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Diversity awards for University of Galway pair

Two University of Galway Law students, Mamadou Saliou Bah and Salma Smith, have been named as the first recipients of a scheme aimed at increasing diversity in the legal profession.

The RDJ Diversity and Inclusion Scholarships are worth €5,000 and include a work placement with law firm RDJ.

This year is the first year of the scheme, which supports students from ethnic minorities and those who are under-represented in the legal profession in Ireland.

Ten-year period

RDJ has donated €100,000 over ten years for the scholarships, which are awarded to two University of Galway Law students each academic year.

This year’s winners were chosen after a competitive selection and interview process based on exam results, a personal statement, and a 1,000-word essay discussing the topic ‘The Need for Diversifying the Legal Profession in Ireland’.

Commending the two recipients, JP Gilmartin (partner-in-charge of RDJ's Galway office) described them as “outstanding students”.