Guide to securing Bar course scholarships

Every year the Inns of Court provide millions of pounds worth of scholarships to support students with the financial costs of undertaking the vocational component of training (often referred to as the Bar course or Bar vocational course).

There are a number of schemes on offer, and all operate in slightly different ways, so it’s well worth spending some time researching all of the options available to you. Here we provide an overview of what’s available and some top tips on writing a killer application.

The basics

• Applications usually open in the autumn – between September and November.
• Interviews take place in the spring – usually around March/April.
• You can only apply to one Inn for scholarship(s). The Inns share information on candidates to make sure applicants have only applied to one.
• You don’t have to join the Inn in order to apply, but if you are successful, you will be required to join before you receive any scholarship funding.
• Scholarships are usually only available to those who intend to practise at the Bar of England and Wales.

What’s available?

Each Inn offers several scholarships of varying value. Unfortunately, no single definitive list of scholarships exists, and new schemes are being added each year, so the best place to look is on each of the Inns’ dedicated webpages. These are kept updated with new scholarships, application rules, and timetable information:

• Lincoln’s Inn
• Inner Temple
• Middle Temple
• Gray’s Inn

The mixture of scholarships ranges from major scholarships of up to tens of thousands of pounds to smaller prizes and awards of a few hundred pounds. In some cases, you may be able to apply for more than one scholarship, for example Inner Temple has no limit on the number of awards that may be applied for or received, while Lincoln’s Inn states that members cannot receive more than one of each type of scholarship.

The stages

Broadly, each Inn’s process includes the following elements:

1. Application – this is likely to cover contact information, education details, work experience (legal and non-legal), supporting information (a professional statement and/or essay style questions based on the specific scholarship), references, and equality monitoring.
2. Securing two references – referees may need to meet specific criteria and your references must be submitted at the time of your application.
3. Financial information – you will be given the option to provide financial information during the process, so that any means-tested elements can be assessed.
4. Interview – some Inns interview all candidates, some only interview those that are shortlisted. Interviews are usually in front of a panel (ideally in-person) and last for 15-20 minutes. You may be asked to prepare answers to specific questions in advance or you may receive some information (such as a scenario or legal question) on the day. Check each Inn’s website to find out how their interviews are structured.

What are the Inns looking for?

All scholarships are awarded on merit and each Inn has a list of criteria that applications and interviews are assessed against. Take time to carefully read the descriptions of these criteria to make sure you tailor your application and statement to demonstrate how you meet them. Your referees should also understand the criteria you will be assessed against so they can write your references with this in mind.

Briefly, the criteria are:

• Lincoln’s: intellect, motivation, personal characteristics, communication.
• Inner: academic performance, advocacy potential, legal comprehension and reasoning skills, professionalism and interpersonal skills, motivation.
• Middle: intellectual ability, motivation to succeed at the Bar, potential as an advocate, personal qualities.
• Gray’s: academic ability, problem solving, drive and determination, advocacy, motivation to succeed.

Top tips for applications

1. Do your research – with so many options available, take time to explore them and make notes for yourself as you go.
2. Engage with the process as early as possible – give yourself plenty of time to understand the criteria and draft a strong application, and give your referees enough time to write you a great reference.
3. Take advantage of drop-in sessions and Q&A events – these are an excellent opportunity to hear directly from barristers on what they are looking for.
4. Gain as much experience as possible – this helps to demonstrate your motivation and commitment to a career at the Bar. As well as work experience, include any additional achievements, extra-curricular and volunteering experiences, and any experiences where you have shown leadership and other skills, such as advocacy or public speaking.
5. Be direct – your application is your opportunity to impress. It helps to be succinct and to the point so that those assessing your application can easily see and understand your achievements.
6. Ask a friend or family member to review your application to check for errors before submission.

Top tips for interviews

1. Be interested in the law – you may be required to demonstrate your awareness of current legal issues or cases and have formed your own views on them. Keep up to date with the news and legal journals, programmes, and podcasts.
2. Re-read your application form – it is likely you will be asked about elements of your form, including your financial information, so make sure you refresh your memory and are confident in speaking to each element of your application.
3. Re-read the scholarship criteria – have this in the front of your mind and think about how your answers will address what the panel is looking for.
4. Practise the PEE and STAR methods of answering questions. PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain) and STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) help you to structure your answers and make sure you stay on track. Have a look online for more information on these techniques.
5. Don’t miss the details – each Inn provides lots of information to help you make the most of your application. Make sure you read all of the documents available so you don’t miss any small details. For example, the Middle Temple guidance for interviews explains that you should not shake hands with the interviewers – being aware of this small detail will help make sure you don’t misstep on the day.
6. Be confident in yourself – you’ve done a lot of hard work to get to the interview stage so have confidence in your abilities to help you speak engagingly about your experiences and views. Take a deep breath, smile, and enter the room.