BME A-Level Law Mentoring

Background:

There is a general problem in the retention of Black Minority Ethnic (BME) students on A level Law courses. The problem extends to the progression of the students on to University Law degrees and into the professions itself. BME professionals are also underepresented in the larger commercial law firms in the city.

The initiative to mentor BME students have been developed by Excellence Challenge and Leeds Mentoring, involving Notre Dame RC Sixth Form College and Park Lane College in partnerships with Addleshaw Goddard.

Aims of the project:

Mentoring is a valuable medium with which to form links between students and professionals with the aim of raising students’ aspirations and their subsequent progression into higher education and the profession itself. The project also aims to break down barriers, insofar as large commercial law firms at the moment are mainly dominated by mono-cultural and mono-lingual professionals.

Description of the project

In order to pilot a manageable course, it was decided to form partnerships with 12 students and 12 mentors. The mentoring project was offered to students at 2 colleges – Notre Dame and Park Lane. They were chosen as they are the 2 largest providers of A level Law in the city and are therefore more likely to have a larger cohort of target students.

The target group is AS / A2 level Law students of BME background who have the potential to progress onto higher education. With a mentoring programme it is very important that the students volunteer to take part in this. Experience suggests that if students are forced into such partnerships, they tend to fail.

The law firms involved are very keen to the idea of mentoring a very specific target group who, hopefully, will enter the profession. Mentoring also fulfils one of the criteria for the solicitors’ own professional development and working in their local communities. The solicitors were trained for the mentoring programme in their offices, by both Excellence Challenge and Leeds Mentoring trainers.

The outline of the mentoring programme is wider than just one to one support for students. The Solicitors act as ‘supportive friends’, encouraging students to meet deadlines and revision for exams. Students can ask their mentors to provide curriculum support with coursework or essays. Students are expected to visit the law firms for their mentoring sessions, using their up to date law libraries and becoming more confident in such a professional environment. Students will, in some cases, also accompany their solicitors to court, which will prove invaluable first hand experience for them. During their holidays, it may be possible for them to have work experience sessions at the law firms. Career guidance and help with completing UCAS forms will also occur as a part of the mentoring process.

Evaluation:

The first review of the programme has taken place in January / February 2003. Only one firm has been reviewed at the time of writing. Initial indications are that the successful partnerships are going extremely well. Invaluable lessons have already been learned and further subject specific mentoring projects arranged with these in mind. Anecdotal evidence has been such that Excellence Challenge are in the process of arranging two more programmes.

One law firm have considered making law mentoring a compulsory part of their graduate trainee programme. The same firm has also offered to go into the colleges to give career advice for students taking law qualifications. All of these additional opportunities enhance the mentoring programme, transforming it into more of an ‘experience’ for those taking part.

There is to be a partnership between Leeds University Law students and one local school (Lawnswood School). There will be 13 partnerships of AS level Law students with 2nd and 3rd year Law students. The extended aim of this programme is to introduce students to university life. The students will have access to up to date extended university library facilities. The mentors will also be able to share their portfolios and study skills with them.

In general the students participating in the law mentoring are enjoying an enhanced A level experience on their law course. A greater depth and breadth of subject knowledge has already been gained, as has more clarity to the career opportunities available to them.

For further information please contact Jason Tattersall