A mentoring scheme has been launched at London Met to help law students from under represented backgrounds get into the legal profession
Date: 23 July 2014
A big part of London Metropolitan University’s mission is to help students from under represented backgrounds into higher education and beyond. That’s why a new scheme has been launched for undergraduate law students to cash in on the knowledge and experience of students on the University’s Legal Practice Course (LPC), and for working solicitors to mentor LPC students into the profession.
The idea is that with the help of someone who’s been through it all before, students will find it easier to negotiate their way to a successful career in the legal profession.
The Law Mentoring Programme, run in the School of Business and Law, is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Applications for students will open in September and the University is currently looking for London-based solicitors to act as mentors to LPC students. Solicitors from firms Black and Co and Randall Phillips are already signed up.
Beverley Rizzotto, who is coordinating the programme, said: “For students studying the Legal Practice Course, engagement in the mentoring programme will hopefully be a great opportunity for them to give something back to the University, share their knowledge and experience with other students, and of course it will look fantastic on their CV, helping them to stand out from other candidates in their search for work placements and training contracts.”
In an increasingly competitive landscape for securing a training contract and job, the scheme is a real opportunity for LPC students to gain an insight into their chosen profession.
Beverley said: “It is so important to get involved with scheme such as the Law Mentoring Programme, in order to set yourself apart from other candidates; the legal profession can be extremely difficult to break, and students need to give themselves a competitive edge in order to secure that training contract.”
Current undergraduates – with third year students having first dibs – can also benefit from the programme. LPC students will mentor students on the undergraduate LLB course and provide help with everything from the application process and applying for loans or funding through to information on the day-to-day workload and expectations of the course.
“Undergraduate students should benefit from the programme in having a peer to go to for help and guidance, who has very recently been through exactly what they are experiencing in studying for the LLP law degree,” added Beverley.
“They will be paired with a mentor who is one step further up the ladder in their pursuit in a career in law, who will be able to offer them priceless insight into what it is like to study on the LPC, apply for training contracts and gaining work experience.”
Law Mentoring Programme
For more information about the scheme email Beverley Rizzotto via b.rizzotto@londonmet.ac.uk.
Take a look at the Legal Practice Course or Law webpages for more information about studying at London Met.
