Wynn Williams Announces Scholarship For Ākonga Māori

Wynn Williams is delighted to announce the Wynn Williams Law Scholarship for Ākonga Māori in collaboration with Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury.

The scholarship is the result of 12 months collaboration between Wynn Williams and University of Canterbury to enable a programme that provides support to ākonga Māori to achieve academically in a programme for an LLB or LLB(Hons) degree.

The scholarship provides financial assistance, paid summer clerkships at Wynn Williams and a mentorship programme with a partner of the Firm for the life of the scholarship.

Philip Maw, National Managing Partner of Wynn Williams, says this scholarship is part of the Firm’s commitment to invest not only in the lawyers of tomorrow but to help level the playing field for all who have a desire to enter the legal profession, and that great care has been taken to ensure the regulations deliver on the intention of the scholarship.

“Māori students are significantly underrepresented in legal studies which is a detriment to the profession. Hopefully, this scholarship will help remove some of the barriers to Māori completing their law degree,” says Maw.

“It’s not just about the financial support, adds Maw. “Being accessible to provide assistance and real-world advice, we hope, will make a significant difference to this ākonga as they journey through their degree and prepare for life as a lawyer.

“The partnership between kaitautoko and ākonga is a very special one and we look forward to establishing a long legacy of working hand in hand with ākonga Māori to ease the pathway into our profession.”

University of Canterbury Faculty of Law Amo Matua | Executive Dean Professor John Page says the University aims to make education more accessible and the scholarship will help further this goal.

“The combination of mentoring, clerkships and financial support make this a really valuable and worthwhile scholarship package that will help lift barriers. We welcome Wynn Williams’ support and encourage ākonga Māori in the Faculty of Law to apply,” says Page.

Applications for Wynn Williams Law Scholarship for Ākonga Māori are now open. Applicants must have whakapapa Māori and be enrolled full-time at University of Canterbury in their second, third, or fourth year in a programme for an LLB or LLB(Hons) degree. Applications close on Friday 31 March 2023. Find our more here: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/scholarshipsforms/regulations/Wynn_Williams_Law_Scholarship_for_Akonga_M%C4%81ori.pdf

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