The Forum
A network of allied groups and organisations representing the interests of black people within the legal profession whose common objective is to achieve an equal, diverse and culturally inclusive society.
Birmingham Black Lawyers
BBL is a non-profit networking organisation established in April 2011. Our key objectives are to promote and improve diversity within the legal profession and to encourage a greater degree of integration and participation by established black lawyers within the legal community.
We host a number of events throughout the year, often collaborating with tertiary education centres or law firms/chambers, to facilitate networking between students and legal professionals at various stages of their careers. We also collaborate with key stakeholders such as The Law Society, Birmingham Law Society and The SRA in order to create opportunities for our members and engage in discussions aimed at bringing about tangible change within the profession.
As a result of our work, many of our student members have gone onto secure mentorships, work experience, mini pupillages and pupillages, training contracts, paralegal roles and other employment opportunities. Our junior lawyers have honed their networking skills which is vital to their development and career progression, and our more established lawyers have expanded their support networks and pool of professional contacts.
BME@The bar
BME@the Bar aims to improve the recruitment, career progression and retention of black practitioners, primarily at the Bar but also within the profession as a whole through collaborative working with The Forum and other organisations affiliated with the Bar, through the promotion of programmes and initiatives established by our allied networks and through the development and implementation of schemes and events in the East Midlands and surrounding regions.
Bridging the Bar
At Bridging the Bar we believe that for any organisation to reach its full potential, it must reflect the diverse society that we live in. Whilst we recognise that a lot of good work has been done to create greater opportunities at the Bar, there is still a need to incentivise and support the organisations and individuals doing this important work in isolation and the students from non-traditional backgrounds aspiring to a career at the Bar.
We believe that the ‘bridge’ between today’s Bar and the diverse Bar our society needs can be built by achieving three objectives:
1. Equal access to opportunity
An integral part of equal access to opportunity is enabling students from non-traditional backgrounds to gain practical work experience with barristers in all forms of employment. Through our 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.
2. 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 our events and through our wide network, we aim to make the Bar a more accessible and better understood profession for those from underrepresented societal groups.
3 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. We are committed to increasing the equality of access to opportunities in the legal profession across all underrepresented groups. We 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.
British Ghanaian Lawyers Union
BGLU is an organisation composed of legal professionals globally, founded in 2019. There are over 400 members consisting of: solicitors in private practice and in-house positions, barristers in commercial and non-commercial field, practitioners in legal and compliance roles; and student graduates of law and non-law studies
BGLU aims to empower its members to achieve all they envision in their professional careers. We recognise that social inequalities and structural issues faced by a number of members in several jurisdictions can act as barriers, limiting their career journey. Our mission is to create a safe space to improve the prospects of lawyers and students in the legal sector in addition to collaborating and partnering up with like-minded organisations and individuals to create inclusive opportunities for us to thrive as individuals and a collective.
BGLU provides business, networking, professional and educational opportunities for its members in both jurisdictions, with social events and training designed to grow and support the careers and relationships of its members. We support all graduates and students within the Union by mentoring, offering advice and circulating legal and business opportunities.
The British Nigeria Law Forum
The British Nigeria Law Forum is a vibrant professional organisation recognised by leading legal and professional bodies in the UK and Nigeria. It is made up of practicing lawyers and students in the UK and in Nigeria. It provides business, networking and educational opportunities for its members in both jurisdictions.