Major Scholarships:
Graduate Diploma in Law (or equivalent conversion course) 2015-16
Information for Applicants
General
The Middle Temple interviews every applicant for a scholarship who has obtained a place on the GDL and
satisfies the criteria for applications. Decisions on who receives a scholarship are made on merit as outlined
by these criteria:
a)
Intellectual ability:
the ability to conduct legal research and give written advice, as demonstrated by performance in
school and university examinations, the interview and, where appropriate, other experience;
b)
Motivation to succeed at the Bar:
knowledge of the profession and the Courts, and steps taken to acquire the personal skills required
of a Barrister;
c)
Potential as an advocate:
both in oral and written skills;
d)
Personal qualities:
those required by members of the Bar include self-reliance, independence, integrity, reliability, and
the capacity to work effectively with clients, colleagues and chambers staff.
In determining the size of individual awards, interviewing panels take applicants’ individual financial
circumstances into account, although it is highly unlikely that the scholarship will cover the full cost of your
year attending the GDL. The size of individual awards will not be published.
Please note that you can only apply to one Inn. You do not need to be a member of the Inn at the time of
application, but you will need to join before being paid any scholarship which you may be awarded.
Part time students can apply for a scholarship either before the first or before the second year. If an award
is made before the start of the part-time course, half of the award will be paid in each year. Full time students
have to apply before they begin the course. Applications cannot be made once the full-time course or the
second year of the part-time course has begun.
The Application
To make your application, please complete and return the attached form in hard copy by 4.00 pm on Friday
1st May 2015. Please follow the instructions on the application form carefully. Do not submit a CV or
certificates with your application.
Financial means – The following page gives guidance on completing your financial means form. Please
read this carefully before you begin. As the application process begins so far in advance of the course, we
will ask you to bring an updated financial overview, using the same template, to the interview.
Applications by email to scholarshipapplications@middletemple.org.uk will be accepted before expiry of the
closing date. Applicants will, however, need to submit an identical signed hard copy as soon as practicable
and in any case no later than 8 May 2015. If you are posting a hard copy close to the closing date it is
advisable to submit a copy by email as well.
We will confirm receipt of your application by email. If you do not receive an email within 2 weeks of submitting
your application, please contact us.
Completing your financial means form
The financial means form is intended to help the panel assess your finances during the year(s) you are on
the course. The information you provide will be treated in strict confidence and in accordance with the Inn’s
data protection policies and procedures. Please read the following guidelines carefully before completing
the form.
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It is important that all information given is accurate. Verification may be required.
If there is any relevant information that does not fall into one of the specific categories, please use the
rows marked *, specifying what the additional item is.
Please ensure that you complete the form in full. Provide as much information as possible. Please
note that if this form isn’t completed fully, your application may not be processed.
If you will be studying on the FULL-TIME course, complete this form for the 11 months that you will be
on the course (i.e. September 2015 to July 2016).
If you will be studying on the PART-TIME course, complete this form for the 23 months that you will be
on the course (i.e. September 2015 to July 2017 or September 2014 to July 2016).
We ask you for some information about where you will be based during the year(s) that you will be
studying the course. You are not obligated to stick with the choices you put down here; they simply
provide the panel with the circumstances on which you have based your budget.
Anticipated Expenses
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There will be some expenses that you will know for certain, but the majority are likely to be an estimate.
We expect you to provide reasonable/realistic figures.
If there are valid reasons for a figure being more than might normally be expected of a student’s
budget, please include a brief note in the column provided. The panel may then ask for further
explanation or clarification, if required.
For example, your food costs may be high because you also have to pay for your child(ren)’s food.
Anticipated Income
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As with expenses, some of your income may only be estimates, but please try to be as accurate as
possible.
Please make sure that what you include under ‘financial contribution from family or other sources’
corresponds with what you have included as expenses. For example, if your parents have agreed to
contribute towards your living expenses, it is best to complete your ‘anticipated expenses’ table with
accurate costs for the year, and then enter the corresponding figure that your parents are paying
towards those expenses in the ‘anticipated income’ table. However, if you do not have a figure to pay
for rent because you will be living at home, simply enter ‘£0’ under ‘rent’ with a note to explain why.
