Today, Travers Smith LLP is announcing the establishment of the Andrew King Scholarship, a new grant aimed at expanding access to legal careers. The Scholarship is launched in the name of former Travers Smith partner Andrew King, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Andrew joined the firm in 1986 and went on to become a partner in the firm's Dispute Resolution department in 1996. He retired from the firm in 2023, having spent his whole career at Travers Smith. Alongside his impressive legal practice, Andrew devoted considerable time and energy to supporting the firm's Trainee Solicitors, serving first as an Early Careers Partner and for many years as Training Principal. Andrew held a firm belief that raw intellectual ability was the foundation of a successful legal career, and that talent - regardless of background - should never go unrecognised or unsupported. He was an informal mentor to a great many people throughout the firm, and it is in this spirit that the Andrew King Scholarship has been established, carrying forward the values he embodied.
The Andrew King Scholarship is aimed at students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who may lack the financial means or wider support to focus fully on their university studies, but who possess the intellectual potential to thrive. As part of the selection process, a number of candidates will be invited to experience life at Travers Smith, gaining meaningful work experience that they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to access. The firm will then be selecting one Scholar, who will receive a grant of £3,000 per year for the duration of their undergraduate degree, alongside support from two dedicated Travers Smith mentors and the opportunity to attend our Summer Vacation Scheme.
Stephanie Lee, Partner, Dispute Resolution says:
"Andrew was a deeply valued colleague and friend to so many, both at Travers Smith and in the wider legal community. He is hugely missed by us all. Andrew had an instinctive ability to spot raw talent, and an equally strong conviction that it should never go to waste. These attributes resulted in him devoting a significant amount of time to the support, development and mentorship of a large number of people at the firm.
The Andrew King Scholarship is a fitting reflection of who he was: someone who cared about and invested in people, who was determined to ensure that background and financial means should not have a bearing on an individual's ability to succeed, and understood that supporting the right person at the right moment can change the course of a career."
Applications for the Scholarship are open from 2 November 2026 and close on 1 January 2027.
Find out more about the Andrew King Scholarship here.
