Social Mobility and Mentorship in Law: Reflections from Brightside

By: Kashish Dhir

Kashish Dhir is a final-year Law with Criminology student at University with an
interest in access to justice, social mobility and widening participation in the
legal profession.

Breaking into the legal profession can feel overwhelming, especially when you are still trying to understand how everything works. As a law student, I have found that parts of the profession can feel difficult to navigate. There are so many unspoken expectations, from knowing which opportunities to apply for to understanding how different legal careers actually work. Even when support exists, it is not always obvious where to find it or how to use it. That made me think more about students who may have even less guidance or confidence when trying to imagine themselves in law. This was one of the reasons I became interested in mentoring through Brightside.

Brightside’s work focuses on supporting young people with education, career choices and future opportunities. What stood out to me was how much mentoring is not just about giving advice. It is also about confidence, reassurance and helping someone feel that their goals are realistic. That matters in law because the profession can often feel closed off from the outside. There are many students who may be ambitious and capable, but who do not necessarily know where to begin. Some may not understand what different legal careers involve. Others may not know which opportunities to apply for, or may feel unsure about whether professional spaces, including law, are really for them. For me, that is where mentorship becomes important.

Social mobility is not just about telling people to work hard. Of course, hard work matters, but it is not enough on its own. If a student does not know what opportunities exist, how to access them, or whether they belong in those spaces, they are already starting from a different position. Reflecting on mentorship made me realise how important small pieces of guidance can be. Sometimes the most useful thing is not complicated advice, but honesty and clarity. Explaining what university is like, talking through different options, or helping someone feel less intimidated by the process can make a real difference.

It also made me think about representation. When young people see or speak to someone who is also navigating the profession, it can make the path feel more realistic. A mentor does not need to have all the answers. Sometimes, being open about uncertainty and showing that it is normal to have doubts can be just
as useful. For me, this connects closely to legal aid and access to justice.

Legal aid is about making sure people are not excluded from legal help because of their financial position. Mentorship made me think about access in a similar way. If young people from less privileged backgrounds feel excluded from understanding or entering the legal profession, then the profession risks becoming less representative of the communities it is meant to serve. That is why I see social mobility in law as closely linked to the values behind legal aid. Both are about fairness, access and making sure people are not shut out because of circumstances beyond their control.

My experience with Brightside has stayed with me because it made me think more carefully about how much difference guidance can make. It also made me reflect on the parts of the legal profession that can feel difficult to access for people who do not already know how it works. Mentorship is not a complete solution to social mobility, but it is one way of making the path feel a little clearer for someone else.