The Middle Temple Mentoring Scheme
About the Scheme
The Middle Temple Mentoring Scheme is designed to provide timely, focused, and structured support to allow Hall members to achieve a specific project or goal. For instance, Hall members may wish to cultivate a new practice area, move chambers, switch from the employed Bar to the independent Bar or vice versa, return to the Bar, or apply for judicial or other positions. They may be returning from time out of practice (a “returner”) or switching practice areas (a “mover”).[1] Any of these scenarios will present its own unique set of challenges.
We aim to match mentees to suitable mentors with the necessary skills and experience to assist the mentee in reaching their identified goal. One of the main aims of the scheme is to promote social mobility and to ensure that the Bar retains its best people and assists them in returning to the Bar when they have had to leave for whatever reason.
What is required from Mentees?
Mentees will be asked to summarise what they hope to achieve out of mentoring. Typically, this will be a goal or career opportunity. Mentees will be expected to provide an estimate of a timeframe within which they hope to achieve their identified goal. The scheme will seek to facilitate the mentoring relationship and match mentees to mentors who are available in the identified timeframe.
The mentoring scheme is open to any member of the Inn from any background at any stage of their career, from completion of pupillage or in-house training as an employed barrister through to retirement. Please note that the scheme is not open to student members (who may want to investigate the Inn's Link Scheme).
What is required from Mentors?
Middle Temple wants to attract and retain members from non-traditional backgrounds. Mentoring may make a material difference in achieving this goal. Mentors’ invaluable experience and skills can be a powerful force in shaping the modern Bar, unlocking talent for mentees, and helping members achieve their goals and thrive.
The mentoring scheme is designed to be focused, project-specific, and time-specific. Whilst the mentoring relationship is not a friendship (of course, it may develop into that), it is an important and rewarding role that need not be unending or consume too much time. Relationships can be forged and maintained in various ways: email, telephone, Zoom, and in person. The mentoring period will initially be based on the timeframe set out in the mentee’s application and can be extended at the mentor’s discretion until the project is complete.
How to apply
To apply either to be a mentor or to become a mentee, please download and complete an application form and send to mentoring@middletemple.org.uk
[1] Time out of practice may be for any reason including maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, caring responsibilities, health reasons, further study, time-out or to pursue other ventures. Movers could be changing discipline because they are excited about a new challenge or because their practice is not compatible with family or caring responsibilities, other commitments, or has become difficult to sustain for various reasons. For example, criminal barristers moving to family or regulatory work; self-employed barristers becoming employed, or vice versa.
Supporting returners and movers is a concrete way of encouraging diversity, equality and inclusion. Returners and movers offer cognitive diversity and will bring different approaches, skills and experience to enrich the offer of the organisation that takes them on. Also, if chambers and employers compete to offer longevity of careers and, in particular, a horizon that goes beyond having children, health, study or other breaks, this will help recruit the best young barristers from the outset.