This is only BoB's second post, and already I'm going interactive! I must join an Inn of Court, and I would rather like to do it before the next academic year begins. I thought it might be fun to consult BoB's readers as to which one. Here are the facts:
- Inns of Court alone have the power to call a barrister to the Bar, so every aspiring barrister must join one as a student member before commencing their BVC.
- You can only join one Inn
- Changing Inns once you have joined is very rare
- Inns provide financial and educational support to members in the form of grants, scholarships, training and (sometimes) housing.
I began my investigation purely on financial grounds, finding out which Inn had the best cash-to-student ratio. Joining the richest Inn might ensure the best chances of paying for my legal education! The figures I came up with are very rough and ready, I won't be basing my decision on them - I matched up 2005's intake numbers with 2003's award amounts, for example. Just a bit of fun!
Gray's Inn: £650k total, 350 entrants this year = £1857.14 per student
Inner Temple: £813k total, 500 entrants this year = £1626 per student
Middle Temple: £766k total, 600 entrants this year = £1276.67 per student
Lincoln's Inn: £903k total, 805 entrants this year = £1121.73 per student
sources: legaleducation.org.uk for annual Inn award amounts and scholarships (figures for 2003/04), Inn offices for total student intake last year.
I started asking colleagues at law school and at work, all student barristers who had grappled with this problem a year or two ago. Absolutely everyone told me that their Inn was by far the best, so they must be doing something right. DS told me that Lincoln's Inn is popular with Oxbridge students, while DD that "Middle" is favoured by foreign students. The indomitable JEL advised me to "join Inner - it's the party Inn"! Knowing him I don't doubt it for a second. Perhaps the most useful piece of information was offered by another Middle Templar, SW: hers is the only Inn to interview every scholarship candidate. The others make shortlists.
I am going to visit them all in due course so watch this space. I will be looking at the availability of training courses, library opening hours (I like to work at night), and whether immigration and family practitioners favour a particular Inn.
Dear reader, if you have anything to share please help to solve my dilemma by clicking "comments" below. Thank you in advance!
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