Law firm Matheson and UCD have teamed up to launch a scheme aimed at promoting greater diversity in the legal profession.

The firm says that the Matheson Diversity in Law Newman Fellowship will contribute to building research-based evidence in the field of access to legal education for under-represented groups, as well as identifying hurdles experienced by those groups to access and remain in the legal profession.

Michael Jackson (managing partner, Matheson) said that the scheme built on the law firm’s existing initiatives on diversity and inclusion.

“We recognise the need for greater representation within the legal profession – and that starts with access to higher education,” he stated.

Barriers

Professor Laurent Pech (Dean of Law and Head of the Sutherland School of Law) said that the fellowship would be based in UCD Sutherland School of Law and supervised by Dr Sara Benedí Lahuerta.

“This research will give an insight into why ethnic minorities are still not sufficiently represented in the Irish legal profession, and what barriers they are facing to becoming practising lawyers,” he stated.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 16 June.