Faculty opens scholarships to 2023 applicants
The Faculty of Advocates has opened applications to its scholarship programmes for those considering beginning their devilling in 2023.
Faculty has four scholarship schemes which aim to remove barriers to membership of the Scottish bar for those with the skills and motivation to practise as advocates. They are the Lord Reid Scholarship, the Faculty Scholarship, the Lord Hope Scholarships and the SCLR scholarship, the last of these being funded by the Scottish Council of Law Reporting and administered by the Faculty.
The Lord Reid Scholarship is awarded in honour of the late House of Lords judge Lord Reid, who bequeathed sums to Faculty with the intention that they be used for educational scholarships. One Lord Reid Scholarship is usually awarded annually to the outstanding applicant.
Lord Hope Scholarships are funded by contributions made by existing members of Faculty. In addition, one or more Faculty Scholarships may be awarded each year. The SCLR scholarship is awarded to a single candidate each year.
Ruth Crawford QC, treasurer of the Faculty of Advocates and chair of its Scholarship Committee, said: "As Faculty we are acutely aware of the need to promote and encourage diversity within our membership base to reflect the population we serve in the pursuit of justice for all those who live and work in Scotland. Our Lord Hope, Faculty, and the SCLR Scholarships all aim to improve accessibility to those wanting to train as devils and then practise as advocates to the bar. Applicants must demonstrate sufficient ability to merit an award, but greater weighting is given to those in financial need or to those from groups currently underrepresented."
Current devil Lynsey Morgan added: "The prospect of devilling for nine months while receiving no income was daunting, and the Lord Hope scholarship I received has provided me with some much-needed financial assistance."
The deadline for applications for all scholarships, for those considering commencing devilling in 2023, is Friday 29 April 2022. Applications will be decided well in advance of the final deadline for matriculating as an intrant for devilling in 2023. Details on the application process and further information are here.