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Media release
Issued: Monday May 23rd 2005
A single parent from Swansea, who made her way through law school on income support, has won a £1,000 scholarship to help her continue her legal studies and become a fully qualified lawyer.
Kim Griffiths, 38 from Ystalyfera in Swansea, beat off fierce competition from all other students on Swansea University’s Legal Practice Course to win the scholarship with altior Consulting and Training, one of the UK’s leading legal training providers.
She will now be able to study for her Professional Skills Course for free with altior.
Speaking about her scholarship, Kim said: “The last four years studying to become a solicitor have been an enormous struggle to survive, trying to cover the costs of my courses and provide for my two children, one whom is18 and going through college himself.
“I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer but I’ve been a single parent for over 10 years and my GCSEs weren’t quite up to scratch, so I thought it was just a pipe-dream. But then, as my children started growing up, I knew it was something I had to pursue, even if I failed. So I re-sat my GCSEs, took a bar job and started a part-time law degree at Swansea Institute. It was a real juggling act, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
“After my degree, the next step for me was to gain my Legal Practice Course qualification and I enrolled at Swansea University. This is where I heard about the altior scholarship, which sponsors you to complete the Professional Skills Course. When I applied, I never expected to win, but I thought it had to be worth a shot.
“Not only does this scholarship give me some financially security, but it also means that I have taken another step closer to becoming a solicitor. All I need now is a training contract with a local firm and my dream will have finally come true.”
Mark Loosemore, chief executive at altior, said: “Kim is a real inspiration. Despite her circumstances, she has excelled in all of her studies and has never lost sight of her goal. She is extremely determined and a worthy winner of the scholarship. I’m sure we can look forward to great things from her in the future.
“Promoting excellence in the legal profession is at the heart of our business, so supporting students as they make the transition into professional life is a natural step for us. At altior, we are also solicitors ourselves, so we understand the need for strong support during these crucial training years.”
Michael Draper, the Legal Practice Course Director at Swansea University, said: “Kim has worked tirelessly to get where she is and has been a first-class student. We’d like to wish her the very best of luck with the new course and with the rest of her legal career.”
Mei Lin, 22, originally from Hong Kong and now living in Treforest, also won a £1000 scholarship from altior for her work on the Legal Practice Course at the University of Glamorgan.
Media enquiries to Jo Siddall at Freshwater on 029 20 545 370 or email jsiddall@freshwater-uk.com
altior is a leading specialist legal training and consulting firm, providing training for thousands of legal professionals every year at venues across the UK. |
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