Scholarships

Supporting education

The scholarships will provide up to five students with £15,000 per year of a three year undergraduate law degree, to cover the costs of university fees and contribute to living expenses.

Launched in 2021, the Stephenson Harwood Scholarship Award supports students from lower socio-economic backgrounds in accessing a UK university education and pursuing a career in law. In recognition that there are both practical barriers (such as the cost of university education) as well as those which are harder to identify (like not knowing anyone who can share their experiences of working in law), our programme has been designed to address both elements.

Alongside financial support, scholars benefit from a programme of development opportunities, including bespoke Scholar Skills Days, annual Scholars' lunches, and one-to-one mentoring from colleagues at our firm. Scholars also have the opportunity to attend a Training Contract Open Day and are guaranteed a place on a Vacation Scheme, where they will be assessed for a Training Contract with the firm.

Criteria

To be eligible for the scholarship award, you must successfully apply for a law degree to commence in September/October 2026 (you do not need to have secured your place prior to your application for the scholarship but need to demonstrate that you have applied).

To be considered, you must:

Not have already commenced or completed an undergraduate degree;
Be able to demonstrate that you have the academic potential to succeed at university;
Be attending, and have attended from aged 11, a state-funded, non-fee-paying school/college; and

You must also meet some of the following criteria:

Be in receipt of, or have previously received or have been eligible for, free school meals, pupil premium, education maintenance allowance and/or 16 to 19 bursary;
Have grown up in a household where no parent or guardian attended university;
You are, or have been, in local authority care;
You are, or have been, a full-time or part-time carer;
You came to the UK as a refugee or asylum seeker;
You are attending a state school or college with below average A-Level grades;
Have parents or guardians in occupations that indicate a lower socio-economic background.

Applications for our scholarships are open from 6 October 2025 until 10am 30 January 2026.

Application Process

Below you'll find an overview of the steps involved in our recruitment process.

Online Application Form

Complete the online application form. This will ask you to enter your current academic grades, any work experience or volunteering you will have completed, and answer three questions about your motivations as to why you would like to be awarded the scholarship. Please also complete the contextual data section on our application form as this information helps us to determine your eligibility for the award.

Virtual Teams Interview

If you are shortlisted to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process, you will be invited to attend a virtual interview via Microsoft Teams with a member of our Future Talent team. The interview provides an opportunity for us to learn more about your background, understand your motivation for studying law and explore how the scholarship would support your university journey.

In-person Assessment Centre

If you are successful at the interview stage, you will be invited to attend an in-person assessment centre at the Stephenson Harwood London office. The assessment centre will include opportunities to meet members of the Future Talent team and Trustees of the Charitable Foundation. We will provide you with information about what this entails in advance, so you know how best to prepare for the day.

All travel expenses for you to attend the assessment centre will be reimbursed.

What we look for

Financial need and access to higher education

The scholarship is designed to support students who, without financial assistance, would be unable to attend university.

Therefore, we assess your financial circumstances and contextual background across all stages of the recruitment process, with particular focus on the contextual recruitment section of the application form.

Academic Potential

We are looking for students with curiosity, strong learning potential, and the ability to engage with new ideas, rather than those who have had prior access to extensive opportunities.

We assess academic potential by reviewing your GCSE grades in context, alongside the qualitative responses provided in the application form. This is further explored during the in-person assessment centre, including through a written task.

Motivation for a career in law

We recognise that you are at the early stages of your career journey, and may still be exploring your options. However, we are looking for individuals who are genuinely interested in the law and motivated by what a career in the legal profession could involve.

Strong candidates can articulate a sense of purpose, even if their career path is not yet fully defined. This is assessed through the online application form, as well as during the online interview and in-person assessment centre.

Resilience and Initiative

We are looking for students who have demonstrated the ability to overcome challenges, adapt to difficult circumstances, and take ownership of their personal and academic development.

This may be evidenced through your experiences inside or outside of education, and can include balancing competing responsibilities, overcoming setbacks, or proactively seeking opportunities for growth.

Engagement with the scholarship

Successful candidates will be those who are willing to engage fully and meaningfully with all elements of the scholarship, including the development activities, mentoring, and in-person opportunities.

We value applicants who are open to feedback, committed to learning, and keen to make the most of the development opportunities offered through the award.

Tips from Scholarship Awardees

Daisy Faraday and Mir Tasin, two previous scholarship holders, share their journey into law, and tips for those who wish to apply.

Supporting Social Mobility

"Widening access to the legal profession is something about which I am particularly passionate. I grew up in a rural village in West Wales, in a family where one grandfather had been a miner, and the other a farmer. The progression to higher education is something that was a natural expectation by most of my colleagues, however that is not true for everyone and wasn’t my experience growing up. I was one of ten grandchildren and the first and only one to go to university.

We need more diversity in law, more people who may have thought that a career in law is not for ‘people like them’."

- Eifion Morris, Chief Executive Officer