The Justice First Fellowship 2024 in UK (Fully Funded)

The Justice First Fellowship is a two-year training contract program that supports aspiring social welfare lawyers. It is funded by the Legal Education Foundation, a charity that works to promote access to justice for all.

The Fellowship was launched in 2014 in response to the growing shortage of social welfare lawyers in England and Wales. This shortage is due to a number of factors, including cuts to legal aid, pressure on local authority budgets, and the increasing complexity of social welfare law.

The Justice First Fellowship provides Fellows with a two-year training contract at a leading social welfare law firm or organization. Fellows also receive a bursary to cover their living expenses and the cost of their legal training.

In addition to their training contract, Fellows participate in a bespoke development program that includes:

• Mentoring and support from experienced social welfare lawyers
• Training on a range of social welfare law topics
• Networking opportunities with other social welfare lawyers and professionals

The Justice First Fellowship is highly competitive and only a small number of Fellows are selected each year. Applicants must have a strong academic record and a commitment to social justice.

The Justice First Fellowship has a number of benefits, both for Fellows and for the wider social welfare law sector. For Fellows, the Fellowship provides a unique opportunity to train at a leading social welfare law firm or organization and to gain the skills and experience they need to become successful social welfare lawyers. For the social welfare law sector, the Fellowship helps to ensure that there is a pipeline of talented and committed young lawyers entering the profession.

The Justice First Fellowship has been a success since its launch in 2014. Over 100 Fellows have qualified through the Fellowship and are now working in a range of social welfare law roles. The Fellowship has also helped to raise awareness of the importance of social welfare law and the need for more lawyers to work in this field.

Here are some examples of the work that Justice First Fellows have done:

• Representing victims of domestic violence
• Advocating for the rights of children and young people
• Helping people to access essential social security benefits
• Challenging unfair housing decisions
• Working to promote social justice and equality

The Justice First Fellowship is a valuable program that is making a real difference to the lives of vulnerable people and to the social welfare law sector as a whole.