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Law Scholarships

Benefit from financial support (£2500 per year) during your studies, plus mentoring and paid work experience through a guaranteed place on our First Steps programme.

Programme Content

Scholarship throughout your time at university

Applications for 2023 will open on 24 April and close on 30 June (Scotland) and 12 July (England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

We believe that a career in law should be open to everyone. Since 2012, we’ve helped some of the brightest and most creative legal minds launch their career by providing financial and mentoring support with UCAS applications and throughout their undergraduate degree, in addition to paid work experience.

We are proud that Scholarship winners have gone on to study at some of the UK’s most prestigious universities and to training contracts at some of the world’s largest law firms, including CMS.

Locations

Across the UK

Eligibility

  • Year 12 students (England and Wales)
  • Year 13 students (Northern Ireland)
  • S5 students (Scotland)

Our scholarships are for those from backgrounds which research shows are less likely to achieve a place at a prestigious university or establish a career in law.

Application deadlines

We run two Law Scholarship programmes: the England, Wales and Northern Ireland programme and the Scotland programme. The two programmes are incredibly similar, however it is important that you apply to the programme that reflects your current location.

Applications for our 2023 programme will open on the 24th April 2023. To register your interest for future opportunities please click here.

What to expect

Win a Scholarship and, to give you a head start in your law career, we’ll provide you with the following.

(Mentoring support and the opportunity of work experience are offered to everyone who is invited to an assessment day, whether they win a Scholarship or not)

Financial support

£2500 per year for each year of your degree

Mentoring

Support from one of our lawyers with your UCAS application and the LNAT examination if you are planning on taking this, and a trainee buddy to give more informal support with starting your career in law

Work experience

The opportunity to complete our Insight Week programme in your first year of university – and be paid £450 to do so! Many participants on this programme are fast-tracked to an assessment day for our Vacation Scheme, the main route to a Training Contract here at CMS.

Eligibility

You must meet all the following criteria to be eligible;

  • You’re in Year 12 in England & Wales, Year 13 in Northern Ireland or S5 in Scotland*
  • You attend a state-funded school, sixth form or further education college
  • Your parents and grandparents did not attend university
  • You intend to apply to study at university through the 2023/2024 UCAS process (if applying to our Scottish Scholarship programme you will need to apply to study an LLB accredited by the Law Society of Scotland. Full details can be found here)
  • You are passionate about pursuing a career in law
  • You have not been convicted of a criminal offence
  • You are not related to any partner of CMS Cameron Mckenna Nabarro Olswang LLP

*The scheme is also open to any S6 students in Scotland who do not yet have a place at university confirmed

You also meet one of the following criteria:

  • You are, or have been at any time between ages 11 and 16, eligible for free school meals (or would be if you attended a sixth form or college). Further resources regarding these free school meals are available for England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
  • Your school from years 7–11 (or S1–S5 in Scotland) has 20% or more students eligible for free school meals. Further resources regarding these free school meals are available for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
  • You are, or have been, a child looked after/care experienced
  • Your home address is in POLAR4 quintile 1 ⓘ

ⓘ Check your postcode for eligibility. If you are unsure about your eligibility or would like more information, please contact us at Law.Scholarship@cms-cmno.com

Application process

Interesting in applying? Here’s an outline of the different stages involved.

Essay competition and online application form

Essay competition and online application form

We’ll ask you to write an essay of 750 – 1000 words on a choice of two topics, and complete an application form telling us more about you, what winning a scholarship would mean, and why you’re interested in a career in law. The essay questions will be available on 24th April 2023 when applications open

Assessment day

Assessment day

Consists of an interview and group exercise. During the day you’ll also have the chance to talk to our trainees about life at CMS and meet your mentor. If necessary, we’ll offer financial support (and accommodation) to enable you to attend. Further details can be found in our FAQs.

Important dates for your diary

We will release assessment day dates (for both locations) in 2023.

Law Scholarship FAQs

Any further questions?

Take a look at our FAQs page