Final year LLB Law student Chelsea Leonard has been awarded the Malcolm Wright Scholarship and a Blackstone Entrance Exhibition from Middle Temple.
The 21-year-old from Walsall was chosen from hundreds of applicants and will receive £13,000 through the scholarship to go towards her Bar Professional Training Course.
She said: “It’s brilliant, I’m really happy. This has made the difference between being able to afford to start this autumn or having to save up for another year. I had two jobs alongside my uni studies but didn’t have enough to cover fees and living costs – now I can start my course without having to wait.”
Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court, which all barristers must belong to, and
The Malcolm Wright Scholarship is for those whose upbringing has fallen mainly on one parent or guardian.
Chelsea was interviewed virtually during the lockdown by a panel including a judge, a QC and a junior barrister before finding out she was successful last week.
After a last-minute decision to study Law instead of Psychology, Chelsea’s confidence grew during her time at Staffordshire University.
Alongside her studies, Chelsea has volunteered as a youth offender mentor and offered free legal advice to the community with the Staffordshire University Legal Advice Clinic, SULAC. She also worked as a student ambassador and was a student rep for her course.
She explained: “I didn’t do that well in my GCSEs and I had a lack of confidence – I thought coming from a state school and from a council estate would hold me back. One of the key things I learned at university is to believe in yourself and that if you have a genuine passion you should just go for it!
“My Criminal Law lecturer Louis Martin made me want to get more involved – I didn’t believe in myself but he did. If I had gone to another university then I don’t think I would have achieved as much as I have.”
Chelsea plans to specialise in Criminal Law and will begin her barrister training in London this September.
Louis Martin, Senior Lecturer in Law, said: “This is fantastic news and all of her tutors in the Law Department will be very proud of her. Chelsea has been a delight to work with on her journey to the Bar and contributed to Staffordshire University life as a course rep, student ambassador and role model.
“I have worked with Chelsea on this project for two years and she has been completely dedicated to achieving a scholarship from the Inns of Court. This award will facilitate her dream of becoming a barrister.”
Join Staffordshire University through Clearing this September and realise your own potential in an ever-changing world. Discover more at https://www.staffs.ac.uk/clearing or call our Clearing hotline on 0800 590 830.