Wannabe barristers have until Friday 2 November to apply
Millions of pounds are up for grabs as the wealthy Inns of Court consider a fresh round of Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) scholarship applications — and it’s still not too late to apply.
The foursome — Inner Temple, Gray’s Inn, Middle Temple and Lincoln’s Inn — collectively dish out around £5 million each year to help support young bar hopefuls through their vocational training. With some London-based students forking out northwards of £19,000 to secure a place on the pre-pupillage course, the Inn’s scholarships offer a financial lifeline for many aspiring barristers.
This year, it breaks down roughly like this between the four Inns: Inner Temple (£1,800,000), Lincoln’s Inn (£1,600,000), Middle Temple (£1,300,000) and Gray’s Inn (£900,000). It’s worth noting that these figures include Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) scholarships and pupillage awards, however, the lion’s share of the cash is set aside for BPTC-ers.
Aspiring barristers have until Friday 2 November (be sure to check the varying deadline times on this day) to apply and don’t need to be a member of a particular Inn to be considered. However, if successful, students must be a member of the Inn in order to collect their cheque.
So what are the Inns looking for in a successful candidate? Well, each Inn applies its own assessment criteria, but key factors include intellectual ability, motivation to succeed as a barrister and personal qualities.
In terms of the application process, students submit an application form (usually online), followed by a face-to-face interview at the Inn. Some Inns will even help with travels expenses for those living outside London.
For more information about the application processes and assessment criteria please visit the Inns’ individual scholarship pages: Inner Temple, Gray’s Inn, Middle Temple and Lincoln’s Inn.
