NLS Career Mentoring
Discover our longstanding mentoring programme, connecting NLS students and legal professionals.
Receive personalised support to plan and realise your career goals
Our mentoring programme connects you with professionals across a range of industries, both within and beyond the legal sector.
Whatever stage you’re at in your career journey, the programme offers friendly support and a clear structure. It’s a fantastic way to build confidence, expand your network, and gain real skills!
How to get involved
Applications are open to all NLS students in Term One.
Visit the NTU Online Workspace (NOW) to find out more and apply.
The benefits of taking part
Taking part in the mentoring programme will give you valuable direct insight into the daily working life of a legal or law-adjacent professional. They will act as a champion for your career goals to help you build your professional career and network.
All participants can expect to gain enhanced:
- commercial awareness;
- understanding of standards and expectations in the graduate workplace;
- knowledge of work experience and graduate employment opportunities available to law students;
- career confidence; and
- networking capabilities.
Frequently asked questions
Applications open to all NLS students early in Term One. To find out more and apply, you will need to visit NOW, NTU's Online Workspace.
The programme runs from December – April with participants required to engage in a minimum of four hours’ contact with their mentor during this period. Meetings can take place in-person and/or virtually, however we recommend at least one face-to-face meeting where possible. More information can be found on NOW.
Participants have access to a dedicated point of contact within the Law School who checks in with you at regular intervals. There is a mandatory briefing session at the start of the programme and resources are provided to help with planning and reflecting on mentoring meetings.
All completers will receive a certificate and digital badge for use on LinkedIn and in future application processes.
Once your course starts, you will be able to access NOW, NTU's Online Workspace, where you will be able to find out more information.
You can also contact the Employability team for help.
Interested in being a mentor?
If you are interested in mentoring students, contact NLS' School Employability Manager, Luke Lynch.
Hear from previous students who've taken part
The programme is a great opportunity for aspiring solicitors to gain an insight into the legal industry. Having a mentor who has gone through the process of breaking into the profession was invaluable for my personal development and subsequent success in obtaining a vacation scheme at an international law firm.
My advice to any students interested in the opportunity is to maintain a consistent relationship with your mentor as this will allow you develop your relationship and build your legal network.
Takondwa Phiri (NLS alumnus: LLB Law (Hons))
You can get the most out of your mentoring experience by not being afraid to ask questions that you think are stupid. There is no such thing as a stupid question. And write them down in advance because you may forget them when the time comes to asking them. Act like a sponge and absorb everything that your Mentor is telling you. They want to help as best they can.
His Honour Judge (HHJ) Avik Mukherjee, NLS Honorary Professor
MyEmployability
All Nottingham Law School students have access to the MyEmployability online portal, offering graduate opportunities, vacancies, careers resources, and access to a huge range of employers and organisations, all looking to recruit NTU students and graduates.