Jordan's story

I was born in Luton and moved up to Edinburgh aged six to live with my auntie and younger brother and then attended school in Edinburgh. Unfortunately, the high school I went to was not renowned for its academic success, probably because of the less affluent area of Edinburgh in which it sits, and so initially university was not an option that seemed likely. After seeing the road a lot of my peers were taking during fifth and sixth year, I knew I wanted to follow a different path. So, after some research, I knew law was the right course for me.

I successfully applied to the University of Dundee to study Dual Qualifying English and Scots law. As I was the first in my immediate family to go to university, I had no idea what to expect, except I was probably going to be confused in the library for countless hours a day and be struggling to live off my student loan – and that’s where the Lawscot Foundation comes in.

I was introduced to other law students across the country in very similar situations as to myself [fellow Lawscot Foundation students]; it was good to get an insight as to how they were finding things to do with the course and it immediately created a network of people to keep in contact with. Furthermore, I was given two mentors, one who is in progressed study and one currently practicing. This has been very helpful as I can turn to my student mentor for any academic queries I may have and know he is still very much in touch with such things and thus able to provide a helping hand when needed. My other mentor, a practicing solicitor in Dundee, is the mentor I am in most contact with. Often meetings are centered around how I am getting on and giving any relevant advice but also it is good to speak to someone in the field and find out more, almost first hand, about what it is like to be a lawyer. This has been great, and I have found the meetings very useful.

On top of help with my academic studies, the Lawscot Foundation provides many opportunities to go and visit practices specialising in different areas of law, allowing us a better insight and understanding. This is most helpful as it helps shape my opinion on which type of law, if any, I would like to go into. Coming from a less affluent background than most, I was not sure how I was going to survive financially but the Lawscot Foundation has provided an extremely useful bursary to ensure I can carry on through university and know finances are not a worry. I am extremely grateful of my involvement in the Lawscot Foundation and how it is helping me through my studies, putting me in a good position for a career in the profession later on.

Jordan graduated from the University of Dundee in 2021. He graduted from the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Edinburgh in 2022. He commenced his traineeship with our corporate sponsor firm, Morton Fraser, in 2022.