Keating Chambers announces scholarship in conjunction with Gray’s Inn
Date: 7 September 2022
Keating Chambers is delighted to announce the launch of a new social mobility scholarship in partnership with Gray’s Inn, to be awarded through the Gray’s Inn Scholarship Programme opening in September 2022. The scholarship, funded by Keating Chambers, is designed to support Bar Course students from backgrounds under-represented at the Bar.
Keating Chambers and Gray’s Inn are committed to supporting aspiring barristers from all backgrounds, promoting social mobility and increasing diversity at the Bar. In 2020, Gray’s Inn’s Scholarships Committee initiated a review of its awarding methodology, where new criteria were introduced to change the focus from ‘previous achievement’ towards ‘future potential’. In the same year Keating Chambers carried out a comprehensive fair recruitment review which further improved their pupillage selection criteria and assessment process.
In awarding £15,000 to the winning candidate, the Keating Chambers Scholarship will support a Bar Student from a background under-represented at the Bar, who may not have otherwise been able to embark on this journey. We will also offer the successful applicant an unassessed mini-pupillage at Keating Chambers and mentoring. The mini-pupillage will be a 1-day in person placement which aims to provide a varied and stimulating introduction to life in Chambers.
“We are proud to launch this new scholarship with Gray’s Inn which we believe will make a real difference to someone who, without this support, might not have pursued a career at the Bar. Keating Chambers recognises that it has a key part to play in improving access across the Bar for those from a wide range of backgrounds, as well as developing our own policies to improve diversity. We thank Gray’s Inn for partnering with us on this initiative and wish all those applying the best of luck.”
Alexander Nissen QC, Head of Keating Chambers
“Gray’s Inn and Keating Chambers share a commitment to improving access to the profession and we are delighted to now include the Keating Chambers Scholarship as part of our Bar Course scholarships programme. The Inn has worked hard to develop a programme which is focussed on potential, promotes talent from all backgrounds, and contributes to a fairer and more diverse Bar. We are grateful to Keating Chambers for their support and look forward to working together to provide this new scholarship from 2023.”
Shaheed Fatima QC, Master of Scholarships at Gray’s Inn
In addition to meeting the merit assessment criteria, the successful candidate will express an interest in practice areas compatible with the work of Keating Chambers as well as demonstrate a social mobility-based need for financial support.
Applications will open 16 September 2022.
Social Mobility Criteria
The candidate should meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Candidate is in the first generation of their family to go to university.
- Candidate was eligible for free school meals.
- Candidate was in care at any point up to and including the age of 18.
- Candidate is a single parent for a person or persons who, at the time of the award of the Keating Chambers Scholarship, is/are under the age of 18.
- Candidate or their immediate family is or has been a refugee or asylum seeker
- Candidate lived in social housing at any point up to and including the age of 18.
Gray’s Inn’s Bar course applications open from Friday 16 September 2022.
About Keating Chambers
Keating Chambers is a leading set of commercial barristers’ chambers, with a thriving domestic and international practice. It is one of the two top construction chambers in the UK and worldwide and was awarded “Chambers of the Year” by The Lawyer in 2020. Chambers’ area of practice is dynamic and challenging. The cases are intellectually challenging and the complexity of the disputes requires thorough analytical skills. Keating Chambers participates in many initiatives to help improve diversity at Keating and more widely at the Bar and was shortlisted for “Outstanding Set of the Year for Diversity and Inclusion” by Chambers & Partners in 2021. For further information on Keating’s equality and diversity initiatives, please visit their website: https://www.keatingchambers.com/recruitment/diversity-and-inclusion/
About Gray’s Inn
Gray’s Inn is one of the Inns of Court – the historic societies that educate and train barristers in England and Wales. For more than six hundred years, Gray’s has been home to a community of extraordinary individuals. Generations of Members have honed their craft here, standing up for truth and justice with fierce independence. Gray’s uses income generated from commercial and residential lettings to fund a £1.3M scholarship programme each year to support talented individuals who may not have otherwise considered a career at the Bar. For more information, visit www.graysinn.org.uk.
Contacts
Keating Chambers:
Marie Sparkes, Head of BD & Marketing, msparkes@keatingchambers.com
Sarah Williams, Barrister, swilliams@keatingchambers.com
Gray’s Inn:
Daniel Hawes, Scholarships Manager, daniel.hawes@graysinn.org.uk
The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn, 8 South Square, London, WC1R 5ET
