The Macfarlanes Training Scholarship
Our flagship social mobility programme, providing real-world experience and holistic support for aspiring lawyers from Brunel University.
The Macfarlanes Training Scholarship is a unique opportunity for ambitious law students who are keen to pursue a career in law but who may face challenges to accessing the profession.
Developed with Brunel Law School at Brunel University London, the programme helps talented students from lower socio-economic backgrounds to overcome the practical, financial and cultural obstacles that are often a barrier to a career in law.
Our aim is to provide you with the practical experience, support and networks you’ll need to succeed when you enter the workplace.
Key information
Each year, we support up to three Brunel law students, known as Macfarlanes Training Scholars, with:
- full payment of university tuition fees;
- three weeks of paid work experience as part of the selection process:
- an exclusive, paid Year in Industry with us in the third year of their degree; and
- mentoring from senior Macfarlanes lawyers throughout.
Scheme dates
- Applications open: Monday 16 March 2026.
- Applications close: Friday 12 June 2026.
Eligibility
The scholarship is open to first year LLB law students at Brunel University London who meet the firm’s social mobility criteria, as set out in Rare Recruitment’s contextual recruitment system.
The criteria include anyone who has always attended, a state-funded, non-fee-paying school or college, plus one or more of the following:
- have been, or are currently, in local authority care;
- be in receipt of/have received free school meals, Pupil Premium, Education Maintenance Allowance and/or 16 to 19 bursary;
- be/have been a full-time or part-time carer;
- have refugee or asylum seeker status;
- the occupation of your main household earner is categorised as a routine or manual occupation;
- regularly undertakes paid term-time work during secondary and/or higher education;
- have grown up in a household where no parent or guardian attended university; or
- attending a state school or college with:
- below average A-Level or Higher point score; or
- low rate of progression to higher education.
What the scheme involves
From day one, each scholar is assigned a senior fee earner as a mentor. Scholars will join us for six weeks’ paid work experience in the summer after your first year, followed by a paid placement year in your third year and you will continue to be mentored throughout.
After the placement year and graduation, we hope all our scholars will sit the SQE and join our Trainee cohort.
Key milestones
- Three scholars selected and assigned a mentor by May.
- Summer work experience in July/August.
- Placement year in third year of study.
- Working at the firm full time.
- Starting QWE.
- Scholars progress with the SQE.
- Tuition fees.
- Scholars graduate.
- Scholars join the firm as trainees.
How to apply and the assessment process
Apply for the 2026 Training Scholarship.
Stage 1: Application form and online assessment
You will complete an application form. Following submission, you will then take an initial online assessment tailored to Macfarlanes, based on scenarios from across our practice areas. This tests your situational judgement and critical reasoning while also giving you an insight into life at Macfarlanes.
Stage 2: Assessment day
Candidates with the strongest applications are invited to an in-person assessment day, which includes:
• a business case study and application interview;
• group negotiation task; and
• a written exercise.
We are committed to supporting you through your application process, so if you require additional support or adjustments, please contact our Early Careers team.
Stage 3: Summer Internship
Up to six students will be selected from the assessment day to progress to the Summer Internship, which lasts for three weeks. This is a great opportunity for you to understand more about the firm and get hands on experience at an early point in your degree. At the end of this, up to three Training Scholars will be selected.
Meet our first cohort of scholars
The first cohort – Daniel Benchabbat, Sarah Gashi and Dhruv Kotak – joined the programme in May 2023 and spent their first day at our London office to meet their mentors and get an introduction to the firm. In the video below, they share their expectations and experiences of the scholarship experience so far.
Early Careers FAQs
Clear answers to the most common questions about our schemes, applications and training.
Macfarlanes Bursary
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