Limerick legal eagle is first member of her family to complete third level education

A LIMERICK solicitor says only for the Law Society Access Programme, “I would not be where I am today”.

Vanessa Blake, of Leahy Reidy Solicitors, shares her experiences of receiving the grant and qualifying as a solicitor. The young woman from Carey’s Road in the city attended Coláiste Nano Nagle.

“I attended a local DEIS secondary school. The DEIS programme aims to reduce educational disadvantage and through this, I was afforded the opportunity of assistance such as grinds, after school study and various other resources,” she explained. 

READ MORE: PICTURES: Limerick parish celebrates the ordination of Fr Tim Collins

Vanessa’s goal was always to attend third level education, however, she was unsure if this was attainable. 

“The combined assistance of the DEIS and Access Programme made it possible.   

“I attended University of Limerick for four years and I graduated in 2019 with a LLB (Hons) Degree in Law Plus. I was the first member of my family to complete third level education. As soon as I graduated, I began my studies for the FE-1s (solicitor entrance exams).”

The first time Vanessa was introduced to the Law Society Access Programme was while she was studying at university. 

“It assisted me with my expenses. It contributed to and, in some instances, totally covered the cost of my travel and overnight stays in Dublin when completing the FE-1s and PPCI & PPCII (professional solicitor training courses).   

“At the time I had a part time job with minimal hours, but the programme alleviated financial strains for me and enabled me to focus purely on my studies, which in turn allowed me successfully complete the FE-1s, and PPCI & PPCII.  

“When I contacted the Law Society Access Programme team, I was re-assured that all my fees would be covered, except for a small contribution which was to be made by me or my training firm.”   

To add to this, she was also allowed assistance for overnight stays in Dublin, which as we all know can be quite expensive, and travel expenses to commute between Limerick and Dublin.

“On foot of my graduation from the University of Limerick I was offered, and successfully completed, a training contract in Leahy Reidy Solicitors and was entered into the Roll of Solicitors in February 2024.   

“I am fortunate to work in a firm that exposes me to a wide area of legal practice together with working with solicitors that carry an abundance of experience.   

“There is one thing I can say with confidence, had it not been for the Law Society Access Programme I would not be where I am today.”  

The Law Society of Ireland is inviting applications for its Access Programme which provides financial and practical supports to assist people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue a career as a solicitor. 

The Access Programme is part of the Law Society’s work to widen access to legal education. The deadline to apply for the next programme is this Friday, May 16.

For more information and to apply, visit Law Society Access Scholarship or email access@lawsociety.ie