Most of us, at some time or other in our professional careers, have felt the need to talk to somebody who can offer advice and the benefit of their experience. Often, there is someone in Chambers, or a former pupil supervisor, who can fulfil that role. At other times, those people are just not appropriate. Perhaps the particular issue or problem is not something that can be entrusted to another member of Chambers. Maybe your relationship with your former pupil supervisor is not of the nature that makes the issue one which can comfortably be discussed between you. Sometimes, it may help just to have another, objective, member of the profession, perhaps one more senior than you, who may have experienced the same thing or may know someone else who has, just to lend a sympathetic ear, or to offer advice and guidance as to how you might achieve your career goals. Some of us are fortunate enough to have such a person to turn to. Others of us are not so fortunate.

The Chancery Bar Association Mentoring Scheme is directed towards meeting that need and the scheme is now available to all practising members of the Association.


What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a one-to-one non-judgmental relationship in which one individual (the Mentor) voluntarily gives of his or her time to support, advise or encourage another (the Mentee).

Our hope for the Chancery Bar Association Mentoring Scheme is that members of the Association of all seniorities practising at the Chancery Bar will volunteer to act as Mentors to others and that, in this way, we will create a support and advice network for the practitioners at the Chancery Bar.

 Mentors in similar schemes implemented elsewhere have spoken of the satisfaction that they receive in giving something back to others in the profession.



The Scheme


It is not intended that the Scheme will operate on a needs-specific basis. It is hoped that members will apply to become part of the Scheme and to form a relationship with a Mentor which will be of value to both of them over a period of time.
 There may, however, be Mentors who will be able to give assistance in a one-off situation on application. When that arises, every endeavour will be made to put Mentees in touch with Mentors who may have already faced these situations and can advise from experience. Members of the Association may wish both to be Mentors themselves and to have a Mentor of their own. Younger Mentees will be strongly encouraged to become Mentors themselves in time.



How do I become a Mentor?


The Chancery Bar Association is looking for practitioners, at all levels of seniority, who would be prepared to act as a Mentor to another member, or who might be prepared to offer advice based on their own career experiences on a one-off basis. 


Mentors fill out a short form, the Mentor Form, detailing their professional background, and send this to the Association’s Administrator, Mary Block (see contact details below). 


How do I become a Mentee?


If you would like to have a Mentor, you need to complete a short form, the Mentee Form.  This gives details of your professional background and provides an opportunity to identify any particular issues that you seek to address through the Scheme.  
 The form should be sent to the Administrator, Mary Block (see contact details below).

The matching process

The information on the two forms is used to match Mentors with Mentees.  The process is carried out by a small panel of Association members (the Matching Panel), who are currently as follows:

Joanne Wicks QC (Chair)
Janet Bignell
John Machell
Mark Mullen

If a Mentee wishes his or her form to be anonymised for the purposes of the matching process, or not disclosed to a particular member of the Matching Panel, this should be stated in a covering note to the Administrator when returning the Mentee Form.  No reasons need be given.

The Matching Panel will identify a possible Mentor. 

The Administrator will contact the Mentee for permission to give out the Mentee’s contact details to the named Mentor. If the Mentee agrees, the Administrator will then provide both the Mentor and Mentee with contact details and they will be asked to make contact with each other.  If the Mentee does not agree, the Administrator will, if the Mentee wishes, refer the form back to the Matching Panel for a further Mentor to be identified.

The information on the forms is kept confidential and is held by the Chair of the Matching Panel, although Mentee Forms will be destroyed once a Mentee is matched with a Mentor if the Mentee so requests.

The forms will only be disclosed to the members of the Matching Panel for the purpose of the matching process. 



What happens if it doesn’t work out?


The Mentor/Mentee relationship is purely voluntary and neither is under any obligation to continue it. If either wishes to terminate the arrangement he or she should contact the Administrator who will arrange for the Mentee to be introduced to a new Mentor.



Who do I contact for further information?


If you would like further information about how the Scheme works, please feel free to contact:



Joanne Wicks QC at Wilberforce Chambers 
Tel:  020 7306 0102. 

Email:  jwicks@wilberforce.co.uk

Francesca Compton, Administrator, Chancery Bar Association, 
294B Queens Road, New Cross Gate, London SE14 5JN
DX:  56705 DEPTFORD
Email: admin@chba.org.uk
Tel: 07791 398254