A £360,000 fund to support about 190 aspiring solicitors from disadvantaged backgrounds has been launched by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Only organisations—not the individuals concerned—are eligible to apply for the SQE Access and Reinvestment Fund. They will be asked to show how their schemes support aspiring solicitors who face barriers to entry such as a disability, family estrangement or background in a cared for setting.
If successful, they can use their allocation to cover the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) entry fees of candidates they have selected for support.
Paul Philip, SRA chief executive, said: ‘We do not want to see talented individuals being held back by financial constraints and other personal challenges.’
The fund is generated by payments from SQE provider Kaplan. The deadline for applications is 30 April, and more information is available here.
