Aspiring Solicitors launches charity to support wannabe lawyers from low- income families

Leading diversity and inclusion organisation Aspiring Solicitors has launched a charity to provide financial relief to aspiring lawyers in England and Wales.

The Aspiring Solicitors Foundation (AS Foundation) will support undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students from low-income families with financial assistance to cover costs such as laptops, textbooks, travel expenses and items required for legal interviews and work experience placements.

Eligible applicants will be able to apply for grants between £25 and £500 and must demonstrate a firm commitment to pursuing a career in law. Applicants will need to provide evidence as to why they need financial support and will remain in contact with AS Foundation to promote the benefit they achieved from the assistance.

The AS Foundation is currently accepting financial donations from law firms, legal teams and individual supporters before the charity opens for grant applications in January 2020.

Founder Chris White said: "This is a great opportunity for law firms to collectively remove a very real and regretful barrier to entering the legal profession. The AS Foundation will provide aspiring solicitors from low income backgrounds/circumstances the ability to access the same opportunities in the legal profession as those who are financially more fortunate. We thank all of the law firms and corporates supporting the charity and look forward to providing as much funding as possible to eligible aspiring solicitors."

You can find out more about the charity on the AS Foundation website.