COVID-19 Update (01/05/20): Under the current circumstances, the Pupillage Hardship Fund has been subsumed into the Emergency Assistance Fund for Students and Pupils.

The Middle Temple is able to make awards to members of the Inn who are in pupillage, or who have pupillage arranged, to alleviate cases of serious unexpected hardship. Their purpose is to ensure, so far as possible, that members of the Inn with the potential to succeed at the Bar are not prevented from doing so by some unexpected financial setback. The funds available are limited.

It is not possible to define in advance every situation which may qualify, but an application for a Emergency Assistance Award would be appropriate in cases such as the drying up of expected funds because of the illness of the applicant, or the death, illness or loss of employment of a breadwinner: cases which might loosely be described as an unexpected catastrophe. Such developments are in principle unforeseen, but it is appreciated that they are not necessarily sudden.

The awards are not there to deal with the historic debts, however large, which many students now have by the end of their academic and professional studies, or with the shortfall in funding by chambers in the rare cases where unfunded pupillages are permitted. They are not a supplement or substitute for an Inn scholarship.

Applicants must:

• be members of the Middle Temple;
• have 12 months' pupillage definitely arranged and accepted;
• have not yet completed pupillage;
• provide evidence of potential to succeed at the Bar;
• have suffered some serious and unexpected financial hardship.

In the nature of these awards there is no closing date for applications: the committee meets to consider applications from time to time.

In the current circumstances, the Pupillage Hardship Fund has been subsumed into the Emergency Assistance for Students and Pupils.  Please click here for more information and to apply.