Prizes and Scholarships

The Law Society is proud to offer prizes and scholarships that strengthen relationships, create new opportunities, and recognise the hard work of students. These initiatives help to build stronger connections between universities, the profession, and the wider community, while also supporting the growth of a diverse and inclusive legal profession.

Applications are now being accepted for the First Nations GDLP Scholarship and Paid Placement. Closing Date for applications: Thursday, 30 July 2026. Please see below for more information and the application form.

First Nations GDLP Scholarship and Paid Placement

Applications are now being accepted for the First Nations GDLP Scholarship and Paid Placement. Closing Date for applications: Thursday, 30 July 2026. Download the application form here.

The Society is committed to empowering a diverse and inclusive legal profession, this includes creating new opportunities for First Nations Law Students and Graduates to facilitate a pathway to a successful career in the law. There are 4,519 legal practitioners in South Australia, 26 of those practitioners identify as First Nations, equating to just 0.57% of the legal profession.

The Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (GDLP) (including a three-week placement in a law practice) is the final compulsory step to achieve admission as a legal practitioner. Unfortunately, feedback and statistics show us that following successful completion of their Law Degree, most First Nations Law Students are unable to commit to this final step due to family and financial circumstances, therefore few go on to achieve admission as a legal practitioner.

The GDLP Scholarship covers the full GDLP course fees for one eligible First Nations Law Student, in addition it will provide a three-week paid mandatory placement at a South Australia law practice, to complete their Practical Legal Training requirement.

This scholarship was made possible through the generous support of legalsuper and the Society.

Previous Recipients:

  • 2025: Nicolas Emili

Law Society of South Australia Prize - Flinders University – College of Business, Government and Law Celebration of Academic Excellence

Sponsorship of academic prizes is a powerful mechanism for promoting high-achieving students and strengthening the ties between the University, industry, and the community.

  • The prize shall be awarded to the graduating student with the highest GPA in any one of the LLB/LP or LLB (Honours) courses.
  • If two or more students receive the same total mark, the prize will be shared between recipients.
  • The Chair of the College Assessment Advisory Group shall determine the eligibility and ranking of students, and judge whether a candidate has sufficient merit to warrant the award.
  • Prize duration: 1 year (Awarded in 2023 based on the 2022 study).
  • The prize is $500.

Previous Recipients:

  • 1993: Darren Jones
  • 1994: *Sophie Downey, *Annelise Van Deth
  • 1995: Darren James
  • 1996: Melinda Mayne
  • 1997: Michael Woods
  • 1998: Suzanne Johns
  • 1999: Alice DeBats
  • 2000: Leena M Sudano
  • 2001: Maria Ho
  • 2002: Eleanor Taylor-Nicholson
  • 2003: Andrew Gun
  • 2004: Simon Gill
  • 2005: Frances Willis
  • 2006: Merryn Cossey
  • 2007: Joanna Priest
  • 2008: Brian Stofell
  • 2009: Chester Frank
  • 2010: Matthew Boisseau
  • 2011: Katharine Wheldrake
  • 2012: Benjamin James Goodyear
  • 2013: William Phillips
  • 2014: Melissa O'Grady
  • 2015: Elizabeth O'Keeffe
  • 2016: Jordan Gifford-Moore
  • 2017: Riana Cermak
  • 2018: Patricia Rushton
  • 2019: Monica Bartlett
  • 2020: Timothy Bost
  • 2021: Helga Benyone Dr Hauzer
  • 2022: Helen Kremmidiotis
  • 2023: Cassandra Alvey
  • 2024: Lewis Lock-Weir

Law Society of South Australia Centenary Prize – Adelaide Law School

The prize will be awarded to the Student with the highest final year grade point average and is $500.

Previous Recipients:

  • 2021: Emily Whenan
  • 2022: Marilee Hou

FORUM Student Scholarships

To encourage student engagement and provide valuable learning experiences, the Society offers a 1-day scholarship for two deserving students from each of the following organisations to attend the Society's annual FORUM. These scholarships aim to recognise and support outstanding individuals who show promise in their academic and extracurricular pursuits.

  • The University of Adelaide Law School
  • University SA Law School
  • Flinders University Law School
  • Pride in Law
  • Aboriginal Law Mentoring Program

FORUM is South Australia’s Premier Legal Profession Conference, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre over two days every February. The conference has 30 sessions covering all areas of law, bringing together professionals, academics, and thought leaders to exchange ideas and explore emerging trends in the legal profession. The selected students receive complimentary registration for one day of FORUM, including access to all sessions, workshops, and networking events taking place valued at $550.00 each.

Previous Recipients:
2025:

  • The University of Adelaide Law School – Leah Schlein, Caden Yau
  • University SA Law School – Sian Davies, Reece Parker
  • Flinders University Law School – Samuel Sarris,
  • Pride in Law – Meredith Hennessy
  • Aboriginal Law Mentoring Program - Nick Arundel

2024:

  • The University of Adelaide Law School - Patricia Pappas, Ahalya Kamineni
  • University SA Law School - Andrew Makin, Neriah Jane Hockings
  • Flinders University Law School - Khevalin Parekh, Adarsh Parekh

For more information

Contact Kate McDonald, Marketing and Engagement Manager, on (08) 8229 0264 or via email.

Contact Kate