Next 100 Years, the successor project to the First 100 Years, is campaigning to raise £100K to fund an undergraduate scholarship fund
Next 100 Years, the successor project to the First 100 Years, is campaigning to raise £100K to fund an undergraduate scholarship fund
The Paving the Way campaign will support talented students whose research examines women’s legal history and their contribution to the evolution of the UK’s legal system.
The fund will back 30 scholars over a three-year period, starting in 2025, and will be open to men and women from all backgrounds in the final year of their undergraduate degree. They must be studying at a non-Russell Group university and be dedicating their dissertation or research to an aspect of women’s legal history.
The launch of this initiative marks the ten-year anniversary of the First 100 Years project, which was founded by Dana Denis-Smith in March 2014. It will see each of the 30 scholarships bear the name of a different female legal trailblazer from the first 100 years of women in law, including Dr Ivy Williams, the first woman in England to qualify as a barrister, and Carrie Morrison, the first woman in England to be admitted as a solicitor.
In addition to a grant, each scholar will receive mentoring, the opportunity to speak at Next 100 Years events and potential placements at UK law firms.
Denis-Smith, CEO of Obelisk Support and founder of the Next 100 Years, said: ‘Ten years ago, we set out to recognise the female trailblazers who laid the groundwork for progress in the legal profession, celebrating their legacy and drawing inspiration to continue to push for equality for women in law.
‘Our new Paving the Way campaign is designed to support students building on that body of work, shining a light on the often unrecognised role of women who have challenged societal norms, confronted injustices and helped to shape our laws and legal system. We want to give the next generation of game changers help on the first step of their journey into a legal career.’
The scholars’ fund will be managed by Spark21, the charity powering both the First 100 Years and the Next 100 Years campaigns.
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