Cambridge Law’s Unlikely Duo

Cambridge University’s latest round of honorary degrees features an unlikely pairing comprising grime artist Stormzy and former Supreme Court Justice Lady Arden (pictured) who will both receive honorary doctorates in law.

This will be Stormzy’s second honorary doctorate, following Exeter University’s Doctor of Letters in 2022. Cambridge’s decision recognizes the rapper’s substantial philanthropic work, particularly his impact on education through the Stormzy Scholarship program.

Since 2018, the scholarship has funded tuition and maintenance for Black British students at Cambridge, with HSBC later joining the #Merky Foundation to expand support.

The program has assisted 55 students, with 2025 expected to produce the largest graduating class yet.

One notable success story noted in Legal Cheek is Drew Chateau, who graduated with a Cambridge law degree in 2021 before completing training at Clifford Chance, including a Tokyo secondment. Now an associate at the City firm, Chateau previously noted how the scholarship “helped reduce the gap” between herself and peers from more “stable upbringings”.

Cambridge also credits the “Stormzy effect” with encouraging more Black students nationwide to apply to the university.

The rapper, whose real name is Michael Omari Owuo Junior, will be one of eight individuals receiving honorary doctorates, with three specifically in law. Olympic champion and UK Sport chair Dame Katherine Grainger rounds out the legal honorees.

The recognition highlights how influence in legal education now extends beyond traditional academic and judicial circles, acknowledging those who create meaningful pathways into the profession through alternative mea