Matheson LLP has awarded one Maynooth University law student a six-month internship, while another has won a legal-writing prize.

The two students were participants in the funds-law course delivered by Matheson as part of Maynooth University's LLM programme.

Jordan Donoghue from Longford has been awarded a six-month internship in Matheson's asset-management and investment-funds department, based on her results and a competitive interview process.

Alanna Kells from Cavan has won a legal-writing prize, having received the highest grade for her written assignment forming part of the course assessment.

‘Valuable link’

2023 marks ten years since Matheson partnered with Maynooth University to deliver the first specialised funds-law course at third level.

The firm says that the course has created a valuable link between graduate skills and the demand for talent in a thriving area of Ireland's economy.

Tara Doyle (Matheson’s head of asset-management and investment funds) said that the collaboration with Maynooth University was focused on ensuring that graduates had the necessary knowledge and mentoring to pursue successful careers in the funds sector.

Fast-tracking

The module on funds law forms part of the LLM in Global Legal Studies and the LLM in International Business Law offered by Maynooth School of Law and Criminology, and is coordinated and delivered by Matheson's Brónagh Maher, along with partners from the firm's asset-management and investment-funds department.

Students are given the opportunity to attend lectures in Matheson's offices, and the firm also directly employs the most talented graduates from the course, fast-tracking them into the funds sector.

In recent years, the funds-law course has included a focus on sustainable finance and ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing.