One of the professional highlights of my year is volunteering as a scholarship interviewer at Middle Temple. Typically held in March (for Bar Course scholarships) and June (for Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) scholarships), the Inn interviews hundreds of candidates and awards over £1 million worth of scholarships to approximately a third of those candidates.
It’s a huge task that relies on the hard work of the Inn’s staff and the goodwill of its members to act as interviewers. I first sat on a GDL Scholarship interview panel in 2023 and this year I sat on a Bar Course scholarship panel. I was very fortunate on both occasions to work alongside experienced panellists, who I learned a great deal from. Before sitting on these panels, I underwent scholarship interviewer training, which is compulsory for all who wish to volunteer in the role. Although the training was very comprehensive, it was not an onerous time commitment, only taking one evening to complete. Support for interviewers, however, does not cease there. Christa, the Inn’s Director of Education, and her team are on hand to field any questions interviewers may have throughout the process (this will come as no surprise to those of us who interact with the education department who are eminently and consistently helpful).
In the run up to the interviews, panellists are allocated to panels of three and are sent applications for us to peruse before the interviews. Reading through applications is not unlike reading case papers, trying to identify the strengths and weaknesses in candidates’ forms. It is a privilege to read candidates’ stories, some of which contain real hardship and admirable resilience. A meeting takes place before the interviews with all panellists, so any pertinent general issues can be discussed, and people can have the opportunity to ask questions. Usually, separate panels will arrange a meeting amongst their members to discuss matters specific to their allocated applications.
The Bar Course interviews run for three days and the GDL interviews for two days. Although this is a significant time commitment, it is – in my view – entirely worth it. Some panels are online for those candidates who have opted to be interview remotely, and others are in-person. The in-person interviews take place in the Ashley Building. Both times I have been an interviewer, I have sat on an in-person panel. The ‘buzz’ when one goes in on the morning of the interviews is palpable. The anticipation of potentially being able to play a small part in positively changing the course of someone’s life – in the best cases, against all the odds – is very exciting. Interviewing does, however, require stamina. Panels usually interview candidates back-to-back with few breaks. This does not negate from how enjoyable the process is, however. It is wonderful when you are presented with a candidate who may have been average on paper, but absolutely shines in their interview. Or those special moments when the whole panel sees a standout candidate who is clearly destined for great things at the Bar. But perhaps the thing that makes volunteering as an interviewer worthwhile is when you see a candidate who perhaps doesn’t realise how brilliant they are and, without the financial help of the Inn, would most probably not be able to pursue a career at the Bar.
I encourage members who want to be actively involved in the work of the Inn to volunteer as scholarship interviewers. Having been on both sides of the table as an interviewer and an interviewee, I cannot stress how vital this function of the Inn is. It helps to promote much needed accessibility to the profession among candidates who have so much potential and opens doors for members of our Middle Temple community that would otherwise be firmly shut.
Yasmin is a barrister at 7BR, where she specialises in professional discipline and regulatory law, family law, criminal law and public inquires. She is a Queen Mother Scholar and was Called to the Bar in 2018 – 60 years after her grandfather, Michael Agbamuche, was Called to the Bar by Middle Temple.
