Scholarships and Bursaries

This page summarises specific scholarships and bursaries for aspiring and junior legal aid lawyers; at the bottom of the page is also a list of essay competitions.

If you know of any other relevant scholarships and bursaries, please let us know at ylalinfo@gmail.com.

COURSE FEES

Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund

This fund has been developed by City of London Law Society, BARBRI and YLAL with the support of Legal Aid Practitioners Group (‘LAPG’) and Law Centres Network (‘LCN’). It seeks to use the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (‘SQE’) to provide the next generation of qualified Social Welfare solicitors. 

The fund is open to candidates already working in social welfare law, such as housing, immigration, community care or public law, who are committed to qualifying as solicitors but may not have the financial means to cover the SQE preparation and assessment costs.

You can find out all about the terms of the Fund, application process, guidance documents and more, on CLLS’s website.

Law school scholarships

Law schools offer scholarships for both undergraduate and post graduate courses (those featured here are those which include professional course scholarships):

Inns of Court scholarships

The four Inns of Court have scholarship for both the GDL and the BPC; there may also be funds available for pupillages:

Law Society Diversity Access Scheme (DAS)

If you don’t have the financial means to pay for your LPC, the DAS might be able to help. It provides awardees with:

  • Finance: Funding for up to the full cost of your LPC or SQE fees.
  • Professional contacts: A professional mentor to help answer your questions about starting a career in law.
  • Opportunities to gain work experience: Work experience placements, brokered through the Law Society.

Applicants must: 

  • Live in England or Wales, have the right to work and Study in England or Wales and plan on continuing their studies and starting their legal career whilst living in England or Wales
  • Do not have access to familial loans or financial gifts and do not have more than £5,000 in savings 
  •  be able to confirm two of or more of the following statements:
  • they attended a non-fee-paying school 
  • they were part of the first generation of their family to attend higher education 
  • They were eligible for free school meals whilst at school. 

If an applicant cannot meet the criteria under 2(b) or 1.3 they may still be eligible to apply to the DAS if they face, or have faced, exceptional circumstances in pursuing their legal education or career.

CMS Law Bursary

This bursary is for undergraduate law degrees, paying £3000 towards each year of the degree.

The bursaries are open to any candidate who attends a state school; and either:

  • is themselves eligible for free school meals (or would be eligible for free school meals if they attended a school sixth form rather than a college); or
  • attends a school where 20% or more of students are currently eligible for free school meals; or
  • is or has been a child looked after/care-experienced; or
  • has a home address in POLAR4 quintile 1 – this can be checked here. 

Guru Nanak Social Mobility Scholarships 

Applications for these scholarships are currently closed; check back in August 2025.

FEES OR TRAINING

Justice First Fellowship

The Justice First Fellowship Scheme was established in 2014 to support the next generation of students committed to public interest and social justice issues who want to pursue a career in social welfare law.

The Scheme has been established by The Legal Education Foundation, and is supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Unbound Philanthropy, BBC Children in Need, AB Charitable Trust, BPP, City Bridge Trust, Royal Bank of Scotland, and a number of law firms.

The aim is that the Fellowship Scheme will come to be seen as a route to a career in this important area of law, with Fellows going on to become leaders in their field and important advocates for access to justice and the rule of law.

The Fellowship consists of three parts. To provide:

  1. A two year fully funded training period in any UK nation, and a free place on the Professional Skills Course at BPP campuses or equivalent compulsory training in Scotland or Northern Ireland
  2. Fellows with time and resource during their training period to develop and implement a project that will advance access to justice in some way;
  3. Additional support, training and opportunities for Fellows to gain skills and feel part of a wider movement of people committed to access to justice.

To be eligible, candidates must:

  • Have a relevant qualification:
    • England & Wales: completed and passed (or expect to pass by 14 March 2025) the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or have an UG degree and completed and passed SQE Part 1.
    • Scotland: completed and passed (or expect to pass by 14 March 2025) the Diploma in Legal Practice/Professional Legal Practice (DLP/DPLP).
    • Northern Ireland: graduated with a recognised law degree and will need to receive notification of admission by March 2025 to the Solicitors apprenticeship scheme at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Queen’s University Belfast, commencing in September 2025;
  • Have the right to work in the UK;
  • Be willing and able to commit to serving a two-year term as a Fellow commencing in April 2025;
  • Be able to demonstrate a commitment to social welfare law.

Positions are usually advertised in Autumn each year for a start in April of the following year. 

Kalisher Trust awards 

The Kalisher Trust awards are designed to support aspiring barristers with “exceptional promise but modest means” who are committed to practising at the Criminal Bar.In 2025, the Trust offers a range of opportunities, including scholarships, internships, essay competitions, and advocacy training.

To make an enquiry about the Kalisher awards, please email please email   administrator@thekalishertrust.co.uk.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Kalisher trust internships

The Kalisher Trust also funds a variety of legal internships designed either to prepare an individual to enter the Criminal Bar, or to strengthen a junior barrister’s practice by expanding their knowledge and experience, and helping them to forge professional relationships. Often internships are unfunded, which prohibits those from less affluent backgrounds undertaking such employment. The Kalisher Trust therefore works in partnership with legal organisations and NGOs to offer funded internships.

The Kalisher Trust offers internships in partnership with the following prestigious organisations:

  • JUSTICE
  • Criminal Cases Review Commission
  • Amicus
  • Doughty Street Chambers & the Death Penalty Project
  • The Sentencing Academy

Study/experience abroad

  • HM Hubbard Law Scholarship: awarded annually to postgraduate law students, trainee solicitors or qualified law solicitors who wish to study law in Canada, France or Spain. Apply by December 2025 for academic year 2026/2027.
  • Pegasus Trust: multiple scholarships awarded annually to barristers from any Inn of Court up to seven years in practice.

Essay competitions

If you know of any other relevant scholarships and bursaries, please let us know at ylalinfo@gmail.com