Links supports would-be lawyers' aspirations
2 April 2012 | By Laura Manning
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Linklaters has granted more than 30 wishes to would-be lawyers for 2012 through an innovative competition called ‘Aspire’ launched last year.
‘Aspire’ was rolled out in line with the magic circle firm’s ‘Link up. Change a life’ campaign, aimed at giving something back to the community (17 January 2011).
Graduate recruitment advisor Sharon Jacobs said: “We’re delighted to have run the Aspire competition for a second year and have seen some exciting and innovative entries from students who are looking to develop themselves and their communities.”
The prizes given to the aspiring lawyers include funding for several voluntary projects in Africa, Gambia, India, Kenya, Morocco, Uganda and Panama and contributions towards Mount Kilimanjaro expedition to support various charities.
Students were also given money to study several language courses, subscriptions to publications and equipment to aid their degrees. For the full list of winners and prize please see table below.
Speaking after the project was launched in February 2011, joint graduate recruitment partner Euan Clarke said: “It’s not about shouting about the firm’s own aspirations or corporate responsibility from the rooftops, but being informative to students; giving students some insight into the big things the firm values and seeks, as well as a chance to make a difference themselves.
“We’re looking for people who aspire to be the very best at what they do, as we do as a firm; and so providing a prize that helps a few people fulfil some worthy aspirations seems to be a good fit with that idea.”
The ‘Link up’ campaign resulted in Linklaters donating £20,000 to three charities: Projeto Alavanca in San Paulo; Lawyers in Schools in Hackney and Project Lend a Hand in Singapore.
| First Name | University Location | Prize |
| Adele | Durham | Contribution towards Mount Kilimanjaro expedition to support fundraising for Save the Children |
| Ahsan | Warwick | Funding towards study programme in China |
| Aysel | London | Rosetta Stone Arabic course |
| Betul | Exeter | Rosetta Stone Arabic course |
| David | Exeter | Laptop for use by the University of Exeter Community Legal Helpdesk |
| Eleanor | London | Smart clothes for vacation schemes |
| Elizabeth | Exeter | Donation to Ugandan non-governmental organisation called Mwenya Uganda, which runs medical and dental clinics in rural Uganda |
| Elizabeth | Manchester | Driving lessons |
| Emily | Leicester | Books and resources for volunteering trip to Kenya |
| Emily | York | Rosetta Stone Hindi course |
| Emily | Nottingham | Contribution towards Mount Kilimanjaro expedition to support fundraising for Childreach International |
| Jason | London | Contribution towards Mount Kilimanjaro expedition to raise money for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity |
| Katarzyna | London | Funding for youth leadership/communication programme |
| Katrina | London | Funding for programme in Panama with Global Development Brigades to provide legal services and advice to local communities |
| Kelsea | East Anglia | Rosetta Stone Russian course |
| Kimberley | London | Resources for underprivileged people in the local community in Stoke-on-Trent |
| Kyan | Cambridge | Funding towards volunteering project at Citizen’s Advice Bureau in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Leonie | Warwick | Funding for Arabic course in Morocco |
| Maya | York | Flights to Geneva to attend the UN International Law Commission session to obtain support for the topic of protecting the atmosphere |
| Mesha | London | Subscription to The Financial Times for the ’Breakfast Club’ Society |
| Mujammil | London | Funding for advertising charity football match |
| Oliver | London | Provision of chess/draughts boards for care homes in the UK |
| Patrick | London | Funding towards volunteering trip to schools in Kenya |
| Rebecca | London | Contribution towards Mount Kilimanjaro expedition to raise money for Water Aid |
| Richa | London | Funding towards volunteering trip to India with Apne Aap International |
| Rick | Loughborough | Laptop to enhance university studies |
| Sebastiaan | London | Donation to help set up Model UN training course for students in underprivileged areas of London |
| Sian | Warwick | Books and resources for village school in India |
| Sophie | Manchester | Funding towards volunteering project in Morocco with schools and orphanages |
| Sorcha | London | Contribution to volunteering project in Kenya with the Kenya Education Partnership Project |
| Suhail | Warwick | Funding for volunteering trip to Gambia with young people from Hackney |
| Tolu | London | Tagalog langugage course to enhance communication with sponsored family in the Philippines |
| Weiling | London | Contribution towards volunteering project with Give a Heart to Africa |


Readers' comments (2)
Anonymous | 6-Apr-2012 3:50 pm
S-A-O paulo. ffs, read a book. even wikipedia will do
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Anonymous | 10-Apr-2012 8:11 am
How very generous. A Rosetta Stone course to improve second language acquisition. So the magic circle will remain monolingual and increasingly desperate while the chinese cut their grass.
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