Our Mission

At Bridging the Bar we believe that for any organisation to reach its full potential, it must reflect the diverse society that we live in. Whilst we recognise that a lot of good work has been done to create greater opportunities at the Bar, there is still a need to incentivise – and support – the organisations, and individuals doing this important work in isolation and the students from non-traditional backgrounds aspiring to a career at the Bar.

We believe that the ‘bridge’ between today’s Bar and the diverse Bar our society needs can be built by achieving three objectives:

An integral part of equal access to opportunity is enabling students from non-traditional backgrounds to gain practical work experience with barristers in all forms of employment. Through our structured mini pupillage programme, students from all corners of our society have the exposure and insight needed to understand what life at the Bar entails, and what career options are possible for them.

At an individual level, mentorship is often a key factor for students in gaining insight and understanding how best to navigate the challenges they may face in their pursuit of a career at the Bar. By connecting a diverse pool of students with dedicated mentors at our events and through our wide network, we aim to make the Bar a more accessible and better understood profession for those from underrepresented societal groups.

It is important for students to understand what the various organisations at the Bar are doing to recognise the current inequality of opportunity. Without this, we cannot be certain of what change is taking place, and where. Our BTB directories are a point of reference which serves to highlight those chambers and organisations which are leading the way towards equal access to opportunity.