Uni fees covered plus paid work experience and placement year
City law firm Macfarlanes has announced the launch of a new training scholarship in partnership with Brunel University.
The scholarship, which aims to breakdown any socio-economic barriers that discourage talented students from joining the legal profession, will cover the full cost of university tuition fees, alongside paid work experience and a paid placement year at the firm.
In addition to all this, successful scholars are “highly likely” to become trainees, with the firm explaining that the scholarship should be considered as “equivalent to the award of a training contract”. Trainee numbers are being expanded to accommodate the scholars so there will be no impact on other applicants.
The tie-up will see the firm support three Brunel law students annually.
Senior partner, Sebastian Prichard Jones said:
“In common with many organisations, we have been thinking carefully about how best to attract a much broader range of talented students and this targeted programme is one of the concrete steps we have taken. The aim of our programme with Brunel is that through financial support, mentoring and paid work experience at the firm, our scholars will be supported from their first year all the way through to becoming qualified solicitors at the firm, and our partners of the future.”
Macfarlanes also offers financial support to socially-mobile undergraduates studying any subject at university in the UK. Its bursary scheme includes three grants covering access to technology, funding for the costs of missing work when attending a Macfarlanes event, and paying for accommodation whilst undergoing work experience with the firm.