Unfortunately the Inns don't make their scholarship awards based on an applicant's ability to make bad puns; otherwise I would have been, as the kids say, "well in". Instead, the four Inns of Court (Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn) make their awards based on how good a barrister you will become and then tend to think about how much money you need. It's worth noting that the Inns use the same criteria in evaluating applicants; however, there is some differences between the Inns in the attention that they pay to your financial circumstances: the Inner and Middle Temples seem to have a reputation for considering financial circumstances as well as merit. Apart from that, in terms of facilities and purpose, the Inns are practicaly the same and it makes no difference which one you apply to for a scholarship or join.
Boringly practical advice now: look at deadlines. They tend to be, for the GDL, in the April of the year that you will begin the GDL and, for the BPTC, November of the year before beginning the BPTC. Each Inn's application procedure differs slightly so do read their intructions; although their aim is the same: to ensure that there is no bar to the Bar and everyone who can make it, does. Also don't be afraid to bang referees on the head to send off references: if your referees fail to provide references by the Inn's deadline then it is you, and not your lazy referees, that suffer.
I personally found that a punctual call on the hour every hour did the job.
Inns of Court Scholarship Interview
I am, I'll have you know, well placed to talk about this. The result of my interview was that I walked away with a very generous sum (several thousand pounds worth of generosity). But that isn't to say that I walked away from the interview knowing that I'd secured a scholarship. In fact, I was convinced I hadn't. Whilst I knew that I'd done the best that I could, I didn't think that my best would be good enough. The lesson in that is that it is impossible to tell which way the interview went and don't be disheartened if you come out fearing the worst.
The interview was pleasant enough. And the interviewers, too, very pleasant. The panel of four interviewers was made up of practising barristers who gave me a reassuring preamble (don't be nervous, we won't grill you, if you don't secure a scholarship today then it isn't a reflection on you as competition is fierce....) and then the questions one would expect: for instance, 'why do you want to be a barrister?' Whilst I know that people warn against prepared answers, do prepare an answer for this question: I imagine there is nothing as offputting to an interview panel than a sweating fool in a suit who can't provide a reason as to why exactly they are sitting in the seat, sweating in a suit, looking for a scholarship.
The interview can then take a turn for the slightly less pleasant.
I stumbled on a question and then was pulled swiftly up on it. That happened twice. But I suppose that's what the interview panel has to make sure you can withstand: being questioned, corrected and pulled up without being put down or put off. Be prepared for these difficult questions and, if you can, smile. Don't be afraid to pause to think. If you don't understand a question ask for it to be repeated. Even if you do understand the question and want a little more time to think, ask for it to be repeated.
There aren't any specific legal questions if you are applying for a GDL award, only questions about something that you ought to know enough about to get by: you.
And that is it. Fifteen minutes gone like that.
