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Law student lands Queen Mother's Scholarship

A law student at the University of Kent has been awarded one of the legal profession's most prestigious scholarships. Janie Clement-Walker, who recently completed her law degree at the University's Medway campus, has received a Queen Mother's Scholarship from the Middle Temple - one of London's four Inns of Court - in order to train for a career as a barrister.

Hundreds of budding barristers compete annually for Middle Temple scholarships, which are awarded to candidates who have shown outstanding personal qualities and commitment during the course of their studies, as well as demonstrating impressive intellectual ability.

With the aid of the £10,000 grant that comes with Janie's scholarship - one of the highest awards made by the Middle Temple - she will now enrol upon her one-year bar vocational course, which will teach her the skills required to be a barrister. 'I feel very honoured, especially considering the huge competition there is for scholarships of this type,' she said. 'I have worked hard for the past few years to gain my degree, and this award will allow me to get even nearer to my dream of practising as a barrister - although I still have a lot of hard work in front of me.'

During her three years studying at the Medway campus, Janie devoted plenty of time to voluntary work. As a student ambassador and part of the Kent Students Volunteer Certificate group, she was a regular visitor to schools - telling potential students about university life - and has been a mentor to first-year students at the campus.

Janie was also a founder member and former chairperson of the Kent Law Clinic at Medway. The clinic - a partnership between Law students and practising solicitors in the Kent and Medway regions - offers a free legal advice and representation service to the local community.

Just months after collecting a Times Higher Education Award for outstanding service to the community, the Kent Law Clinic also received a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. Janie joined Kent's Vice-Chancellor Professor Julia Goodfellow, Director of the Law Clinic John Fitzpatrick and four other students at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace to receive the award, and described her experience of meeting the Queen as one of the highlights of her student experience. 'We had a short conversation about my life as a mature student, which made a really special day even more incredible - something I'll never forget,' she said.

Alongside fellow Medway student Marina Doku, Janie also reached the national finals of the Negotiation Competition, a contest for law students from universities and law schools across the country.

Janie, a mother of four from Gillingham, Kent, said embarking on her Law degree in her mid-40s was a daunting prospect, but found she had support at every step. 'As Kent students we have had a very close working relationship with our tutors. The environment is very supportive and I always had encouragement when I needed it,' she said.

Applications to study Law at Kent's Medway campus have risen by more than 40 per cent since the launch of the course five years ago. Law can be studied as either a full-time or part-time degree. Students have access to online learning and can attend both day and evening seminars.

Contact: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 10:30am 27 May 2008