Birkbeck law student wins Freshfields Stephen Lawrence scholarship

Steve Lewis, an undergraduate law student at Birkbeck, University of London, has won the inaugural Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship, which aims to address the under-representation of black men from low-income households in large commercial law firms.

Each of the six recipients of the 2014 award will be given £3,500 towards their studies, as well as interview coaching, mentoring and career guidance. They will also be offered an alternative route to a training contact interview.

A mature student at age 43, Lewis said: "The scholarship is life-changing – it is a dream come true. I love the subject and what I am possibly able to do for other people, and one of my personal aims is to get more black youth into the legal profession."

As part of the application process, candidates met Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon OBE. She said: "My personal ambition is to help provide opportunities for people to become the best that they can be. I have met the scholars and am sure that the Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship will enable them to build successful careers."

Freshfields’ senior partner Will Lawes said: "We are delighted to have found these talented and driven individuals as our inaugural scholars. The aim of the scholarship is to open doors to the legal profession for people of potential and at the same time ensuring that we enrich the talent pool of candidates for positions at our firm for the long term."