The Law Society Bursary Scheme

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

1. Completion of the application

Do I have to have a confirmed place on a Legal Practice Course/Common Professional Examination course/Graduate Diploma in Law course before I can apply for an award?

Yes. You must be in possession of a confirmed offer from an institution for the course of your choice before applying for a bursary.

Do I need a confirmation letter from my chosen university before I can apply for an award?

If you are in receipt of an offer then you must send in your letter from the institution confirming this along with your application.

If I plan to study part-time, can I apply for a bursary to cover both years of my study?

No. If you wish to study part-time you can only apply for an award to cover the first year of fees. If you wish to be considered for support for your second year you must reapply to the bursary scheme the following year.

I have already embarked upon my course; can I apply for a bursary to reimburse the monies for the fees I have already paid?

No. Bursaries are not awarded on a retrospective basis. In 2006, awards will only be given for courses to be embarked upon in the academic year 2006/2007.

Will I still be eligible for a bursary if I have not applied for student enrolment of the Law Society or if my application for student enrolment is refused?

You are able to apply for a bursary without already being enrolled as a student member; however, it is a prerequisite to being given an award that you are enrolled as a student member of the Law Society. If you do not successfully apply for student enrolment, you will not be eligible for an award.

Will the award cover childcare costs when I attend university?

No. The award will cover course fees only.

What happens if I do not complete all sections of the application form or do not submit all documents that are requested?

If you do not complete the application form in full you are unlikely to meet the criteria, and therefore, you have less chance of being short listed. If documents that have been requested are not submitted with the application form before the deadline your application will not be considered.

What happens if I miss the deadline for the applications?

Due to the volume of applications received we will not consider any applications received after the set deadline. In order to be considered your application must be received, at the Law Society’s offices in Redditch, by the deadline date. Applications posted on the deadline date or not received by the deadline date, even if posted the day before will not be considered.

Can my application form and documents be faxed or emailed?

No. Applications received by fax or email will not be considered.

Do I have to fill in the personal details and equal opportunity form? What will the Law Society do with this information?

Yes. Throughout the process we will need to contact you by post and/or telephone. We will use the personal details form to do this. The information will not be available to Law Society staff or members of the bursary sub committee involved in the short listing process.

The equal opportunities form will be used for monitoring purposes only. It will be separated from your application as soon as it is received. Your application, personal details and the monitoring information will all be destroyed 18 months after the closing date.

What should I do if I have been convicted of a criminal offence or if I have been found guilty of cheating or plagiarism whilst at university?

There is an opportunity on the application form to provide details of any of these issues. If this is the case you will be asked for your permission to disclose the relevant details to members of the Bursary Sub Committee.

My academic achievement does not reflect my full potential due to personal circumstances – how can I show my full potential?

There is the opportunity to disclose the reasons behind this in the application form. If you wish you may attach a supporting letter from your school or university explaining your circumstances.

What happens if my written exercise is under or exceeds the word count stated?

The word limit is set at 500 words. You are, however, strongly advised to keep within the word limit as far as possible. Some discretion will be exercised (a margin of 10 per cent either way may be acceptable). Scripts that do not attempt to keep within the word limit will not be considered.

What happens if I can’t get an academic reference?

References from an employer(s) will be requested before your application will be considered. Any references must be submitted on official headed paper from the referee.

What happens if my references are not submitted with my application form due to circumstances out of my control?

Your application will not be considered unless references (a stated part of the criteria) are submitted with your application by the deadline set and by post only.

2. The short listing process

How many awards do you make each year?

The number of awards given depends on the amount of applications received and the size of the fund available. In 2005 we made 13 awards.

If I meet the criteria stated, does that automatically mean I will be selected for interview?

No. Simply meeting the criteria will not result in you being granted an award. The allocation of the award depends on the number and quality of applications received and the size of the fund available.

Who will decide my application?

Your application will be processed internally by Law Society staff in the first instance to ensure that it is completed correctly and in full and that all of the supporting documentation has been enclosed.

If the application is not completed in full or is not signed or does not contain all the necessary information, it will be rejected at this stage.

If the application is completed correctly and all the necessary documentation is enclosed, your application will be considered by two members of the Law Society staff, against the criteria for the scheme.

A copy of the application with an office summary and recommendation will then be sent to each member of the Bursary Sub Committee.

The Bursary Sub Committee usually consist of three members of the solicitor’s profession who have experience in and/or interest in the education and training of solicitors.

Each member of the Bursary Sub Committee will consider your application against the criteria for the scheme, with reference to the summary and recommendation from the Law Society staff, and will make a recommendation as to whether you should be called for interview or not.

A final shortlist of candidates to be interviewed will be drawn up based on the recommendations of the members of the Bursary Sub Committee. Final award selections are then made at the interview stage.

How long after the closing date will a decision be made on who has been short listed for interview?

A decision will be made by the end of May 2006. Letters will be sent out to all applicants advising whether they have been selected for interview.

3. The interview

What happens if I am not able to attend for interview on the date you have given?

Interviews are usually held over two days. We will inform you of the dates as early as a possible. Decisions must be made on the second day of interviews. If you are unable to make either of the interview dates, your application will be withdrawn.

If selected for interview, how long after interview will I be reimbursed for my expenses?

Expenses are usually reimbursed within two weeks of receipt of proof of travel.

What expenses can I claim?

You can claim for travel expenses when receipts and rail/coach tickets are produced. Expenses will be reimbursed for standard class travel only. You cannot claim expenses for anyone travelling with you.

Can I claim for mileage?

You can claim for mileage to the value of the price of a standard train ticket.

How long after the interview will it take for a decision to be made as to whether I have been awarded a scholarship?

The panel will make their decisions within a week and you will be notified by post of the decision.

4. Appeals

Can I appeal any decision made by the Bursary Sub Committee?

There is no appeal against the Society’s decision not to award a bursary or to select you for interview. The Society’s decision making powers in relation to the bursary scheme are not regulatory or statutory and it is at the absolute discretion of the Society, therefore, whether funds are awarded to individual applicants.

We do ensure, however, that all applications are given full consideration against the criteria for the scheme by the Law Society staff and by all the members of the Bursary Sub Committee.