Women solicitors offer advice to female colleagues.More than 150 women solicitors have already lined up to offer guidance to female colleagues, under a mentoring scheme launched by the Association of Women Solicitors (AWS) this week.The AWS raised 10,000 for the scheme, a 7,500 grant coming from the Law Society's challenge fund.

The scheme's administrator, Cambridge solicitor Geraldine Cotton, said the AWS hopes to have at least 250 women on standby in the near future, who could 'easily handle'1,000 cases between them.Ms Cotton said the scheme, only open to women, follows a pilot in 1997 that gathered 150 mentors, but only advised 55 women.

She said the response had been positive, being of most help to older women going through a mid-life career crisis.

Although the AWS already offers a limited mentoring scheme, insiders describe it as a 'back of an envelope affair.

Ms Cotton said the new scheme will have a database and more administrative back-up.

'The whole thing will be beefed up a lot.'l Details from Ms Cotton, tel: 01223 832863; e-mail: gypoore@aol.comAnne Mizzi