Return to Law Programme
Ready to return to law? We’ll help you find your way back in
For many years, the legal industry has lost talented women. Not because they lacked ability or ambition, but because the structure of the profession made it difficult to stay. From motherhood to supporting their partner’s career and unease about law firm hierarchy, the decision to leave law has not always felt like a real choice.
That’s why we’re delighted to launch our returnship programme, Return to Law – Giving Opportunity, Gaining Talent, to support women as they return to the legal industry.
Applications for our 2026 programme have now closed. Follow us on social media to hear about our latest vacancies and programmes.
About Barcan and Kirby’s Return to Law Programme
As a law firm, we’ve learnt something very simple: when you give opportunity, flexibility and trust, you gain experience, perspective and leadership. That belief has shaped how we’ve built Barcan and Kirby. And we want to share this with those who may be seeking the confidence and motivation to return to law.
Who is the Return to Law Programme for?
Return to Law is designed to support women who stepped away from law and are now considering a return on terms that reflect both their professional capability and their lives.
The programme is for lawyers who have left the legal industry and have struggled to find a way back in. Perhaps you left the profession to have children, and your firm’s lack of flexibility was a barrier to you returning after maternity leave. You may even have sacrificed your career so that your partner or spouse could pursue theirs while you took a step away or became a stay-at-home mum. Maybe you felt you had no choice but to leave because of care responsibilities and a lack of flexibility from your employer. Or perhaps imposter syndrome and a lack of support prevented you from reaching your full potential.
Whatever the reason for leaving law, this programme is designed to empower you as you navigate your journey back in.
“I left my role as an Associate at a law firm in Kent in 2015 to move back to the West Country with my young family. I started and ran an interiors company that enabled me to work flexibly around my children. When Covid-19 led to the closure of our business, I decided to look locally to see what opportunities might be available for me to return to law in some capacity.
After three years away from the legal industry, I started a role as a Solicitor; however, it was a struggle to adjust and I went straight back in without any training or support. I eventually got back into the swing of things and moved to Barcan and Kirby, where I am now a Senior Associate in our Corporate and Commercial team. However, looking back to 2018, I wish I had had the confidence to go for a role more suited to my previous experience. If I had had some guidance and support, as our Return to Law programme provides to others, I think I would have been able to find my footing again more easily and perhaps have had a more successful re-entry into law.”
– Elsie Lyford, Senior Associate
What’s included in the programme?
Our free Return to Law Programme is structured as a five-day* in-person workshop starting on 15th June 2026. Over these five days, you will attend in-person sessions focused on the practical, cultural and emotional elements of working in today’s legal industry.
The Return to Law workshops include:
- Day one: the 2026 Lawyer: what the job really looks like now
- Day two: compliance, risk and judgement in 2026
- Day three: people, culture and career support (HR done properly)
- Day four: the human reality of law: the things we never talked about (but should have)
- Includes a talk from career coach Clare Harris about imposter syndrome
- Day five: being a rounded, commercially aware lawyer
Each day and session includes plenty of time for reflection and questions, ensuring you get the most out of what you learn and feel comfortable with the knowledge you take with you.
At the end of the week, we will talk about next steps in terms of staying connected, where and how to find legal career opportunities and how Barcan and Kirby can help as you reignite your career in law.
*If you are unable to commit to five days, don’t let this hold you back from applying. We may be able to offer a condensed version to suit you, so please get in touch.
Practical details
- You must be a qualified lawyer
- The Return to Law Programme starts on Monday 15th June and ends on Friday 19th June
- The workshops will take place in person at our office on Gloucester Road in Bishopston, Bristol
- Applications close on Friday 17th April
- Successful applicants will be notified on Thursday 23rd April
- Teams interviews will take place on Wednesday 29th April and Thursday 30th April
- Successful candidates will be notified on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th May
Return to Law FAQs
No, there is no cost for attending our workshops. The Return to Law Programme is completely free.
No, there is no minimum or maximum amount of time that you need to be out of law to apply or take part in this programme. We welcome applications from any woman who has left the legal industry, for whatever reason and no matter how long ago.
No, we welcome applications from all lawyers, no matter how they qualified, including via the CILEx route.
You must be a qualified lawyer to apply, but the programme is not aimed at a specific seniority level.
It may be that, depending on how long you have been out of law and how much training you need, you are best placed to apply for a Paralegal role and be supported in your development back into a qualified role.
No. There is no expectation or requirement to apply for any of our vacancies after the Return to Law programme. This programme is designed to support women as they navigate their journey back into law, wherever that takes them.
Our aim is to equip you with the tools and confidence you need to feel able to take that next step forward, whether that’s applying for a job with us or elsewhere. If there is a mutual fit that you’d like to explore, we’d love to talk, but that is entirely on your terms.
Our hope is that you end the week feeling empowered and ready to return to the legal industry, whether in a similar capacity as before you left or something a little different.
While there is no expectation for you to apply for any of our vacancies, we are happy to discuss any relevant opportunities that we have with you. You are also welcome to keep in touch with us, either directly or via LinkedIn, so that you are always in the loop about upcoming vacancies.
During the programme, we will also discuss whether you would like to establish a private networking group comprising fellow attendees, where you can share ideas, updates and opportunities.
No. While motherhood is one of the most common reasons women leave law, it’s far from the only one. This programme is open to any woman who stepped away from the legal profession and has found it difficult to return, whether that was due to caring responsibilities, a partner’s relocation, health, burnout, or any other reason.
You don’t need to justify why you left.
The workshops take place in person at our Gloucester Road office in Bristol across the week of 15th to 19th June 2026, so you’ll need to be able to travel to Bristol each day.
Apply for the Return to Law Programme
Applications have now closed. Follow us on social media to hear about our vacancies and programmes.
Further information
We look forward to sharing what we’ve learnt, to open even more doors and to further contribute in a practical way to a stronger, more inclusive profession.
If you have any questions about Return to Law, please email us.