If you want to become a lawyer, you`ve undoubtedly heard of the infamous Four Inns of Court. For most, the process of becoming a lawyer involves joining one of them. At the hostel of their choice, prospective lawyers receive assistance in conducting the BPTC (or the professional component of bar education), participate in social and competitive events, and have the opportunity to socialize through various networking events. Although the American Inns of Court share a collegial relationship with the English Inns, there is no formal or legal relationship. [16] [17] A Declaration of Friendship was signed by the British and American Inns of Justice, which established visiting procedures under which members of the American Inn can purchase a letter of recommendation formally presenting them to hostels in England and Ireland, with reciprocal procedures available to English and Irish lawyers. [17] [18] An annual six-week exchange program, known as the Pegasus Fellowships, was created to give young English lawyers the opportunity to travel to the United States and young members of the American Inn of Court to travel to London to learn more about the legal system of the other jurisdiction. [19] The process of becoming a lawyer and joining one of the Inns of Courts can seem complicated, difficult and traditional compared to the process of becoming a lawyer. However, being part of a hostel is certainly exceptional for the educational opportunities as well as the excitement that comes with belonging to a thriving legal community. With four Inns of Courts, the selection is extensive and requires a lot of thought. Secondly, how each hostel approaches its applications can help you decide which hostel to choose. Lincoln`s Inn and Gray`s Inn interview only a small number of candidates and rely heavily on academic performance to determine who moves on to the interview stage, while Middle Temple and Inner Temple interview all candidates with a focus on academic performance. In the 16th century and earlier, students or apprentices learned their trade mainly by attending court hearings and sharing housing and education during legal periods. [8] Before the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, this training lasted at least seven years; Subsequently, hostels focused their residency requirements on eating together with experienced lawyers to enable learning through contact and networking with experts.

[8] In the mid-18th century, common law was first recognized as a subject of study in universities, and in 1872 bar examinations became mandatory for admission to the legal profession. [6] [8] Inns are the only institutions in the country that have the power to appoint someone to the bar. As an intern, you will have to pay around £100 to attend a hostel before your BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course) starts and complete 12 qualifying sessions with the institution before being summoned. These sessions can range from social occasions such as formal lunches, musical evenings and boat parties, to educational events such as lectures, academic debates and training weekends. After passing the BPTC, completing the qualification courses, and being admitted to the bar, you must complete pupillage, a form of instruction, and obtain an internship certificate. The road to becoming a qualified lawyer is long and not without challenges. The importance of Inns in achieving this milestone should not be underestimated. They provide you with the education, networking skills and career guidance you need to succeed in the industry. However, the best thing about The Inns of Court is that they offer substantial financial aid of up to £5,000,000 per year to those who apply for and win a scholarship. These are awarded based on the student`s writing competence and performance in a difficult interview with a panel of seasoned lawyers, some of whom are judges. In many cases, the financial context is taken into account when granting financial assistance.

Interviewers look for determination, intellectual skills, on-site presentation skills, and impressive advocacy skills when selecting successful candidates. Another factor to consider when choosing which hostel to join is size. The hostels have a wide range of sizes – from Gray`s Inn, the smallest hostel, with only 300 students per year, to Lincoln`s Inn, the largest hostel, which records 1000 new admissions each year. Do you think you know enough now? Find out how much you know about hostels by taking our quiz! It was formerly customary for senior judges to join the inn of the Serjeants, leaving the inn where they had practiced the profession of lawyers. This meant that the Masters of the Bench of the four Barristers` Inns of Court were largely barristers themselves. As there is no longer a hostel for serjeants, the judges stay in the hostels they joined as students and to which they belonged as lawyers. As a result, the majority of prothonotaries of the judiciary have become senior judges, either because they become councillors when they are appointed as judges or because they become judges after being appointed as counsellors. During the 12th and early 13th centuries, law was taught in the City of London, mainly by the clergy. But a papal bull of 1218 forbade the clergy to practice in secular courts (where the English common law system worked, as opposed to Roman civil law, which operated in the church`s ecclesiastical courts). As a result, law was practiced and taught by lay people rather than clerics. To protect their schools from competition, Henry II (r. 1154–1189) and later Henry III (r.

1216–1272) issued proclamations prohibiting the teaching of civil law in the City of London. Common law lawyers worked in law guilds, modelled on commercial guilds, which over time became the Inns of Court. [4] Before making your choice, remember that you can (and should) apply for GDL and Bar-Course scholarships before you register. The hostels have deep pockets and offer over £5 million in scholarships. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of an application and a difficult interview with a panel of high-level lawyers, which may even include a judge. Interviewers are looking for advocacy skills, intellectual skills, and the determination to succeed at the bar. Awards are based on merit, but may be weighted according to financial need. As you can only join one of the hostels, the decision becomes infinitely more difficult, especially under time pressure, as you must register before starting the BPTC. You must apply by May 31 of the year in which you will complete the course. Since joining an Inn of Court lasts a lifetime, deciding which hostel to join is an important decision for any aspiring lawyer.

Deciding which hostel to join also puts some time pressure, as you need to register before starting the BPTC. You must apply by May 31 of the year in which you will complete the course. Founded in the 14th century, the Inner Temple prides itself on having progressive global membership and promoting diversity in the legal community. There are advocacy, debate and theatre societies that students can participate in as soon as they join the hostel. This particular hostel can have an added benefit for prospective students as it realizes the Pegasus project and develops a flexible space to conduct student training programs. These include classrooms, conference rooms and subgroup rooms, which can be an attractive modern space for potential students. This does not mean that there will be a departure from the traditional design of the hostel, but the heritage of the building will be preserved while providing comfortable learning spaces. In the first centuries of their existence, from the 14th century onwards, inns were one of the many buildings or neighborhoods where lawyers traditionally lived, trained and practiced their profession. Over the centuries, the four Inns of Court became training grounds for lawyers, while the larger Inns of Chancery – originally attached to the Inns of Court – were responsible for training lawyers. [1] You can only apply for law scholarships at one guesthouse at a time. If you are rejected, you can always choose to join this institution, as many do, or wait for the next round and try again.

The best scholarships are the prestigious nominated awards worth around £15,000. Considering that the BPTC costs over £18,000, an Inn of Court scholarship is something every intern should explore. They are also an unofficial guide to student decisions, as many rooms prefer those that carry confirmation of their hostel. The best way to get a feel for these honorable societies and their rich history is to call and ask for a site tour.