CMS Bursary Scheme opens across the UK

The scheme awards up to five bursaries of £2,500 per year for aspiring students to use towards paying for their law degrees, and has seen a significant amount of student interest and success since its launch in 2012.

One of the bursaries will be specifically for Scottish students, but there are also key requirements to be eligible. Candidates must be state schooled and be the first generation of their family to go to university, as well as achieving the equivalent of ABB at A-level.

Candidates will be selected through an essay competition which will test their knowledge and research of in-depth legal and ethical issues, and those who reach the interview stage will be offered support through their UCAS applications, whether they win the bursary or not.

On top of this, all finalists will receive two days of work experience at CMS offices in London or Edinburgh during the course of their first year at University. Since 2012, 42 students have been mentored by CMS lawyers, with 26 students taking up work experience placements.

The competition will commence on the 9th May in Scotland, and the 6th June for the rest of the UK, and the deadlines for submitting essays are the 4th and 20th July respectively. The winners will be announced in September.

Of Counsel solicitor Sarah Hyde, who leads the CMS Bursary initiative, commented: “We are proud to see the difference the scheme is making to students, at a critical point in their lives as they transition to University.

“The scheme enables aspiring lawyers, who may not have the opportunity otherwise, to gain an insight into the legal profession and what it is like to work at a top law firm. It equips them with the confidence they need to pursue a career in law.”