Scholarship Opportunity

Kay Smith Scholarship

This scholarship commemorates Kay Smith's 33 years of sustained outstanding contribution to The College of Law. In honour of Kay's dedication, this scholarship has been introduced by the Board of Governors to support the education aspirations of outstanding law graduates and young lawyers.

Read more about Kay Smith here.

SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS

Name of the scholarship
The Kay Smith Scholarship.

Purpose of the scholarship
The purpose of this Scholarship is to assist law graduates and young lawyers, for whom educational opportunities are limited due to financial or other hardship to complete an LLM (Applied Law) or the College Practical Legal Training course.

Scholarship value
The value of the Scholarship will be the equivalent of the aggregate costs of a College LLM (Applied Law) or the fee for undertaking the College Practical Legal Training course.

Number offered
One Scholarship per year (or otherwise at the discretion of the Board of Governors).

Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the Scholarship, an applicant must:

1. be an Australian or New Zealand law graduate or new admitted lawyer (admitted less than three years) who has obtained their legal qualification from an Australian or New Zealand institution whilst working and studying;
2. be able to demonstrate that their educational opportunities are limited due to financial difficulty or other adverse personal circumstances and that the award of the Scholarship would assist them to address these limitations; and
3. not already hold any other bursary/scholarship or be a past recipient of this Scholarship.

Body responsible for selection
The selection committee for the Scholarship will be the Board of Governors or delegate acting on advice of such committees or other agencies as it may appoint from time to time.

Selection criteria
The Scholarship will be awarded to an eligible applicant who in the opinion of the Board of Governors best demonstrates through their application and supporting documentation:

1. commitment to academic achievement;
2. adverse circumstances as set out in paragraph 5.2 of the eligibility criteria; Supporting evidence might include evidence of having exhausted any Fee-HELP allowance, evidence of having been rejected for a personal loan, or inability of any family member to assist financially.
3. contribution to or a positive impact made on family and/or the community;
4. personal qualities and motivation, including:
   • the applicant's legal career aspirations and the uses to which they hope to put their legal training;
   • a commitment to career advancement utilizing education strategies;
   • a mature appreciation of how a dynamic legal career can advance the interests of both the lawyer and the community in parallel;
5. leadership qualities, as for example:
   • demonstrated ability to deliver results;
   • strength of purpose in the pursuit of his or her goals;
   • creativity and innovation;
   • self-awareness of his or her role in particular activities and the impact on other people;
   • a strong desire to contribute to society;
6. personal circumstances or background that in the opinion of the Board of Governors warrants special consideration.

Award of the scholarship
The Scholarship will be awarded to an eligible applicant, on the recommendation of the Board of Governors.

The awarding of a Scholarship is at the sole discretion of the Board of Governors. No Scholarship will be awarded if the Board of Governors considers there are no applicants of sufficient merit or suitability.

The successful applicant will be notified in writing by the College with the award to be presented to the recipient at an annual College event such as the ALP graduation or Annual General Meeting.

Recipient requirements
The recipient of the Scholarship must:

1. submit an end of financial year report to the College, outlining their progress and achievements. The College will notify the recipient of the report submission due date;
2. participate in any publications, media and events related to the award of the Scholarship; and
3. where the scholarship is awarded to enable the recipient to complete a College LLM (Applied Law), achieve a passing grade in each subject undertaken. If the recipient fails any subject the Board may, at its discretion, deny to the recipient any further funding under the scholarship.

Application dates
Applications are invited annually.

Timing of application
If an Australia citizen wishes to apply for the Kay Smith Scholarship to undertake either a Master of Laws (Applied Law) or a Practical Legal Training course the application must be submitted by the fifteenth day of December in each year, together with an application form for a relevant course commencing late February or thereafter in the following year.

Application process
To apply for the Scholarship an eligible applicant must complete the Application Form and attach the following supporting documentation:

1. evidence of Australian or New Zealand citizenship;
2. a statement by the applicant addressing each of the Selection Criteria outlined above;
3. a copy of the applicant's academic transcript/record;
4. a brief curriculum vitae and the names and contact details (address, email, telephone) of two referees; 

Applications are to be submitted by email to enrolments@collaw.edu.au

Short-listed applicants may be required to meet with some members of the Board of Governors for an informal interview.