Excellence in Family Law Mentorship

Voting Page

This Award celebrates the achievement of an individual, firm, chambers or organisation which has had demonstrable impact in family law through impactful leadership in mentoring, coaching and standard setting. This category aims to recognise the value and impact of these initiatives for family law practitioners and on the field of family law. The category will be decided by an open vote by the family law community. 

Please read the short biographies of each finalist below before you make your vote. 

Voting closes at 17.00 on Friday 25 September 2026

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Graeme Fraser, William Sturges

Graeme Fraser, Head of Family at William Sturges, has specialised in family law for more than 30 years. His practice is grounded in fairness, equality, integrity and best practice.

Alongside advising clients, he has played a leading role in campaigning for cohabitation law reform in England and Wales, helping to shape policy and improve outcomes for modern families.

During the past 12 months, Graeme has demonstrated exceptional commitment to mentoring, coaching and developing others across the profession. His approach combines technical supervision with strategic career guidance, practical encouragement and a genuine investment in the confidence and wellbeing of those he supports.

His mentees’ achievements provide compelling evidence of his impact. He has mentored Resolution’s National Chair, Melanie Bataillard-Samuel, supporting her progression into national leadership. He has also provided sustained guidance to Rebecca Christie, whose promotion to partnership at Wedlake Bell at the age of 33 reflects his encouragement, advocacy and strategic support. Within William Sturges, he has helped Gemma Barnhurst develop her legal judgment, case-management skills and confidence in complex and contested matters. He supported her appointment to Resolution’s London Region Committee in December 2025 and her subsequent appointment as Secretary in April 2026, aged 26.

Graeme’s influence extends beyond individual relationships. As Chair of Resolution’s Cohabitation Committee, and through wider committee and policy work, he equips colleagues to contribute confidently to national debates and law reform. He has supported practitioners through training, workshops, writing and editorial leadership, including the Resolution National Conference 2026 and presentations reaching more than 500 professionals.

His mentorship is accessible, inclusive and values led. He actively supports lawyers from diverse backgrounds, helping them progress while remaining true to their individual strengths. Through sustained encouragement, professional leadership and thought leadership, Graeme develops confident practitioners, nurtures future leaders and helps shape the future of family law itself.

Judge & Priestley

At Judge & Priestley, mentorship is the foundation of a culture where people are encouraged to thrive. Led by Partner and Head of Family Kelly Sharman, the award-winning 12 strong Family Team is united by a shared commitment to developing the next generation of family law professionals.

Mentoring is the everyday in the team. Five lawyers are internal mentors, while four support aspiring professionals externally through organisations including Women in Family Law, University of Greenwich, St Dunstan's College and Blackheath Hockey Club. Through regular one-to-one support, cross-department mentoring relationships and tailored development plans, junior lawyers receive practical guidance, encouragement and opportunities to flourish.

The team's commitment extends far beyond the firm. Through the University of Greenwich Pro Bono Advice Clinic, lawyers mentor students in a live legal environment, offering exposure to client meetings, legal drafting and constructive feedback. The team also champions social mobility through the J&P Discover Programme and careers mentoring that supports students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.

Internally, the innovative "Super Novas" programme provides a psychologically safe and supportive space where junior lawyers can openly discuss technical issues, wellbeing, professional challenges and successes. This sits alongside J&P's Return to Work Coaching Programme and wider wellbeing and EDI initiatives, creating a genuinely inclusive environment where people feel valued and supported.

The impact is clear. Mentees consistently report increased confidence, stronger decision-making and career-clarity. The progression of Megan Porter, from student to qualified solicitor through structured mentoring and support, exemplifies the team’s long-term investment in talent.

Alongside its people-focused culture, the Team delivers outstanding advice across a broad spectrum of family matters. Recognition in Chambers & Partners and The Times Best Law Firms 2026 reflects both its professional excellence and its unwavering commitment to empowering others.

At J&P, mentorship is not something we do. It is who we are.

Samantha Hillas KC, St John's Buildings Chambers

Sam Hillas KC practises from St John’s Buildings, with chambers in Liverpool and across the North of England.  She specialises in financial remedy work as an advocate, arbitrator and private FDR evaluator and is known for her plain speaking, common sense approach.   
 
