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Getting started with reverse mentoring: top tips and tools
Many legal organisations are working hard to improve inclusion and wellbeing - but knowing what really makes a difference can be difficult.
Reverse mentoring is one approach that offers a fresh, people-focused way to drive change. It helps senior staff hear directly from others, build trust, and better understand what it’s like to work in their organisation.
What is reverse mentoring?
In reverse mentoring, junior staff or people from underrepresented backgrounds mentor more senior colleagues. It’s a way to have honest conversations, share experiences, and make sure everyone’s voice is heard - especially those often left out of important conversations and decisions.
This type of mentoring recognises personal experience as valuable knowledge. It helps leaders better understand their people and how the workplace affects them.
It’s not always easy - but when done well, it’s powerful.
Top tips for running a reverse mentoring scheme
If your legal organisation is thinking about reverse mentoring, here are six key things to keep in mind:
1. Take your time
Don’t rush into it. Involve a mix of voices when planning your scheme so it reflects a range of experiences.
2. Seek diverse views
Go beyond the usual perspectives. Make space for underrepresented groups to help shape the programme from the start.
3. Build trust first
Relationships matter. Everyone involved needs to feel safe, respected, and supported before they share personal experiences.
4. Support your mentors and mentees
Offer practical help - time, quiet spaces, and guidance on how to structure meetings - to ensure the project supports mentors to feel confident and heard and mentees to listen.
5. Focus on action
Don’t let good conversations go to waste. Make sure there’s a clear process to turn insight into meaningful change.
6. Celebrate and share
Mark progress, reflect on what’s been learned, and show this is just the beginning of longer-term culture change.
Need support? Try the new Reverse Mentoring Toolkit
To help legal workplaces run impactful and thoughtful reverse mentoring schemes, LawCare and the University of Leeds have created a free, practical Reverse Mentoring Toolkit.
The toolkit is packed with practical resources to help you design, launch, and sustain an impactful reverse mentoring programme. It will help you:
- Understand what reverse mentoring is - and what it isn’t
- Create a safe, respectful space for honest conversations
- Support mentors and mentees throughout the process
- Turn insights into meaningful action
- Avoid common mistakes
🔗 Read more and download the toolkit today: www.lawcare.org.uk/reverse
🔗 Explore more resources on the University of Leeds reverse mentoring project page: https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/1234/partnerships-for-cultural-change-reverse-mentoring-in-higher-education-and-the-legal-profession
Who is the toolkit for?
The toolkit is for any legal organisation - whether a large law firm, small practice, in-house team, barristers’ chambers, or legal education provider. You don’t need a big HR team or budget to start a reverse mentoring programme. What you do need is a commitment to inclusion, an openness to listening, and a willingness to act on what you learn.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refresh an existing initiative, the toolkit can help you build a programme that is thoughtful, sustainable, and genuinely inclusive.
“This toolkit is such a valuable resource, especially for HR, EDI teams, and senior leaders looking to build more inclusive, supportive workplaces. It provides clear, practical advice on how to set up and get the most out of reverse mentoring. By taking part, you’re not only investing in your own growth, but you’re also helping to shape a more inclusive, dynamic, and forward‑thinking legal sector for the future.”
Trish McLellan (Director of Engagement at LawCare)
Ready to get started?
Reverse mentoring isn’t a tick-box or a quick fix - but it can be a powerful way to build trust, highlight what needs to change, and make your workplace fairer for everyone.
