The Smith and Partners Law Scholarships are awarded annually to students from West Auckland secondary schools to assist them to pay their first year of fees towards a New Zealand university law degree.
Prizes
Each year we award $4000 in scholarships.
The scholarship pool comprises:
- Main prize: $3500 scholarship
- People’s Choice Award: $500 scholarship
- Finalists: $50 book voucher
A finalist will be appointed from each of the eligible schools, subject to a suitable candidate meeting minimum requirements.
Applicant Eligibility
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be:
- A New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- Enrolled in a West Auckland Secondary School (listed below) in the year of application
- Intending to study law at a New Zealand University in the year following application
(Acceptance to a registered NZ law programme will be required prior to payment).
The scholarship cannot be deferred to a later year.
Selection Criteria
Students will be selected for scholarships based on the following:
- Finalists will be selected based on the two essays and school results
- Finalists will be required to attend an interview at the Smith and Partners offices
- Scholarship winners will be selected based on the interview
- The People’s Choice Award will go to the finalist with the most votes (for more information see the People’s Choice Award section)
In the event that a previously announced winner does not get accepted into a New Zealand University law programme, the runners up will receive the scholarship amounts.
2023 Law Scholarship
Applications for the 2023 round of Smith and Partners Law Scholarships have now closed. Follow along with the results of our 2023 scholarship program at our Facebook page – Smith and Partners Law Scholarship.
Key Dates
Applications closed: 19 May 2023
Finalists announced: 27 June 2023
People’s Choice Award voting open: 7 August 2023
Payment of scholarship: The money will be paid directly to the scholarship recipient upon proof of acceptance into a New Zealand university law programme.
The application closing date listed above is final. All the other dates are tentative and subject to change. All applicants will be advised of any changes to the schedule.
People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award is being offered to finalists in the Smith and Partners Law Scholarship.
The essay ‘What Makes West Auckland Great’ from each of the finalists will be published here on the Smith and Partners website.
Friends, family and the public will be invited to vote for their favourite essay. The author with the most votes at midnight on the closing date will receive a $500 scholarship, subject to their acceptance into a New Zealand law school.
The People’s Choice Award will be promoted via participating schools, and via social media including the Smith and Partners Law Scholarship facebook page.
Vote for your favourite essay or finalist here
For more information about Smith and Partners Law Scholarships, please contact Smith and Partners’ Marketing Assistant, Kayla Passi by email at kayla.passi@smithpartners.co.nz.
