2023 award winner Helen Peden with Roth J, chair of the judging panel.

If you are taking up pupillage at any time between October 2024 and October 2025, and being paid a total for the pupillage year (including guaranteed earnings) of no more than £37,500 (in London) or £32,500 (outside London), you could receive our top-up award of a further £13,000.

The award is based on a combination of financial need and merit. The award is open to applications from 1 March to 30 June 2024.

Click here for full details of the rules and application form.

2023 Winner

Last year’s award was won by Helen Peden, who is currently doing pupillage at Garden Court North Chambers, based in Manchester, a leading set dealing with public law and human rights.

Following an announcement and first payment in October 2023, Helen was finally presented with the award certificate by the chair of the judging panel, Mr Justice Roth, at an event in the Rolls Building last month.

In response to the award, she said:

“I am so grateful for the stability that winning the ICLR Award offers, having left the relative security of a third-sector career for pupillage at the self-employed Bar. After years of working and studying towards this goal, it gives me the freedom to pursue a practice in publicly funded areas of law. The Award has also given me a confidence boost ahead of my second Six and encouraged me that I am capable of the challenge to come. The Award will allow me to focus on this challenge and take up any opportunities that arise, without the added pressure of financial concerns.”

Read more about her award here.

Past winners include:

2022: Lily Belfer (187 Chambers)

2021: Matt Ward (187 Fleet Street)

2020: No competition took place due to covid-19.

2019: Tamasin Graham (Lamb Building)

2018: Daniel Wand (4 King’s Bench Walk)

2017: Ben Haseldine (4 King’s Bench Walk)

2016: Sophia Stapleton (2 Dr Johnson’s Building)