In January 2026 Sam was elected as Leader of the Northern Circuit.  She is also a Bencher of Inner Temple with responsibility for student engagement and support, a patron of Wirral Women and Children’s Aid, a co-editor of Family Affairs, the FLBA’s tri-annual publication, a fellow of the IAFL and a judicial officer for the RFU and World Rugby,  She is a regular contributor to the Financial Remedies Journal and a member of the FRJ editorial board.

Mentoring has been a defining feature of Sam’s career and one of her most enduring professional commitments. In her recent cover article for Counsel magazine, “Be Yourself...and Pass it On”, she reflected on the challenges she faced entering the profession and reaffirmed her determination to invest time and energy in supporting those following in her footsteps.

Alongside her role as Leader of the Northern Circuit, Sam serves as Inner Temple’s Master of Mentoring, overseeing and promoting the Inn’s mentoring programme for Bar school students. She is also a mentor for Women in Family Law and a passionate ambassador for the profession. In recognition of her contribution to legal mentoring and professional development, she was recently awarded an Associate Fellowship of Liverpool John Moores University.

Sam supports a diverse range of mentees, from school pupils considering a legal career to established practitioners seeking guidance at key stages of their professional journey. She firmly believes that everyone can benefit both from having a mentor and from mentoring others, and regards helping others to realise their potential as one of the most rewarding aspects of her practice.

TCC

At TCC, mentorship runs through our work like writing through a stick of rock. 
Founded in 2018 by Annmarie Carvalho, a former family solicitor and mediator at Farrer & Co, TCC was built on a simple insight: family lawyers carry enormous emotional demands without the psychological and mentoring support they need and deserve.

Our Founder, Annmarie also wanted to become the mentor and support she wishes she’d had as a lawyer herself. And she’s stuck to that mission!

Our TCC team have been lawyers themselves and have retrained as therapists and coaches. We have sat in the same meetings our clients have, managed the same pressures and experienced the emotional complexity of family law from the inside. We combine that experience with our therapeutic expertise; a potent combination.

We have been at the forefront of the movement to make reflective practice/supervision standard for family law practitioners. Our model provides a structured space to consider the emotional and relational dimensions of practice, going much further than informal wellbeing support.

We uphold the highest standards of independence and confidentiality in our mentoring. We support lawyers at every career stage, from juniors building confidence in emotionally complex cases to partners navigating leadership, burnout risk and the emotional weight of high-conflict work. Our mentees develop emotional intelligence, stronger boundaries and sustainable working practices.

We also mentor the mentors! We train lawyers in how to create psychologically safe conversations and relationships and supervisors in how to support others’ wellbeing and mental health. We help firms move beyond individual resilience towards cultures where psychological wellbeing is a shared responsibility.
At TCC we believe that emotional awareness and the ability to be reflective should be recognised not as separate from excellent legal practice, but as an essential part of it. Our mentoring practice is a core aspect of that vision.

Victoria Cannon, Hugh James

Victoria Cannon is Partner and Head of Family Law at Hugh James, where she has built a growing and ambitious team while creating a mentoring culture centred on accessibility, opportunity and genuine investment in the development of others.
 
Victoria believes that outstanding family lawyers need more than technical expertise. They also need emotional intelligence, resilience, commercial confidence and sound judgement. Her mentoring approach therefore gives junior lawyers meaningful exposure to advocacy, case strategy, client management, drafting, negotiation and complex family matters from an early stage.
 
She works closely alongside her team rather than operating through a rigid hierarchy, encouraging junior lawyers to take responsibility while ensuring they have the support and confidence to progress. This approach has delivered tangible results, including personally supporting solicitor Meg Walters through a development pathway that culminated in her qualification into the Family Law team in January 2026.
 
Victoria also encourages development beyond traditional legal work. Team members participate in networking, business development, thought leadership, multidisciplinary projects and initiatives such as Family Law Plus, helping them develop broader commercial awareness and a more holistic understanding of clients.
Her commitment to mentorship extends into the wider community. Victoria has established an internship initiative with young carers charity Credu, expanded a pro bono family law clinic with the University of Law and created opportunities for junior lawyers to participate in community and social responsibility projects.
 
Being nominated for this award means an enormous amount to Victoria. She is deeply honoured to be recognised by the family law community for something she cares so passionately about. To win would be a true pinnacle of her career and a reflection of the people she has had the privilege of supporting and developing along the way.