A HIGH-FLYING legal student from Greenock has taken on a challenging new case — trying to persuade youngsters from less privileged backgrounds to pursue a career in law.

Beverley Addison, a fourth year LLB law student at Glasgow University, wants to see more local school leavers follow in her footsteps and sign up for top university courses like law, medicine and veterinary medicine.

The former Inverclyde Academy pupil, who was president of the prestigious Glasgow University Law Society last year, has helped set up the Law in Action Initiative.

It encourages students from disadvantaged areas to apply for law school and utilises current degree students as mentors.

Beverley, of Kelly Street, said: “Inverclyde typically produces a much lower number of students attending the advanced degrees of law, medicine and vet medicine, and we are looking to actively change that.

“I think that students from disadvantaged areas have the ability but I don’t think it’s recognised enough.

“But the fact that over the past three consecutive years there have been three Inverclyde presidents of the law society says it all.” Beverley hopes to work closely with local schools to provide them with more information about the course and to give talks to pupils.

She said: “I myself found it difficult to get a place on the degree through my school, so I hope to change that.

“Law is more competitive so you really need to know what the uni is looking for and how to make your application stand out.

“I found it difficult to find a teacher who knew about the process in any way, shape or form but luckily I got help from a friend who was a law student.” Beverley, who would like to specialise in medical law, says she was honoured to have been elected as the president of the law society last year.

She said: “It’s the biggest society at Glasgow University and it was a huge responsibility but it was really exciting.

“I oversaw a committee of 20 people and organised so many different things, including social, sporting, charitable and academic events.” Any youngsters or schools who would like to find out more about the initiative should email the Law Society on hello@gulawsociety.com