Scholarships to London
Scholarships for Recently Called Lawyers in Ontario
The late Dr. Harold G. Fox, K.C. had a high regard for the formative training received by the newly called barristers at the Inns of Court in London, England. The work placement, involves assignment to two or more sets of barristers’ chambers for the period of one court year. Up to two scholarships are awarded annually to lawyers called to the Ontario Bar in their year of application. The duration of each scholarship is for the 11 months, commencing September 1, 2023 and ending July 31, 2024.
Each recipient of the scholarship receives:
- A scholarship in the amount of 60,000.00 CAD, in addition to reasonable travel expenses to and from London, England.
- Admission to Goodenough College, a postgraduate residential community centrally located in London, within walking distance to Middle Temple.
- Assignment to two or more sets of barristers’ chambers for a period of one court year. Scholars are placed in barristers’ chambers that specialize in commercial and general civil litigation.
Middle Temple, Inns of Court
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers. The others are the Inner Temple, Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn. Middle Temple is near the Royal Courts of Justice within the city of London.
The Inns of Court are voluntary law societies clustered on the western edge of the historic city of London for easy access to the royal courts in Westminster. The Inns of Court survive to this day in large part because they retain the exclusive right to admit individuals to practise at the bar.
Goodenough College
Goodenough College is a postgraduate residential community comprised of accomplished postgraduate students.
This historic student accommodation is located in the heart of London, close to the core of London’s past and present cultural landmarks.
How to Apply
Applicants are selected and interviewed by the Fund’s Canadian Trustees.
The maximum number of scholarships awarded will not exceed two. Each scholarship is tenable for work placement in chambers.
Applicants must submit the following:
- A curriculum vitae – typed (not more than two pages).
- Official Law School transcript (or photocopy).
- A covering letter.
- A passport sized photograph.
- The names and addresses of two references with telephone numbers.
Qualifications
- You must be called to the Ontario Bar in 2023.
- You must be determined and undertake to pursue a career in litigation in Ontario upon completion of your studies as provided by the Fox Scholarship.
- Good academic standing is essential but election to a scholarship is not based on academic attainments alone.
Qualifications
Applications must be received by mail or email by 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, May 5, 2023. All will be acknowledged.
The applicants will be considered by a committee of the Trustees who will prepare a short list of those to be interviewed.
If you are interested in applying or want to learn more about the scholarship, please check out the previous experiences of Past Scholars.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Fox Scholarship work placement is similar to a pupillage. A pupillage is a year‐long training contract in a set of chambers that all aspiring barristers in England must complete after finishing the Bar course. The odds of securing pupillage are long, especially at a prestigious commercial set, as these sets only take on about two dozen pupils each year in all of London. Pupils sit in various barristers’ rooms, shadowing them in their practice and completing various tasks assigned, from research to drafting memos and briefs. The Fox Scholarship is comparable to a pupillage, in that the scholar is not eligible for employment at its conclusion, and it provides the scholar the opportunity to sit at multiple sets of chambers.
The Fox Scholarship was intended for young lawyers to return and practice litigation in Ontario at the end of the scholarship period. It is never too early to start researching firms in Ontario that you’re interested in. You can begin your job hunt in London as if you were at home by reaching out to your network and sending out your resume. The scholarship has an excellent reputation amongst Ontario’s litigation bar, and an extensive network of past scholars who practice across the province. Past scholars are typically happy to speak with current scholars about their career search post-scholarship and to offer advice on finding the right firm for them.
While solicitors in England commonly work in large partnerships similar to the big Canadian law firms, barristers usually work in an association of barristers called a set of chambers. Each barrister is self‐employed but contributes a percentage of his or her fees to chambers to cover overheads, and often works on cases with other barristers in the set. Unlike the modern office complex of the typical solicitors’ firm, chambers tend to be housed in historic buildings concentrated around the Middle Temple area.
Goodenough College is an educational charity that provides residential accommodation for British and international postgraduate students and their families in London. It includes residential and study facilities and provides a program of activities to enhance students’ personal, social, and intellectual development. In a typical year, the College is home to approximately 700 international postgraduate students and their families, from approximately 80 different nations.
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly referred to as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively permitted to call their members to the English Bar as barristers. The other Inns of Court are Inner Temple, Gray’s Inn, and Lincoln’s Inn. The Law Society of Ontario is similar to one of the Inns of Court.
While every day is different, a typical day as a Fox Scholar may include the following:
- Wake up and have breakfast with new friends at the dining hall at Goodenough College.
- Walk to the barristers’ chambers where you are working. You will have already assisted in preparing written submissions and conducted research for the trial you are attending that day.
- Observe the cross-examinations in the morning during trial at the Royal Courts of Justice.
- Attend lunch at the dining hall at Middle Temple with your supervising barrister. The dining hall dates back to the 1500s.
- Re-attend trial for the rest of the day.
- Return to chambers with your supervising barrister, during which you will discuss the cross-examinations, the evidence that came out, and what is scheduled for tomorrow’s day at trial. Walk home to Goodenough College to have dinner with friends. In the evening, attend a concert in Goodenough College’s theatre box at Royal Albert Hall.
- End the day by grabbing a pint at The Lamb, which is steps away from Goodenough College on Lamb’s Conduit, or at the pub housed within Goodenough College.