Existing Indebtedness
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Include any debts that you currently have and when you are due to start paying them back, e.g. student
loans, any other loans, etc.
Anticipated Indebtedness
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You should include any proposed bank loans that you may be taking out to fund the year(s) on the
course.
Assets
Include any assets that you have. If any of these assets are shared between yourself and your
partner/spouse, or anyone else, then please only include figures for your share.
The References
Two references are required to support your application, one of which must be from an academic referee.
Neither may be supplied by a member of your close family. If you have difficulties obtaining an academic
reference before the closing date, please contact the Scholarships Officer.
This application bundle contains an information sheet for you to send to each of your referees, explaining the
criteria which the Inn takes into account when awarding scholarships to prospective students. References
should address these criteria as fully as possible.
References must be submitted directly by the referees, either in hard copy or by email to
scholarshipapplications@middletemple.org.uk by Friday 1st May 2015
No award will be paid out unless two references have been received. It is your responsibility to ensure that
these are provided – we do not contact referees on your behalf. You will receive confirmation of receipt of
each reference by email.
The Interview
All candidates who satisfy the application criteria and have been offered either an unconditional or a
conditional place on the GDL or equivalent conversion course will be interviewed during the period of 2nd and
3rd July 2015, and on those dates only. You will not be interviewed unless you have been offered a place
on the GDL before these interview dates.
The Inn is prepared to reimburse your travel expenses to attend your interview, up to a maximum of £50 per
candidate. Please note that reimbursement will only be permitted to candidates travelling from outside the
M25, by coach or train. Receipts must be provided. Further details are available on the Middle Temple
website. Expense forms will be available in the interview waiting room.
Overview of Relevant Dates
If you do not receive one of the emails detailed below it is your responsibility to contact us. If you change
your email address, please make sure you let us know.
4.00pm, Friday 1st May 2015
By Friday 29th May 2015
Thursday 2nd - Friday 3rd July 2015
By Friday 24th July 2015
Closing date for submission of application and references.
Confirmation of receipt will be sent by email.
Notification of interview date and time will be sent by email.
Interviews – you must be available to attend an interview on at
least one of these dates.
Notification of outcome will be sent by email.
Applications and references should to be posted to:
GDL Scholarship Applications
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
Treasury Office, Ashley Building, London
EC4Y 9BT
If you have any questions please contact the Scholarships Officer, Sally Yorke, on
s.yorke@middletemple.org.uk or 020 7427 4800.
Please keep a copy of your completed application as well as this document for your information
and further reference
Christa Richmond
Director of Education Services
Treasury Office
Middle Temple Lane
London
EC4Y 9BT
T 020 7427 4800
Major Scholarships:
Graduate Diploma in Law (or equivalent conversion course) 2015-16
Information for Referees
Your reference is to support an application for a scholarship for the Graduate Diploma in Law (or equivalent
conversion course). The applicant in whose support you are writing will in due course be interviewed by a
panel of three senior members of the Inn (barristers and judges).
In allocating a scholarship, the interviewing panel will look for the attributes which make a good barrister. It
would assist them if your reference could broadly follow the criteria which the Inn has in mind when awarding
scholarships to prospective students. They are:
a)
Intellectual ability:
the ability to conduct legal research and give written advice, as demonstrated by performance in school
and university examinations, the interview and, where appropriate, other experience;
b)
Motivation to succeed at the Bar:
knowledge of the profession and the Courts, and steps taken to acquire the personal skills required of
a Barrister, will be taken into account;
c)
Potential as an advocate,
both in oral and written skills;
d)
Personal qualities:
those required by members of the Bar include self-reliance, independence, integrity, reliability, and the
capacity to work effectively with clients, colleagues and chambers staff.
Please note that the interviewing panel may raise at interview any topic of potential relevance contained in
your reference. Should this give you any cause for concern, please contact me.
Your reference should ideally be written on your letterhead (professional, where at all possible), and can be
sent either by email to scholarshipapplications@middletemple.org.uk or in hard copy to the address below.
If you are emailing your reference please send it as an attachment. I would be grateful if your reference could
reach us by 4 pm on Friday 1st March 2015.
Please note that no award will be made unless a candidate supplies two references, of which yours
is one.
