Scholarships 101: What Committees Really Look For?

Funding your legal education in the UK can feel like a significant financial burden. Between tuition fees, living costs and hidden expenses such as textbooks and exam fees, scholarships aren’t just helpful, they are essential.

Whether you’re just starting your legal journey or knee-deep in pupillage applications, here’s what you need to know about legal scholarships in the UK and how to make them work for you.  

Do Your Research

Do your research to find out what’s on offer – there’s no single place.

Examples of some places to look include: -

Universities	Most universities will offer their own scholarships from undergraduate all the way up to doctoral degrees.
Employers	Some employers will sponsor you (particularly the new SQE preparation courses) so it’s always worth a conversation before enrolling on to a course.
Inns of Court	Each of the four Inns of Court offer scholarships to those who sign up to the Bar Course or received pupillage.
SQE Scholarships and Awards	Check out the SRA website for organisations that receive funding to help students undertaking the exams
Family Law Bar Association	Fancy a career at the Family Bar? The FLBA usually offer a scholarship each year.
Kalisher Trust	Fancy a career at the Criminal Bar? Have a look at the Kalisher Trust.

Make sure you check the eligibility criteria carefully to ensure you fit the requirements. Pay attention to the details and only spend time applying for things you are eligible for – no matter how good your application is, if it doesn’t meet the criteria, you will not be considered.

Creating a Standout Application

It takes time to tailor your application; here are my top three tips: -

Tip One: Answer the Question Being Asked, Not the One You Want to Be Asked

Any application will consist of a variety to questions, all aiming to test you and your experiences. The usual questions can be broken into three main types:

1. Competency Questions

   How to Spot Them

   Usually come in the form of “give us a time when you …” or “tell me about a time where…”

   
   

   What Their Aim Is

   They are designed to assess whether you have the key skills and experience.

   
   

   How To Answer Them

   For these questions, I would always recommend following the STARR method:

   
   

   S – Situation: What was the situation? Set the scene.

   T – Task: What was your task or role? Relate this back to the skill they identified in the question.

   A – Action: Think of this part like a step-by-step guide on how you completed the task.

   R – Result: What was the outcome, did you achieve the task?

   R – Reflection: What did you learn from this? What went well and what could you do better next time?

2. Motivation Questions

   How to Spot Them

   Generally, quite easy to spot, such as “Describe how you have demonstrated commitment to the profession” or a “why have you chosen to apply to X?”

   
   

   What Their Aim Is

   These questions are looking at how genuine and motivated you are.

   
   

   How To Answer Them

   When answering these types of questions, show that you have done your research into the organisation or the profession. Describe your achievements or why you decided to embark on the journey to your chosen career.

3. Strength Questions

   How to Spot Them

   These are like a competency questions but rarely require a specific example. These can include “give us three words to describe yourself” or a “would you rather complete work to a high standard or comply with a deadline?”

   
   

   What Their Aim Is

   These questions are designed to understand you and not only test what you say but how well you say it.

   
   

   How To Answer Them

   There is no set structure for answering these questions, but my advice would be to signpost in your answer. For example, you could answer it like this:

   
   

   “The three words I would describe myself is firstly X because... Secondly Y …”

Tip Two: Make it Look Pretty and Formatted

Because presentation is persuasion!

You could have the most compelling story and the strongest credentials and yet if your application looks chaotic, it risks being overlooked. Markers will sift through many applications and so a polished application makes their job easier (which is just extra brownie points to you!)

Remember:

• The word count is a maximum not a goal.

• Justify all paragraphs and make sure there are no odd spaces.

• All text should be consistent in both size and font.

• Consider the use of headings, underlining and bullet points.

Tip Three: Watch the Clock

Here’s the golden rule: work backwards from the submission date.

I always set a “soft deadline” at least one week before the actual deadline – that way I don’t leave the sending part to the last minute and feel more stressed than I am. I then break the application up into manageable chunks, leaving time for breaks and for others to review my drafts.

Remember, rushed writing reads rushed.