Bar Course Scholarships: A truthful insight into the Inner Temple Scholarship Process

What is a Bar Course Scholarship?

It is funding from an Inn of Court to help assist with the cost of the Bar Course in England and Wales. The course can range from anywhere between £13,000-£18,000 (roughly), with the London Bar Course costing in the upper end.

What are the Inns of Court?

There are four Inns of Court, all situated in London. There is Lincolns Inn, Gray’s Inn, Middle Temple, and Inner Temple. Lincolns and Gray’s perform a paper sift before the interview so not all applicants are interviewed. Whereas Middle and Inner interview all candidates.

Is a scholarship hard to get?

In 2021, Inner Temple received 493 applications and awarded 129 with a scholarship. This is my second year applying for a scholarship with Inner Temple. Don’t let this put you off, you are capable of receiving a scholarship.

What do you have to do?

Inner Temple’s process included answering a series of questions on an application form, submitting two references, and conducting an interview.

Application: The application is a long form; Inner Temple has a particularly rigorous form. Try to start it as soon as possible so you have time to double, and triple-check the form. If you want to prepare for this before the interview, have a look over your CV and make sure you have a list of your most up-to-date achievements, and keep on top of it. Another tip if you want to prep, think about why you want to be a Barrister, what area of law you have an interest in, and write some answers out in the STAR method. This should hopefully help when it comes to tackling the form.

Interview: The interview consists of three or four panelists asking questions to assess your motivation, professionalism and interpersonal skills, and legal comprehension and reasoning skills. This meant completing a case reading, a short time advocacy question, and a series of questions.

Do I get reasonable adjustments?

It is so important to ask for extra help if you need it. The general rule is that if you receive(d) extra time in your University exams, you will be entitled to receive extra time for the case reading upon request. The Inn wants you to perform your best and so ensuring your reasonable adjustments are in place is key! By having the support you need, you will be more confident. Examples of reasonable adjustments include extra time, quiet room to prep, everything in an online form or in specific paper color, fonts to be enlarged, and so on. Be honest and ask for the support you need!

Final Tips

1.     Channel your nerves. It is normal to be nervous, however, you should try and use these nerves as motivation.

2.     Preparation. Once you have submitted your application, read it, and read it again. Be aware of all your achievements and be ready for questions on these.

3.     Advocate for yourself. The interview is essentially an advocacy exercise, this is your opportunity to advocate for yourself and why you deserve to receive funding. You deserve it! Now go and tell them why.

By Holly Parker, Chief Editor for Legal Updates and Blogging