About:
Bridging the Bar is a charity committed to the promotion of equal opportunities and diversity of the Bar in England and Wales. Bridging the Bar believe that the ‘bridge’ between today’s Bar and the diverse Bar our society needs can be built by achieving three objectives:
01 Equal access to opportunity
BTB are committed to increasing the equality of access to opportunities in the legal profession across all underrepresented groups. They help students who, owing to their disability, ethnic background, socio-economic background, education or sexuality, belong to groups which are statistically underrepresented in the profession.
Through their 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.
Applications for the BTB mini pupillage scheme are now closed.
For Chambers who would like to sign up to the Mini Pupillage Scheme, please fill out this form.
02 Mentorship
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 events and through the BTB network, they aim to make the Bar a more accessible and better understood profession for those from underrepresented societal groups.
03 Transparency
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.
Find out more about the BTBs and sign up on their website.
