Registration is now open for Ireland’s only mentorship programme for law graduates, run by Dublin City University (DCU).

The initiative, which was established in 2018, is organised by DCU’s School of Law and Government, Alumni Relations Office, and the Careers Service.

As COVID- 19 restrictions continue, the programme will again take place in a virtual format this year, and participants are invited to contact each other through Zoom, Skype or other online platforms.

Network of support

DCU says that the initiative has grown significantly over the past number of years, and now includes graduates from the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL), Economics, Politics and Law (EPL), Joint Honours (JH), and Master of Law (LLM) degrees, and the PhD programme.

Last year, almost 200 law graduates from across the world participated in the programme.

The programme requires mentors and mentees to meet on at least three separate occasions over a seven-month period.

It aims to establish a graduate network of support between mentors and mentees, and to provide encouragement and practical advice on various aspects of the legal profession – including the pathways to qualifying as a solicitor or barrister.

Career options

The programme also provides insights into alternative employment opportunities and options for law graduates – in areas such as compliance, the public sector and in-house.

Participants are also invited to several social, professional and career-development events throughout the course of the programme.

Dr Aisling de Paor (Associate Professor of Law at the School of Law & Government, pictured) said that the programme had built an active and engaged law-alumni community at DCU, and had offered graduates a unique opportunity to avail of valuable career mentorship.