Diversity access scheme announces latest cohort

Nearly 300 people have been supported by the scheme since it began in 2004. Awardees receive financial help and mentoring.

Kiera O’Connor, one of the 2023 cohort, said: ‘I grew up in a broken home on a council estate with a single teenage mother. I attended a school where my home life interfered with my education, and I was constantly told that I could never get a law degree and “someone like me” isn’t made for this profession.

'The DAS has allowed me to feel believed in and has made me appreciate that my potential has been recognised. Without DAS, I would not be in the position to fund my LPC to become a solicitor and the mentoring DAS provides will give me exposure I’ve never had before.’