If you are passionate about using the law to deliver social justice, and you are looking for a fantastic opportunity to complete your training and move on to the next stage in a career advancing access to justice, then the Justice First Fellowship is for you.
Our 2023/24 Fellow recruitment round is now open.
What does the Justice First Fellowship involve?
- Training: a two year fully funded training period in any UK nation, including any mandatory training to be undertaken to qualify in Scotland, Northern Ireland or England & Wales (e.g. a gratuitous offer of a free place at any BPP campus to complete the Professional Skills Course).
- Project: Fellows gain practical experience by working on a project in collaboration with a Host organisation. Projects aim to advance access to justice, provide an opportunity to develop wider non-legal skills essential for a career in social justice and give a Host organisation additional capacity to build upon their work and potential sources of further funding.
- Wider support, development & networking: through attendance at sessions on project development, professional development and wider skills training (e.g. marketing and fundraising), well-being support as well as access to useful networks. Building important relationships and gaining peer support from other fellows, and being part of our JFF alumni network post-qualification as well.
Am I eligible to apply for the Fellowship?
To be eligible, you need to:
- Have a relevant qualification:
- England & Wales: completed and passed (or expect to pass by 14 March 2024) the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or have an UG degree and completed and passed SQE Part 1.
- Scotland: completed and passed (or expect to pass by 14 March 2024) the Diploma in Legal Practice/Professional Legal Practice (DLP/DPLP).
- Northern Ireland: graduated with a recognised law degree and will need to receive notification of admission by March 2024 to the Solicitors apprenticeship scheme at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Queen’s University Belfast, commencing in September 2024.
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Be willing and able to commit to serving a two-year term as a Fellow commencing in April 2024.
- Be able to demonstrate a commitment to social welfare law
* Please note: if you do not meet any of the above eligibility criteria, you will not be able to apply to the scheme.
How to apply?
Applicants will have the option of selecting two Host organisations they would like to apply to for our 2023/24 Fellow recruitment round. This may be relevant if you get to interview stage but are unsuccessful in the interview for your first choice Host.
- Read the job descriptions of Fellowship positions available in current opportunities and select which one you wish to apply to.
- Complete and submit the online application form. You will receive an automatic submission confirmation to your email address.
- You will be contacted by The Legal Education Foundation to let you know if you have been shortlisted for interview or not.
- If shortlisted, you will be contacted by the Host to arrange an interview.
- Following interviews, you will be contacted by the Host to let you know if you were successful or not.
- If you are not successful at interview, you may be asked if you wish to interview for training contracts in other Host organisations if any Host has not placed a candidate. This is not guaranteed.
How are Fellows selected?
Each Host organisation will receive applications from applicants who selected their organisation. Hosts do not see names, schooling history or equal opportunities data on application forms at the first stage so that the shortlisting process is anonymised and as unbiased as possible.
Hosts will shortlist candidates and send invitations to interviews which will be in person or virtual. Hosts now have full access to the shortlisted applications and shortlisted candidates may be asked for further information for example CVs.
Usually interviews will include a presentation element which candidates will be informed of and asked to prepare in advance.
A representative from The Legal Education Foundation may sit on the interview panel as an observer.
Candidates with the following experience and qualities are likely to be considered more favourably:
- have a demonstrable passion for access to justice
- have volunteered at charities or public interest groups in their local community
- have dedicated time to serving low-income or less privileged communities
- wish to effect change in the legal community
- have the highest level of skills and the potential to drive innovation in future legal practice
- have lived or learned experience of the issues facing the communities that the host organisation serves.
Competition for places is intense, with only the very best and most committed going on to be selected. Read about past Fellows here.
