Pictured (L – R): Sally Anne Stone, partner and Head of Matheson's Commercial Real Estate Department and Jude Pierse, 2023 Matheson Cara Scholarship recipient
Matheson, in association with Trinity College Dublin (TCD), has announced second year TCD Law and Political Science student, Jude Pierse, as the winner of the 2023 Matheson Cara Scholarship.
Named the Matheson Cara Scholarship in honour of late Matheson partner, Cara O'Hagan, and delivered as part of Matheson's Impactful Business Programme, the annual scholarship is open to second year undergraduate students in TCD, including students on the Higher Education Access Route or the Disability Access Route to Education schemes, mature students and students who face barriers in third level education.
As winner of the Matheson Cara Scholarship, Jude is awarded the following by Matheson:
- a place on Matheson’s Summer Internship Programme in June 2024;
- a bursary of €5,000 for each academic year; and
- an assigned mentor from Matheson to provide support during Jude’s university journey.
Commenting on the scholarship award, Michael Jackson, Managing Partner of Matheson, said:
“On behalf of Matheson, I would like to congratulate Jude on this achievement, and we look forward to supporting him in his studies. Established as a tribute to Cara's work in leading many of Matheson's D&I initiatives, this scholarship underlines our longstanding commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion both within our firm, and within the communities in which we operate. At Matheson, we view D&I as a strategic necessity that fuels innovation, drives collaboration, and develops the best professionals to provide the best services to our clients, and we are proud to be able to support the next generation of legal talent.”
Professor Caoimhín MacMaoláin, Head of the School of Law at Trinity College Dublin, commented:
“Trinity College Law School are delighted that Jude is receiving this award. He is a most deserved recipient of the Matheson Cara Scholarship. This aspect of the partnership between Matheson and TCD is a fantastic initiative. It really promotes diversity and inclusion in our law school and in the legal profession. Jude is an exceptional law student and receiving the Matheson Cara Scholarship, and the opportunities that this brings, will prove to be invaluable to his future career.”
Winner of the Matheson Cara Scholarship, Jude Pierse, said:
“I am delighted to be the recipient of this life-changing bursary and grateful to Matheson for providing me with every opportunity to develop personally and excel in my legal career. Coming from a non-legal family, it can be very intimidating to walk through the doors of a large law firm. It often seems like a place out of reach. However, thanks to Cara's lasting work and the shared commitment of everyone at Matheson, I feel welcomed and valued.”
The Matheson Cara Scholarship is just one of Matheson’s many Impactful Business Programme initiatives, which encompass the firm’s diversity and inclusion, arts, environmental sustainability, and corporate social responsibility initiatives, together with its pro bono and employee wellbeing activities.
The scholarship also builds on Matheson’s existing graduate and intern programmes, including the Tim Scanlon Corporate Law Bursary, the First Step Programme, and the recently launched Career First Programme. To find out more about Matheson’s student programmes, please visit the Student and Graduate Careers hub.
