To ensure that law students in the nation do not face financial obstacles in their education, the law firm Rits-Attorneys-At-Law has announced its plan to offer scholarships to these students starting next year.
Sean Longwe, the head of business development, communications, and marketing at the firm, expressed this commitment on Friday during the finals of the Rits Commercial Law Moot Court Competition. He emphasized that as a law firm, it is disheartening to witness law students abandoning their studies due to financial difficulties, prompting the firm to launch the scholarship initiative.
“Following the devaluation of the Malawi Kwacha by 44 percent, nothing is working in Malawi. We see school fees being raised by institutions something which is likely to increase number of drop outs. So as a law firm, we do not want law students experiencing such challenges in their studies hence our intervention to provide scholarships to them, “he said.
He indicated that the students to benefit from the scholarships will be picked from tertiary institutions that offer law programmes such as University of Malawi (UNIMA), Catholic University of Malawi ( UNIMA) and Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) which has recently introduced a law programme.
On his part, High Court Judge Justice Joseph Chigona praised the firm for introducing the Rits Commercial Moot Court Competition, saying it has provided a platform for University of Malawi law students to showcase their skills.
He said through the competition, the students are now demonstrating a good quality of advocacy in the field of law.
“You are doing a great job and we really appreciate the good work that you are doing at the law school in Zomba,” he said.
Alice Malunga and other three male students emerged as the winners of the competition.
They all went away with certificates.
Ritz Attorneys-At-Law, UNIMA’s Students Law Society (SLS) and UNIMA’s Faculty of Law signed a five-year partnership in 2021 with the desire to produce high quality lawyers who are well grounded in transactional, advisory and dispute settlement areas of commercial law.
