Freeths Mukesh Patel Award for Law

National law firm, Freeths LLP, has committed to supporting law students at the University of Leicester in memory of former Managing Partner Mukesh Patel. 

In addition to offering an award of £4,000 per year for two years, Freeths LLP are also offering a generous wraparound package, including:

• Mentoring throughout year two and three by Freeths LLP employees
• A paid one week placement at Freeths LLP’s Leicester Office in July 2027
• The opportunity to attend Freeths LLP’s Trainee Solicitor Programme assessment day, subject to performance during the one-week placement and in a subsequent strengths-based assessment and interview.
• The potential to be selected for Freeths LLP’s Trainee Solicitor Programme with SQE funding to start after graduation (subject to successful performance at the assessment day and a final interview)

For academic year 2026/27, one Freeths Law Scholarship is available for a second year undergraduate Law student.

Award details

The Freeths Mukesh Patel Award has been established thanks to the generous support of Freeths LLP. The award is intended to support a second year undergraduate Law student from an underrepresented background in Higher Education and/or who is likely to face financial challenges during their university studies.

This award is intended to help its recipient with the gap in funding between available maintenance loans and the average cost of studying at university. The successful applicant will receive £4,000 per year for the two remaining years of their degree course. The award will be paid in equal instalments in February of the second and third years of undergraduate campus-based study.

If a successful applicant opts to take a Study Abroad Year, their Year 3 instalment will be deferred until they return to campus-based learning in their final year.

Eligibility

To be eligible to be considered for the Freeths Law Scholarship, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be a second year undergraduate Law student at the University of Leicester during academic year 2026/27
• Be studying full-time, be campus based and living in Leicester City at the time of applying for this award
• Be assessed as paying home tuition fees
• Have been permanently resident in the UK for the past three years in an area of low participation in higher education (POLAR 4, Quintile 1), or
• Have been permanently resident in the UK for the past three years in an area of socio-economic deprivation (IMD Decile 1-2).
• Have a household income of £40,000 or below, as confirmed by the Student Loans Company, or alternative evidence produced upon request.

In addition, a desirable but not mandatory characteristic for the recipient of this award is that they have an interest in commercial law, which aligns with the specialism of Freeths LLP. Applicants who do have this interest, or who are open to a future career in commercial law, should make reference to this in their personal statement.

The exchange of personal data relating to an application for this award between the University of Leicester and Freeths LLP will be essential to the shortlisting and selection process. In applying, applicants will automatically consent to this exchange of personal data. Applicants may request withdrawal of their application and personal data up until the application deadline; however, this will mean their application cannot be progressed further. If you have any questions about this, please contact Advancement at [email protected].

How to apply

Please check your eligibility before making an application. Awards may be withdrawn if we later become aware that successful applicants have not met eligibility criteria or have provided false information.

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide a personal statement of up to 350 words, which could explain:

• i) what difference will receiving the award make to your university experience?
• ii) what barriers have you already encountered or overcome in pursuit of your education?
• iii) what ambitions do you have for your time at university and/or the future beyond university?
• iv) what achievements, academic and/or personal, are you most proud of? There is no right or wrong answer; we are just keen to hear your own story.
• v) What aspects of law are you most interested in, and what areas of law (criminal law, commercial law etc.) appeal to you the most?

The deadline for applying for this bursary is 10am on Monday 12 October 2026. Applications made after this date will not be considered.

You can apply for the Freeths Mukesh Patel Award for Law via our online application form.

Shortlisting

Applications for the Freeths Mukesh Patel Award submitted by the deadline stated above will be screened to confirm applicants meet all of the necessary criteria. They will then be shortlisted, with marks achieved during Year 1 and the contents of applicant’s personal statement being taken into account to identify applicants with both financial need and high academic potential.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to complete Freeth LLP’s online assessment during October 2026. Applicants who successfully pass the online assessment will then be invited to interview at Freeth LLP’s Leicester Office in November 2026. Following this round of interviewing a successful applicant for the Freeths Mukesh Patel Award for Law will be selected.

Notification

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by Monday 30 November 2026 by the Advancement Office.

Questions

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Advancement Office at [email protected].