Mentoring, work experience and scholarship opportunity with top City employers

The Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship Scheme is open to exceptionally talented students who are open to the idea of pursuing a career in the legal profession or a career in the City. Exceptionally talented means that you have the potential to succeed, it does not mean that you already need to have had exposure to the City.

Launched in 2013, the Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship Scheme was designed to address the disproportionate under-representation of black and black mixed-race men from less privileged background in large commercial law firms. In 2017 the scheme opened up applications to non-law students. The scheme’s ongoing work with Goldman Sachs, The Bank of England and Aon offers opportunities for other City careers.

Scholars will receive:

  • Interview coaching and other development opportunities
  • Commercial familiarisation (work experience/workshops) during university holidays
  • An alternative route to interview for a training contract at Freshfields
  • A £3,500 contribution towards course and associated study costs
  • Mentoring

Freshfields currently have two scholars on the scheme and two students who have completed the scheme. They have nominated over 20 students, of which a number have received work experience and ongoing mentoring.

To be eligible to apply for the scholarship you must be:

  • Black African or black African-Caribbean or mixed-race black African or mixed race black African- Caribbean.
  • Male
  • In your 1st year of a 3 or 4 year undergraduate course
  • Have not attended a fee paying school in UK
  • Have not attended a school outside of the UK for which the fees are more than nominal.

You also need to satisfy one of the following criteria:

  • Be in receipt of a maintenance loan from SFE above the relevant limit (student living with parents, £5,118, student not living with parents £6,469)
  • Have been eligible for free school meals at a UK senior school
  • Have attended a UK senior school with above average free school meals eligibility (we can check this for you)

To register your interest please contact Gemma Witts (Careers Adviser, Careers and Employability Service) G.Witts@kent.ac.uk to arrange an initial chat.  

To watch short films about the scheme see https://www.freshfields.com/en-gb/about-us/responsible-business/freshfields_stephen_lawrence_scholarship/

Kent Open Day at Dechert – Fri 18th Jan

Kent Law School has arranged a Kent-only Open Day at global law firm Dechert on 18th January.   The Open Day will include an insight into the firm and what they do, including their training contracts; a skills session; and, networking with trainees, partners, graduate recruitment team.  This is an ordinary open day but exclusively available to students from Kent (and that includes non-law students too).

Eligibility:

  • Open to:
    • KLS students in stage 2, 3 or on a postgraduate degree
    • any final year student on any other degree/PG degree at the University of Kent
  • Must not be a qualified lawyer (in any jurisdiction)
  • Must be on track for a 2.1 degree and have AAB grades at A level (or equivalent).  Real mitigation for slightly lower grades will be taken into account.  If you wish this to be considered please supply information with your application.
  • Genuine interest in the type of work that Dechert does.  Some of their main areas are corporate securities, investment funds, litigation, white-collar crime.
  • You must be commercially astute.
  • International students may apply.

Your travel costs, up to £75, will be reimbursed by Dechert (please note, transport will not be organised for you – you find your own way there and claim your costs after the visit).  Lunch will be provided.

How to apply:

If you wish to be considered for a place on this Open Day provide the following information:

  1. CV – it must include each module that you have studied and the grades achieved.
  2. Details of any access or dietary requirements
  3. In no more than 400 words explain why you wish to attend the Dechert Open Day

Email your application to Jayne on klsemployability@kent.ac.uk with “Dechert Open Day” in the subject bar.

Deadline to apply for non- Law students: 9am, Wednesday 12 December

IMPORTANT: 

The eligibility criteria will be strictly applied and the standard of applications should be the same as if you were applying directly to the firm.  Applications will not be considered until the deadline.  As such, incomplete or substandard applications will not be identified before the deadline and no second chances will be given.

Lawyers in Government: Legislation Workshop

Wednesday 31st January, 2pm – 3.30pm in KS12
Open to students from all disciplines

Booking is essential: go to the CES website to confirm your place.

Government lawyers operate at the cutting edge of law and politics, delivering legal solutions that impact upon the lives of millions. Their work is diverse, challenging, unique and often headline news.

On Wednesday 31 January 2018, from 2pm – 3.30pm, government lawyers will deliver an interactive workshop around the passage of a Bill through Parliament. Participants will represent the lawyers working within different government organisations and will get an interesting and practical insight into the unique role which government lawyers play in the legislative process.

This workshop is designed to be accessible to both law students and students of other disciplines.

Continue reading “Lawyers in Government: Legislation Workshop”

Guest speaker: Daniel Trup, United Nations legal counsel – 11am, 6th Dec, TLT

The Kent International Law Society and the Model UN Society have extended an invitation to all students and staff to an event they have organised for 11am next Wednesday (6th December) in the Templeman Lecture Theatre.

Daniel Trup is a Kent alumnus now working in New York as a lawyer for the United Nations. Mr Trup will speak about his experiences and numerous postings, from prosecuting war crimes in former Yugoslavia to working in the internal justice system within the UN. This will no doubt be an excellent event, and of particular interest to anyone considering a career in the law and its associated professions in the future. All are welcome to attend.

For more information, please see the shared Facebook post below or go to the Facebook event page.

Continue reading “Guest speaker: Daniel Trup, United Nations legal counsel – 11am, 6th Dec, TLT”