This story was originally published on 1 July
Kent Law School is pleased to see eight of its students awarded prestigious scholarships this year from two of the four Inns of Court, the historic societies that educate and train barristers in England and Wales.
The aspiring barristers are bound for pupillages with The Honourable Society of Middle Temple and The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn.
At Middle Temple, scholarships are awarded on merit after taking into account the candidate’s intellectual ability, motivation to succeed at the Bar, advocacy potential and personal qualities. The amount of the award depends on the scholar’s financial circumstances. A number of Entrance Exhibitions are also awarded annually; each Exhibition covers the Admission and Call Fees (currently £230).
The Kent Law School students securing Middle Temple awards are:
- Xavier Alexis-Greenfield: Xavier has been awarded an Atkin Chambers Scholarship worth £15,750, together with a Blackstone Entrance Exhibition. Later this year, Xavier will be heading to the University of Law to study the Bar Practice Course. Last year, shortly before Xavier graduated, he secured the Michael Sherrard Award from Middle Temple.
- Leah Arthur: Leah has been awarded a Benefactors’ Scholarship together with a Blackstone Entrance Exhibition. Leah will begin a Bar Vocational Studies course, with an integrated LLM, at City, University of London in September.
- Anne Caussy: Anne has been awarded a Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Scholarship, worth £22,250 which will cover the cost of the Bar Vocational Studies course (with integrated Master’s) that she’ll begin at City Law School in September. When making this award, Middle Temple places additional emphasis on the ability of the student to overcome adversity.
- Khaliq Martin: Khaliq has been awarded a Stanley Levy Memorial Scholarship which will help fund his Bar Vocational Studies at City, University of London. Khaliq will also be completing an LLM in International Commercial Arbitration and International Commercial Trade.
- Erin McKee: Erin has been awarded a Jules Thorn Scholarship and is looking forward to starting her Bar Vocational Studies, with an integrated LLM, at The City Law School in September.
- Ufnaan Shahjahan: Ufnaan has been awarded a Jules Thorn Scholarship worth £9,500. She will start her Bar Practice Course in September at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) in London.
- Elliot Simmonds: Elliot has been awarded a Diplock Scholarship worth £12,000 and will be studying an LLM Legal Practice (Bar) course at BPP in Leeds later this year.
Securing a Gray’s Inn scholarship is Hena Pagoo. Earlier this year, Hena was awarded a William Shaw Scholarship worth £5,000. This award will help fund the Barrister Training Course that Hena will be starting later this year at BPP London.
Kent Law School’s Director of Lawyering Skills Darren Weir said: ‘It’s difficult to obtain scholarships from the Inns of Court so having eight students obtain awards in one year is a fantastic achievement. All the students have worked hard to stand out from the crowd, and I am so pleased to see that all of the students who obtained funding have either undertaken mooting, mock trial advocacy or both. I am extremely grateful to both Middle Temple and Gray’s Inn for putting their faith in our students.’
Kent Law School looks to support students and alumni with individual efforts to secure scholarships, whilst the breadth of provision at the School prepares students for the demands of the scholarship interviews, often opposite notable barristers and Queen’s Counsels. Part of Kent Law School’s provision is a renowned on-campus Moot court, in which sessions and competitions are regularly held, enabling students to tackle the difficult subjects and arguments put forward in a court of law; essential experience for those the path to becoming a barrister.