With thanks for your assistance,
Christa Richmond
Director of Education Services
References should to be posted to:
GDL Scholarship References
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
Treasury Office, Ashley Building, London
EC4Y 9BT
Application Form for Middle Temple Scholarships for the
Graduate Diploma in Law (or equivalent course) (2015-16)
Please type in the boxes below using Arial font size 11 pt.
Do not complete by hand
Title (e.g. Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Dr)
First Name
Middle Name(s)
Surname
Permanent (Home) Address
Postcode
Phone Number
Current Address
(if different from the address above)
Postcode
Phone Number
If applicable, date you will
move out of this address
upon graduating (month/year)
Email Address
(please provide a personal email
address rather than a university or
work email, which can expire)
Mobile Phone Number
The information provided in response to the following three questions is required purely for
administrative purposes and has no bearing on the selection process.
Are you already a Student Member of the Middle Temple?
YES / NO
(please delete as appropriate)
If you are, what is your membership number?
Are you applying for the full-time or part-time GDL?
Page 5
FULL-TIME / PART-TIME
(please delete as appropriate)
Please initial here:
School and/ or Sixth-Form College (Please name institute and city/ town and dates*)
GCSE or ‘O’ and ‘A’ level results or equivalent, dates, subjects and grades
Date*
Qualification
Subject
Grade
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Study (excluding GDL or CPE)
If you have not yet completed your degree, please provide details below and write ‘N/A’ under Grade
University
Date*
Degree
(e.g. LLB Hons)
Subject
Grade
If you are in your final year, please include details of examinations to date
e.g. Land Law: 72%
Trusts and Equity: 52%
The Law of Tort: 63%
First year
Second year
Page 6
Third year
Please initial here:
Achievements, Interests and Activities (max 250 words)
Any Other Occupation, Employment or Training Experience, with dates* (max 250 words)
Mini-Pupillages, Court Visits, Mooting/ Debating etc. (Max 250 words)
* We use this information to assess applicants’ progress through academic development.
You are not under any obligation to supply dates.
Page 7
Please initial here:
The following questions are designed to assist those interviewing you in identifying areas upon
which they may focus.
What question would you most like the panel to ask you?
Give an example of when you have demonstrated integrity. (Max 200 words)
Give an example of a situation when you had to overcome adversity or disadvantage.
(Max 200 words)
What do you think your greatest strength is, which will enable you to succeed at the Bar?
(Max 200 words)
What is a weakness you would need to overcome in order to become a good barrister?
(Max 200 words)
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Please initial here:
If, having completed this form, you consider that there is something about your existing or
anticipated financial position that has been missed, please provide that information below.
Is there any other information you would like to provide in support of your application not covered
elsewhere on this form?
Certain conditions are attached to some of our awards. To assist us with allocating those,
please indicate YES / NO to the questions below.
NB: Not meeting these criteria will not preclude you from being awarded a scholarship; it merely precludes you
from being awarded certain named awards.
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I am a graduate / undergraduate of Christ Church, Oxford.
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I was born and / or am resident in Jersey.
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I was mainly educated in the State School Sector.
YES / NO
(please delete as appropriate)
YES / NO
(please delete as appropriate)
YES / NO
(please delete as appropriate)
For applicants who do not hold a UK or EU passport
Do you currently have a visa to live and study in the UK?
1.
YES / NO
(please delete as appropriate)
When does this visa expire? (Please supply a copy with your application)
Would you have restrictions to work in the UK after completing your
studies?
YES / NO
(please delete as appropriate)
If YES, what type of visa application do you intend to make to enable you to practise at the Bar of
England and Wales?
Page 9
Please initial here:
FINANCIAL MEANS DURING THE COURSE
Please read the separate guidance sheet before filling in this form. Complete this form in pounds sterling. Ensure the form remains on two pages in total.
Title:
Course provider:
First name:
Duration of course (1 year or 2 years):
Surname:
Town/city you will live in (for the duration of the course):
Anticipated Expenses
Monthly Cost
Total Cost
(for course duration)
Any relevant notes
Course fee
Mortgage payments
Rent payments
Food
Share of household bills
(gas, electricity, telephone etc.)
