Barnes: A sense of belonging
The group Lawyers Who Care has arranged mentorships for 77 aspiring lawyers who have been in the care system in its first year, an impact report has shown.
It said that, for the first time, ‘care experience’ was being mentioned in legal applications and people were now openly sharing their care experiences.
Founded last year by barrister Kate Aubrey-Johnson, who specialises in youth justice and children’s rights, and Lucy Barnes, who was in the care system and is a newly qualified barrister at East Anglian Chambers, LWC defines ‘care-experienced’ as having spent any period of time in care, whether in foster care, residential care or other forms of care before the age of 18.
Set up as a community interest company, it has just been awarded charitable status and lists 17 law firms and chambers as providing one-to-one mentors and other support, such as networking, work experience and training.
The figures show that care-experienced children face significant barriers as adults: only 14% attend university, compared to 47% of those who have not been in care. Four in 10 care-leavers aged 19-21 are not in education or employment, compared to 12% of other young people in the same age group.
LWC has four ‘champions’: Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the Family Division, Kama Melly KC, barrister Amanda Meusz and solicitor Oliver Conway.
The mentorship programme lasts for two years and mentoring pairs are required to meet for a minimum of one hour per month. The report said: “Our early feedback suggests that 70% of our matches are meeting that threshold; which adds up to more than 650 hours of mentoring during the past year.”
It is setting up a support team to deal with problems pairs face, such as difficulties in finding time to meet and mentee disengagement.
The demographics of mentees show that 86% are women, 38% non-white, 52% disabled under the Equality Act 2010, and 67% are the first generation of their family to attend university. The vast majority experienced four or more types of so-called ‘adverse childhood experiences’.
A survey of the mentees found that the main barriers to a legal career they faced were a lack of connections, financial issues, low confidence and accessing work experience.
Mentors are trained to be ‘care aware’ and ‘trauma informed’ in their mentoring approach and ultimately in their own legal practice – LWC also wants firms and chambers to reflect this in their recruitment practices.
More than 50 new mentors have so far volunteered for the next cohort of mentees.
Ms Barnes said: “When experiencing the barriers I faced as a care-experienced woman pursuing a career in law, I dreamed of one day becoming a barrister and made a promise to myself that, if I was lucky enough to fulfil my ambition, I would create a charity to bridge those barriers for others like me.
“Meeting Kate and creating Lawyers Who Care was a calling for us both. When we launched, I said that care-experienced people deserve to be seen for their talents and, with the right support, have a unique skillset that will enhance the profession.
“I am so proud of the doors we have unlocked for our incredibly talented community.”
Ms Barnes said LWC had for the first time created “a sense of belonging” in the profession for people from care-experienced backgrounds.
“We are already starting to see real change, with ‘care experience’ included in conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion. Lawyers who Care is more than a mentoring programme, it is a movement and a community.”
Alongside her pupillage, Ms Barnes has been the LWC chief executive but she is now passing the role on to deputy chief executive Gemma Creamer, who said more than 100 aspiring lawyers have signed up so far.
“Each name on that list represents a life touched, a barrier challenged and a step forward in changing the narrative about who belongs in law,” she continued.
Ms Aubrey-Johnson added that, as well as supporting care-experienced people into the law, LWC wanted to help care-experienced clients.
“By diversifying the legal profession and upskilling our mentors, Lawyers Who Care will ensure that that care-experienced people are represented by lawyers who understand their needs,” she said.
Leave a Comment