Warwick Law School News

Tani Ilemobola has been selected as Highly Commended for a Warwick Award for Public and Community Engagement in the Student Social Mobility Champion category.

The Warwick Awards for Public and Community Engagement (WAPCE), seek to recognise the vital contributions Warwick staff and students make in engaging the public – on an international and national level as well as crucially within our region and local communities – in our learning and discovery, with the goals of sharing and co-producing knowledge, strengthening the role we play in the region and showcasing the role Warwick plays nationally and internationally in making the world a better place.

This award is acknowledgement of the outstanding efforts Tani has made in championing Public and Community Engagement. Her dedication and hard work have truly made a difference, and this award recognises and celebrates her contributions.

Tani Ilemobola is a final-year Law and Sociology student at the University of Warwick who has led extensive widening participation and social mobility work throughout her degree, supporting students from underrepresented and low socio-economic backgrounds. Through programmes including Pathways to Law, Warwick Scholars, School Taskmasters, and Warwick Welcome Service, she has mentored school pupils, sixth form students, and Warwick undergraduates, helping to raise aspirations, build confidence, and demystify higher education and the legal profession.

In 2025/26, Tani founded Capital Sisters, a Warwick-affiliated community supporting black women and first-generation students through activities designed to build social and cultural capital. The project has created inclusive spaces for mentoring, cultural enrichment, personal development, and community-building, engaging more than 60 students in its first year.

Her work has reached over 1,500 individuals across schools, mentoring programmes and student initiatives.

Tani, who is due to graduate later this month, told us:

“Five years ago, I took part in the Pathways to Law programme. I never knew the amazing opportunities it would open me up to. I know what it means to be handed an opportunity, and that’s exactly why social mobility has been at the heart of everything I’ve done at Warwick. From mentoring through Pathways to Law and Warwick Scholars to founding Capital Sisters, a network dedicated to empowering young women from underrepresented backgrounds, I’ve wanted to ensure that the doors opened for me stay open for those coming after. I feel deeply grateful to have spent my degree both benefiting from these opportunities and building new ones, because when you’ve seen first-hand how much access can change a life, giving back stops being a choice and becomes a responsibility. I am truly honoured to be commended for this award, and I look forward to continuing to work within the social mobility space.”

The award will be presented at the WIE Summer Celebration event on Thursday 9 July.

Congratulations Tani from everyone at Warwick Law School.