months (September to August), but the pairs are encouraged to develop and maintain their relationship beyond this.
To be eligible for the scheme, disabled aspiring barristers must be 18 years old and above and identify as disabled. Mentees need to be in one of the following career stages:
Applicants will need to complete a short form which will be accessible via the BDABar website.
Examples of what to expect in terms of advice can be found below:
However, the above list is not exhaustive as the range of advice available will depend on the needs of the mentee.
The next round will open in July 2024. For more information, please see the BDABar website: https://www.bdabar.org
Konstantina Nouka is Chair and Founder of Bringing [Dis]Ability to the Bar. She joined Nexus Chambers as a tenant following the successful completion of her pupillage and practises in criminal defence and family law. Prior to her pupillage at Nexus, Konstantina worked as a COVID-19 Public Inquiry Paralegal.
Mentoring is a valuable resource for supporting career advancement and development, particularly for those from marginalised backgrounds, such as disabled individuals. Aspiring barristers can, through mentoring, build the skills, networks and confidence needed to succeed in pursuing a career at the Bar.
The benefits of having a mentor are countless. To begin with, a mentor can act as a sounding board for your ideas. When you have a mentor, you have someone with whom you can discuss your plans or concerns and, since they have experience at the Bar, they can provide relevant and informed feedback. Furthermore, you develop a network of connections in the profession, which leads to many opportunities. As an aspiring barrister, your knowledge of available experiences and opportunities at the Bar can be limited; therefore, your mentor can point you in the right direction and open your eyes to a range of possibilities you hadn’t previously considered. Last but not least, a mentor can act as a confidence boost in moments of self-doubt; as your ‘personal cheerleader’ they will remind you how far you have come in your journey to the Bar and that everyone can and will make mistakes.
In fulfilling BDABar’s mission to support disabled aspiring barristers in their journey to the Bar, BDABar developed the Two-Way Mentorship Scheme. The primary purpose of the scheme is to enable aspiring barristers, with any form of disability, to gain support from a practising barrister in pursuing a career at the Bar.
The secondary purpose of the scheme is to allow practising barristers, and their chambers or employers, to gain an insight into their mentee’s disabilities and the various hurdles they encounter in their pursuit of a career at the Bar.
The mentorship cycle lasts approximately 12 months (September to August), but the pairs are encouraged to develop and maintain their relationship beyond this.
To be eligible for the scheme, disabled aspiring barristers must be 18 years old and above and identify as disabled. Mentees need to be in one of the following career stages:
Applicants will need to complete a short form which will be accessible via the BDABar website.
Examples of what to expect in terms of advice can be found below:
However, the above list is not exhaustive as the range of advice available will depend on the needs of the mentee.
The next round will open in July 2024. For more information, please see the BDABar website: https://www.bdabar.org
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