For 2024 the Inner Temple will have over £1.7million available in scholarships for those undertaking the Bar Course.
Becoming a Barrister
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Bar Course Scholarships
Breakdown of Awards
Bar Course Scholarships are awarded in three main categories - Named Scholarships, Major Scholarships and Exhibition Scholarships.
Application Procedure
Applications for 2024 will open at 12noon on Tuesday 19 September 2023. The deadline to submit your application will be 1pm on Friday 3 November 2023. The deadline for references to be submitted is Friday 17 November 2023.
- Academic performance - Evidenced by academic performance at university or academic potential shown through improvements at each academic stage.
- Advocacy Potential - Deploys precise and well-reasoned arguments, with clarity and fluency. Can demonstrate persuasiveness and conviction, can tailor style to the audience.
- Legal Comprehension and Reasoning Skills - The ability to analyse complex information; identify material issues; and ability to defend an argument.
- Professionalism and Interpersonal Skills – Ability to build productive working relationships, treat people with courtesy and respect regardless of their background or circumstances. Responds appropriately to those from diverse backgrounds and to the needs and sensitivities created by individual circumstances.
- Motivation – A very high level of commitment to a career at the Bar, together with a sound understanding of the profession and any current intended area(s) of practice. Being adaptable and flexible by being self-aware and self-directed.
The application form is broken down into 7 sections – contact information; educational details; legal and non-legal work experience; supporting information; further information, references and equality monitoring. The ‘supporting information’ section includes professional statement/ essay style questions, which are specific to the scholarship you are applying for and answers to these questions in particular will be used to assess your application.
Candidates submit one application form and are considered for all Inner Temple Bar Course Awards (listed above) at the same time.
As part of the application form, applicants will be required to provide the names and contact details for their referees. An automatic email will then be sent to the referees, asking them to upload their reference directly to us. The deadline for references to be submitted is Friday 17 November 2023.
Inner Temple is continuing to use the Rare Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) which allows us to understand each applicant’s achievements in the context in which they have been gained. We seek to award scholarships to the best people, from every background, regardless of their personal circumstances, and the CRS will help us to do that. The CRS is only ever used to screen people in, not out. Under no circumstances are candidates put at any disadvantage for supplying this information.
Contextual recruitment information is collected via a separate form, in November/December after the submission deadline.
The financial assessment data is only considered, after the scholarship interviews have been conducted and the scholars have been selected, based on merit as assessed against the Inn’s scholarships criteria.
The Inn's goal is to financially level the playing field amongst our scholars. The financial means assessment uses the collected financial data to calculate how much funding will be available to each scholar during their bar course year. The value of Major Scholarships and Exhibition Scholarships are determined based on this calculation. The minimum value of a scholarship is £3,000 and the maximum value of a scholarship is £20,000.
Inner Temple awards are intended to be awarded only to those who wish to practice at at the Bar of England and Wales, once qualified.
Applicants should apply for a scholarship in the autumn the year before they are due to start the course. For example, if you intend to start the Bar Course in September 2024, you should apply for a scholarship in autumn 2023.
Students may only apply for a scholarship from one of the four Inns of Court. Names of applicants are shared between Inns to ensure that students have not applied to more than one Inn.
Applications are now closed.
Interview Process
In the last round of Bar Course applications, The Inner Temple interviewed every applicant. It is the Inn's intention, numbers permitting, to continue to offer interviews to all candidates that apply for a Bar Course Scholarship.
Applicants are asked to indicate on their application form, which format of interview they would like to attend, and based on this, are invited to book an interview slot, in mid-November after submitting their application form.
2. If attending in person, at the appropriate time you will be taken to a reading room and given a judgment to read through, which you will be asked questions on in the interview. The questions that you are likely to be asked about this judgment will be provided on the information sheet to help you prepare for this case exercise. If you are attending virtually, you will receive a copy of the legal judgment via email at the appropriate time.
3. When it is time for your interview, you will be greeted by a panel of four interviewers, who will take turns asking you questions based on the scholarships criteria. All panel members will have been sent your application form prior to the interviews.
4. The interview will last approximately 20 minutes.
Applicants are asked to indicate on their application form, which format of interview they would like to attend, and based on this, are invited to book an interview slot, in mid-November after submitting their application form.
How is my application assessed?
The interview panel will consider your application, taking into account the contents of your application form and your interview performance. The panel will assess your application using a points-based system, assessing against each of the scholarship criteria. Please refer to the table below for more information on how each criterion is assessed.
CRITERIA | DESCRIPTION | ASSESSMENT METHOD |
Academic performance | Evidenced by academic performance at university or academic potential shown through improvements at each academic stage. | Application form |
Advocacy Potential | Deploys precise and well-reasoned arguments, with clarity and fluency. Can demonstrate persuasiveness and conviction, can tailor style to the audience. | Application form & interview performance |
Legal Comprehension and Reasoning Skills | The ability to analyse complex information; identify material issues; and ability to defend an argument. | Interview performance |
Professionalism and Interpersonal Skills | Ability to build productive working relationships, treat people with courtesy and respect regardless of their background or circumstances. Responds appropriately to those from diverse backgrounds and to the needs and sensitivities created by individual circumstances. | Application form & interview performance |
Motivation | A very high level of commitment to a career at the Bar, together with a sound understanding of the profession and any current intended area(s) of practice. Being adaptable and flexible by being self-aware and self-directed. | Application form & interview performance |
Bar Course Scholarship Application Statistics
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
Applications | 493 | 395 | 387 |
Interviewed (applicants minus withdrawals) | 442 | 354 | 337 |
Total Awards | 129 | 142 | 131 |
Alternative Sources of Funding for the Bar Course
We understand that financing of Bar Course studies can be a big barrier to a career at the Bar and we are committed to widening access to the profession. We aim to support meritorious candidates to be able to reach their potential through our scholarship programmes, but please see below some information on the other financial options available.
You may also consider working part-time during the course to assist you financially, and help you gain experience (depending on role).
Chat to our 2023/24 Bar Course scholarship recipients if you have an informal question about our scholarships