2021 SCL Criminal Law Scholarship: Encouraging Students Who Are Passionate About Criminal Law

Applications for this year’s Sydney Criminal Lawyers Criminal Law Scholarship are open until midnight on 30 November 2021, and final as well as penultimate year law students in New South Wales and the ACT are encouraged to apply.

About the Sydney Criminal Lawyers law scholarship

Now in its third year, the scholarship comes with $5,000 and the opportunity to benefit from career guidance and mentorship from the firm’s profession-leading criminal defence team, as well as the potential for a practical legal training (PLT) placement where needed.

“The scholarship is our way of identifying bright, fresh, talent, and helping someone to get their career started, says Principal of Sydney Criminal Lawyers, Mr Ugur Nedim.

“The scholarship was established to help aspiring lawyers with a strong interest in criminal law and social justice to achieve their goals. It provides $5,000 to assist the winning candidate to complete studies, or to use as financial support as they embark on their careers. The profession benefits greatly from young people with new ideas and inspiration — this is important for the evolution of the profession and the justice system as a whole,” he says.

“Getting started, particularly if you have a significant student debt, can be difficult — we’d like to help a talented student with that, to take some of the financial pressure off, and help them to get a foothold in the profession.”

Previous scholarship recipients

Inaugural Winner (2019) Ella Parkes-Talbot is keen to pursue a career in criminal defence.

She used the scholarship money to contribute to her college of law fees.

After being awarded scholarship, Ella started working as her Honour Judge Flannery SC’s associate in the District Court of NSW. She then started working as a lawyer at the Legal Aid Commission’s Port Macquarie office.

Ruth Lubrainschik (2020) has a strong interest in the transformative power of the law, and has a long term goal of pursuing a career as a public defender. Ruth is currently the Associate to her Honour Judge Beckett in the District Court of New South Wales.

How to Apply

Applicants must have Australian citizenship or Australian permanent residency and be enrolled in their penultimate or final year in an LL.B, Juris Doctor or Legal Practitioners Admission Board course, or undertaking a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, in New South Wales or the ACT.

To apply, email a covering letter, resume and academic record to Mr Ugur Nedim at un@sydneycriminallawyers.com.au. Include all contact information. Applications close at 11.59pm, 30 November 2021.

The Criminal Law Scholarship is awarded based on a range of factors, including passion for criminal law, future objectives in the field, experience in voluntary positions and academic performance.