Household items/ personal/
clothes
Books/ equipment/ course
materials
Inn expenses (admission fee,
qualifying sessions and Call fee)
Entertainment
Travel
Childcare
* Presents
*Medicine, toiletries, haircuts
TOTAL
Page 10
Please initial here:
For office use only
Full name:
Anticipated Income
Monthly
Income
Total Income
Any relevant notes
(for course duration)
For office use only
Earnings from work
Drawing down from savings
Interest from savings/
investments
Financial or other material
contributions from family or any
other sources
Any other scholarships
Draw down from pupillage award
*
*
TOTAL
Please calculate your shortfall
£
(Total Expenses minus Total Income)
For office use only
Existing Indebtedness
Any Anticipated Indebtedness
Amount
Due date
Amount
Student Loans
*
*
Proposed bank loan(s)
*
*
TOTAL
TOTAL
Assets
For office use only
Amount
Property
Savings
Investments
*
TOTAL
Page 11
Please initial here:
Due Date
Once you have fully completed all of the relevant sections above, please follow the instructions
below. Failure to do so may result in your application not being processed.
1. Please make sure your Financial Means form fits on a single page. If you need to delete the
instructions at the top of that page for it to fit, please do so.
2. Print ONE COPY of the document, excluding the 4 pages of instructions at the beginning. You
must print it SINGLE-SIDED. The interview panel receives copies of your form rather than the
original, so you can print it in black and white on basic plain white paper.
3. Write your initials, BY HAND, on the bottom of every page, where indicated.
4. Read the declaration below, then sign and date BY HAND.
5. Post to the address provided in the instructions.
DECLARATION
By signing this document;
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I confirm that I have initialled each page of this application by hand.
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I declare that the above particulars are true in all respects and that it is my intention to
undertake pupillage and to practise at the Bar of England and Wales.
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I declare that I have read and understood the document entitled “Major Scholarships:
Graduate Diploma in Law (or equivalent course) 2015-16 Information for Applicants”.
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I confirm that I am not a member, nor have I submitted an application for membership, of
another Inn.
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I confirm that I have not applied for a GDL scholarship from another Inn for the academic
year 2015-16.
Signature
……………………………………………………………
Date
………………………
The personal data provided on this form, together with your references, will be used for the purpose of
considering your application for a scholarship. Your personal data will be retained or destroyed in accordance
with the Inn‘s policies, as amended from time to time. The result of your scholarship interview will be
recorded on your Middle Temple record if you are a member at the time of applying or are admitted as a
member subsequently. Details of the personal data processing carried out by the Inn and your rights in
respect of that processing can be found on the website at www.middletemple.org.uk.
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Please initial here:
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY MONITORING QUESTIONNAIRE
In line with the Inn’s Equal Opportunities Policy and Code, the Inn collects the information below so that the
effectiveness of the Policy and Code can be assessed. The ethnic origin categories provided are those suggested
by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. This information is used for the purpose of monitoring the
effectiveness of and compliance with the Policy and the Code and for research. It may be disclosed to the Bar
Council and/or Bar Standards Board for monitoring and research purposes. There is no obligation to provide this
information and failure to provide it will not affect any application. However, information about disability may also be
used, where appropriate, to assess the need for the provision of reasonable adjustments for the purposes of
addressing such disability.
Please note that the scholarship interviewing panel is not given a copy of this questionnaire.
1. WHAT IS YOUR ETHNIC GROUP?
Choose one section from (a) to (f) then mark with an ‘X’ the appropriate box to indicate your cultural background
a) White:
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British
Irish
Any other White background (write details below)
_______________________________________________
b) Mixed:
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White and Black Caribbean
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Any other mixed background (write details below)
White and Black African
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White and Asian
_______________________________________________
c) Asian or
Asian British:
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Indian
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Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Any other Asian background (write details below)
_______________________________________________
d) Black or
Black British:
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Caribbean
African
Any other black background (write details below)
_______________________________________________
e) Chinese or
other ethnic
group:
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Chinese
Any other background (write details below)
_______________________________________________
f) Unwilling to supply
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2. Please indicate whether you are:

3. If you are disabled*, please tick this box

Male

Female
4. What is your nationality?
5. What is your date of birth?
6. I consent to the supply of this information to the Bar Council / Bar
Standards Board for the purposes described above.

YES

NO
* The statutory definition of “disability” is at secton 6 of the Equality Act 2010, which provides that people have
a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term
adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.