The Graham Rushton Award is an annual grant. The amount for this round of applications is around £10,000.
The award can be used towards exam fees, books, equipment or other study-related costs. If an applicant has been short-listed, they will have a remote interview with the Society of Visually Impaired Lawyers (SOVIL) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) staff in July 2027.
In cases where more than one applicant is approved by the scholarship panel, the grant may be divided between several awardees.
The grant will be allocated by 31 August 2027.
Completed applications must be received by 31 March 2027.
Applicants will then be contacted to confirm receipt of their application.
You should expect to hear from RNIB and the Society of Visually Impaired Lawyers (SOVIL) in May 2027 to find out whether the application has been shortlisted.
To be eligible, applicants may be required to demonstrate that one or more of the following apply:
Graham Rushton was a blind lawyer who left a considerable sum of money to RNIB as a legacy, which is to be spent on assisting blind and partially sighted law students studying English Law in the United Kingdom.
RNIB and the Society of Visually Impaired Lawyers (SOVIL) work in partnership to deliver this award which is for anyone who is studying law in the United Kingdom, whether for a degree, a post-degree conversion qualification or a post-degree legal training course.
If you need further information or require this information in large print, Braille or electronic format, please email: fran.trought@rnib.org.uk
To apply, please contact Fran Trought, Employment Advisor (Further and Higher Education Pathways) at RNIB at fran.trought@rnib.org.uk.
The application form will ask for personal details, your previous, current, and future studies.
You will also be asked to provide the following information:
You will also be asked to complete a personal statement that includes the following: