The Inn provides several scholarships and prizes in addition to our major GDL, Bar Course and Pupillage Scholarships.
- The Hebe Plunkett Scholarships
The Hebe Plunkett Scholarships
The Hebe Plunkett Scholarships are for students or pupils who will incur additional expenditure to complete their course or pupillage because of a disability or a chronic health condition. A Hebe Plunkett Scholarship is made to meet additional costs which are necessary to ensure the student or pupil can perform to the best of their ability.
Applications for the Hebe Plunkett Scholarship 2023 have now closed
In the application for the scholarship students or pupils are required to clearly outline the nature of the additional expenditure (for example software, equipment, treatment costs), why it is necessary for the completion of the course or pupillage and a detailed explanation of the likely costs to be incurred. Applicants are to provide enough information to allow the panel to make a decision based on need and with a clear explanation of the additional costs. Detailed medical information should not be provided.
Applicants should write a letter of not more than 500 words in length which describes need, the nature of the additional support required and its cost, to the Scholarships Committee (Hebe Plunkett). Letters should be submitted via email to the Scholarships team. A decision will be made within six weeks of the deadline of the scholarship.
- The Gide / Gray's Inn French-English Law Essay Prize
The Gide / Gray’s Inn French-English Law Essay Prize
The 2023 deadline is 10 September 2023. Please see the press release for the essay title and further information.
Details of the title and a copy of the prize rules will be sent to all registered entrants. If you have yet to register for the prize and would like to then we invite you to email to register.
This competition is open to individuals in full time legal education for less than six years at the time of submission of the essay. It is not a requirement to be a member of Gray’s Inn to enter an essay.
The winner will receive a prize of £1,500 plus a two-week paid internship with Gide’s London office. The runner-up will receive a prize of £1,000.
The winning author’s essay will be published in the Inn’s Student Law Journal and on the Gide website.
Application Details and Deadline
- The essay submitted must be an original essay and must not be an essay also submitted as part of the author’s course of study.
- The essay will be required to be the original work of the entrant. The essay is to be written unsupervised, meaning that it must be written without help from anyone. Applicants will be required to state that the essay is their own unaided work.
- The essay must be a maximum of 2,500 words in length (including footnotes).
- Essays exceeding the stated length will not be considered.
- Co-authored essays will not be considered.
- The panel of Judges from Gide and Gray’s Inn will be chaired by Treasurer or Vice Treasurer of Gray’s Inn.
- The Michael Beloff Essay Prize
The Michael Beloff Essay Prize
- Question released: July 2024
- Deadline for submission: September 2024
See this year’s question in our News release.
A prize of up to £1,000 will be awarded for an essay on a selected subject in Administrative Law. The winning entry will be published in the Gray’s Inn Student Law Journal.
Rules
- This competition is open to any member of the Inn who has not received a pupillage offer by the essay submission deadline.
- Previous winners of this essay prize are ineligible.
- Applicants must intend to practice at the Bar of England and Wales.
- Essays must be original compositions between 3,000 to 5,000 words (including footnotes).
- Essays must conform to our style guide.
Application and deadline
- The essay question will be released in our news and on the Inn’s social media in July with a deadline for essay submissions in September
- You must submit a PDF version of your essay using the online form.
- The Lee Essay Prize
The Lee Essay Prize
- Question released: July 2024
- Deadline for submission: September 2024
See this year’s question in our News release.
A first prize of up to £1,500 and a second prize of up to £500 will be awarded for an essay on a selected subject on the Common or Statute Law of England and Wales. The winning entry will be published in the Gray’s Inn Student Law Journal.
Rules
- This competition is open to any member of the Inn who has not received a pupillage offer by the essay submission deadline.
- Previous winners of this essay prize are ineligible.
- Applicants must intend to practice at the Bar of England and Wales.
- Essays must be original compositions between 3,000 to 5,000 words (including footnotes).
- Essays must conform to our style guide.
Application and deadline
- The essay question will be released in our news and on the Inn’s social media in July with a deadline for essay submissions in September
- You must submit a PDF version of your essay using the online form
- Nicholls Prize
Nicholls Prize
Awarded annually to the winner of the Gray’s Inn Moot Competition.
The prize is generously made available by Three Raymond Buildings (3RB) in honour of Clive Nicholls QC a Bencher of the Inn.
- The Norman Tapp Memorial Prizes
- The James Hunt Prize
The James Hunt Prize
The James Hunt prize is awarded to a pupil who demonstrates the best advocacy performance on the day of The Trial Exercise, which is held at the Royal Courts of Justice each spring and marks the fifth and final stage of the Pupil Advocacy Course.
- The Ede and Ravenscroft Prize
- Funding for The South Eastern Circuit, Tim Dutton CBE KC, Advanced International Advocacy Course 2023
Funding for The South Eastern Circuit, Tim Dutton CBE KC, Advanced International Advocacy Course 2023
The Inns of Court offer funding for up to five of their Members practising as barristers in publicly funded work, which covers the cost of attending the Keble Advanced Advocacy Course.
To apply for a scholarship from Gray’s Inn, you must complete both the application form and the Inns’ scholarships application form before Friday 9 June.