Scholarship announced for Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander law students, jointly backed by firms

The scholarship will support two Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians living in or intending to reside in Western Australia and currently pursuing or planning to enrol in undergraduate or postgraduate law degrees at one of five universities in the state. 

For at least two years, a full-time enrollee will get maximum financial assistance of $10,000 per year, with a part-time enrollee receiving a pro rata amount. If there are enough funds, the scholarship may last for the duration of the recipient’s single or double law degrees. 

The scholarship will also offer recipients professional development, networking, and mentoring opportunities via the participating law firms or the university’s Aboriginal/Indigenous students’ unit. 

Through the scholarship, recipients may also have opportunities to appear in publications, media, and events in connection with the scholarship. Recipients may acknowledge the scholarship in theses, dissertations, or other publications arising from research conducted while receiving the funds. 

Selection criteria for recipients include financial hardship and/or personal circumstances, satisfactory academic standing, community engagement, and other relevant achievements or information provided. 

The selection committee will include one representative of each of the following categories: 

• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander practising or non-practising member of the legal profession in Western Australia 
• a staff member or academic of the university’s Indigenous school or its law school, or one experienced in best practice scholarship selection (an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, if possible) 
• somebody acting on behalf of the law firms, appointed on a rotational basis (an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, where possible)