TLPlus Mentoring

Birmingham Black Lawyers is delighted to partner with The Tyro Lawyer to offer mentoring to undergraduate and post graduate students who hope to build a career in the legal profession. The Tyro Lawyer already runs a well-established junior mentoring programme for sixth-form students. This partnership, through the Tyro Lawyer Plus, extends that support to the next stage, giving students from ethnic minority backgrounds guidance and encouragement as they take their first steps into the profession.

Black people remain significantly underrepresented in the legal profession, and the gap widens at the most senior levels. According to the SRA’s Diversity in law firms’ workforce published in March 2026, only 3% of lawyers working in law firms in England and Wales are Black, which is lower than the proportion of Black people in the UK workforce. At the Bar, Black barristers make up just 3.4% of practising barristers and only 1.2% of King’s Counsel. In the judiciary, the proportion of Black judges has stayed at 1% since 2015, even though overall ethnic minority representation has risen from 7% to 12%, according to the Diversity of the judiciary:2025 statistics published by the Bar Council.

Talent and ambition aren’t the problem. Black students often have less access to professional networks, insider knowledge and visible role models. The Tyro Plus mentoring programme aims to help close that gap.

• To widen access to the legal profession for students from black and ethnic minority backgrounds
• To connect aspiring lawyers with experienced mentors and credible role models
• To help students develop the employability skills they need to make strong applications for apprenticeships, work experience, vacation schemes and mini pupillages
• To demystify the routes into law
• To help build lasting networks and a pipeline of future Black legal talent

Each mentee will be paired with an experienced mentor for six months. Where possible, we will match mentors and mentees by their areas of interest, such as a particular practice area or whether the student wants to become a solicitor or a barrister.

Mentors and mentees will meet virtually once a month for an hour. Sessions are shaped around the mentee’s needs and goals, and may include:

• Talking through career ambitions and setting goals for the six months
• Practical advice on the different routes into law, including university, apprenticeships, the SQE and the Bar
• Feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
• Interview and assessment centre preparation, including mock interviews
• Building commercial awareness and keeping up with developments in the legal sector
• Advice on networking, professional conduct and building a personal brand, including LinkedIn
• Honest conversations about the realities of working in law, including how to handle challenges as a Black professional in the sector

At the first session, each pair will agree how they will work together and what the mentee hopes to achieve. Mentors and mentees are welcome to stay in touch by email between sessions.