Students secure scholarship and work experience places at Ward Hadaway

Christopher Grayson and Rebecca Riding, who are both in the second year of their LLB Law degrees at Newcastle University, will both receive scholarships from Ward Hadaway to help with their studies as part of a scholarship scheme run by the Top 100 law firm.

Learning the law – (seated) Ward Hadaway scholarship recipients Christopher Grayson and Rebecca Riding with (standing, from left) Ward Hadaway managing partner Jamie Martin, work experience recipients Georgia Whitfield and Ashleigh Hamidzadeh, Jamie Gamble and Nicola Richardson of Ward Hadaway and Bronwen Jones of Newcastle University.

Along with fellow LLB Law students Georgia Whitfield, Ashleigh Hamidzadeh and Eleanor Dodsworth, they will also get a valuable insight into the workings of a top law firm when they undertake work experience at the Newcastle office of Ward Hadaway.

The scholarship scheme was open to applications from the ten law school students at Newcastle University who achieved the highest average marks in their first year exams. Those students applied with their CV and short statement in support of their application.

Applicants were then shortlisted and interviewed by Ward Hadaway Employment Partner Jamie Gamble and Commercial Litigation Associate Kirsty Dye.

Christopher and Rebecca were successful in securing the two scholarship places while Georgia, Ashleigh and Eleanor were offered work experience after impressing the interviewers with their applications and aptitude.

Jamie Gamble of Ward Hadaway said: “It was very difficult to choose from a number of outstanding candidates but Christopher and Rebecca are very worthy recipients of our scholarships whilst Georgia, Ashleigh and Eleanor performed so well that we wanted to reward them with work experience at Ward Hadaway.

“As a firm, we believe strongly in encouraging and investing in the next generation of outstanding lawyers and this scholarship scheme is a very practical way of doing just that.

“We hope that Christopher, Rebecca, Georgia, Ashleigh and Eleanor enjoy their time at Ward Hadaway and get a real insight and feel for what it is like working at a Top 100 law firm.”

Jamie Martin, managing partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “Identifying and nurturing talented young lawyers is a key part of our continuing success at Ward Hadaway and schemes like this one help with that process as well as enabling us to give promising students a taste of life at the firm and hopefully help to persuade them to stay in the region.”

Bronwen Jones, lecturer in the Law School at Newcastle University with responsibility for scholarships, said: “This scholarship scheme is really valuable for our students. They get experience of a real interview process, it helps them to think about what they want to do with their degrees and prepares them for real life and the experiences they are likely to go through in the near future.

“They get contact with a very strong law firm in the North East with opportunities to network and meet people that will always stand them in good stead. Getting to see how the law works in practice on a day to day level will also be very valuable to them and I am sure the work experience will be formative for them whatever they go on to do.”