We are delighted to announce the following students have been awarded Internship Scholarships in 2024.
Ken Chiu – Churchill Scholarship
Melis Ekren – Churchill Scholarship
Ella Kennedy – Graham Challis European Scholarship
Beverley Martins-Nworisa – Churchill Scholarship
We want to thank everyone who took the time to submit an application or attend an interview. We know that there are serious challenges to becoming a barrister, and we are delighted to be in a position to support an exceptional group of individuals as they take the next step towards a career at the Bar.
Our scholarships programme at Gray’s is designed to support you throughout your journey to practising at the Bar. Financial support does not stop at the Bar Course, and we offer opportunities for Members of all stages to access the profession and equip themselves with the skills and experience they need for life at the Bar. From Internship and Pupillage Scholarships to Essay Prizes, find out more about our scholarships.
Here’s what our scholars had to say about their proposed internship and how it links to their practice ambitions.
Ken Chiu
“Alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”) is gaining prominence over litigation. This is evident, for example, in the compulsory mediation sessions for small track claims and the judgment of Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil [2023] EWCA Civ 1416. My desired practice area is housing law, which is becoming highly litigious due to current economic challenges and the importance of social housing. ADR will, therefore, play a major role in resolving disputes in this field. To stay relevant and adaptable, I will be undertaking four courses with ADR ODR International to acquire the Digital Dispute Resolution (“DDRS”) diploma. These courses will include, for example, mediation, negotiation, and online dispute resolution training. This will lay the foundation for an ADR practice alongside my existing experience in litigation, preparing me for a future where ADR is increasingly the preferred choice.”
Melis Ekren
“I plan to undertake a six-month internship at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland. Within the OHCHR, Melis Ekren will work in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Branch and aid with the legal research and analysis of human rights violations in Member States. I will furthermore participate in two sessions of the UPR Working Group, where these human rights violations will be reviewed by rapporteurs and recommendations will be made to States under review. This internship will provide me with invaluable experience in achieving her goals of pursuing expertise in human rights and public international law at the Bar.”
Ella Kennedy
“I am undertaking a 5-month traineeship at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. I spent the first half of the traineeship under the supervision of one of the judges of the court, assisting her with her caseload by conducting in-depth research into the legal issues before her, and I will spend the second half working within the Jurisconsult’s Directorate. Through this traineeship, I will be exposed to a range of human rights issues engaging various articles of the European Convention on Human Rights across a number of jurisdictions, as well as oral and written advocacy styles hailing from those jurisdictions, supporting my ambition to incorporate human rights law into my practice and perhaps one day even represent a client before the court myself.”
Beverley Martins-Nworisa
“I will utilise the Gray’s scholarship to travel to the United States, where I will undergo a placement focusing on capital defence cases.”