Apply Now: Devilling Scholarships 2027 | Complete Guide
If you have ever thought about a career at the Scottish Bar but the financial pressures of the training period held you back, this is the news you have been waiting for. The Faculty of Advocates has officially announced that devilling scholarships for 2027 are now open for applications. These scholarships are specifically designed to ease the financial burden that comes with the nine-month unpaid training period known as devilling, and they represent one of the most meaningful forms of support available to aspiring advocates in Scotland.
In this comprehensive guide, we are going to walk you through everything you need to know. We will explain what devilling is, who the scholarships are for, the four different scholarship schemes available, how much money is on offer, the eligibility criteria, how to apply, and the key deadline you must not miss. Whether you are a practising solicitor considering the move to the bar or a law graduate thinking about your path forward, this article is your complete reference.
What Is Devilling? Understanding the Training Period to Become an Advocate
Before we get into the scholarships themselves, it helps to understand exactly what devilling is and why financial support during this period matters so much.
Devilling is the Scottish term for the apprenticeship period that a prospective advocate must complete before being called to the Scottish Bar and admitted as a member of the Faculty of Advocates. It is the equivalent of pupillage in England and Wales. The word itself has nothing sinister about it. A trainee advocate is called a “devil,” and the experienced advocate who supervises their training is called a “devilmaster.”
The devilling period typically lasts around nine months, running from October through to the following summer. It is a full-time commitment and is entirely unpaid. During this time, you shadow your devilmaster in court, assist with research and preparation for hearings, help draft pleadings and legal opinions, and attend structured training courses run by the Faculty.
The training itself follows a structured schedule. Devilling begins with a five-week foundation course in October that is classroom-based. There is then a two-week course in January, a week of assessments in February, and a further two-week skills course in May. Outside of these structured periods, devils work directly alongside their devilmasters, gaining hands-on experience of advocacy in action.
You will also need to complete four to six weeks of criminal devilling, where you predominantly observe criminal trials and appeals alongside your criminal devilmaster. At the end of the period, a devil’s admission to the Faculty of Advocates is dependent on the principal devilmaster certifying that the devil is a fit and proper person to become an advocate, and that their competence in written and oral advocacy has been assessed as satisfactory.
The Faculty of Advocates provides this training free of charge to all candidates who meet the admission criteria. However, the fact that devilling is unpaid and full-time means that aspiring advocates must fund their own living costs for close to ten months. This financial barrier is real and significant, and it is precisely why the devilling scholarship programme exists.
Why the Devilling Scholarships Matter
The Faculty of Advocates is deeply committed to ensuring that the Scottish Bar is accessible to everyone with the skill, aptitude, and motivation to practise as an advocate, regardless of their financial background. The devilling scholarships sit at the heart of that commitment.
As Ruth Crawford KC, Treasurer at the Faculty of Advocates and Chair of its Scholarship Committee, put it: “Our justice system is at its strongest when everyone with the talent and ambition to serve can do so. We are delighted to be in a position to once again facilitate access to financial support during devilling.”
The impact of these scholarships over the years has been substantial. In the last six years alone, over 80 scholarships have been awarded, with more than £750,000 worth of financial support provided to devils across Scotland. These are not token amounts. The scholarships have made a genuine and lasting difference to the lives and careers of the people who received them.
Past recipients speak powerfully about how the scholarships changed their trajectory. Jamie McGowan, a current devil and Lord Reid Scholarship recipient, said that without the scholarship he simply would not have been able to afford to come to the bar. He comes from a care-experienced background and described how the scholarships help remove barriers and open doors to prospective devils from all walks of life.
Amelia Mah, another current devil who received both the Lord Hope and Faculty scholarships, described devilling for nine months without income as “daunting” but said the scholarships provided the financial stability that was vital in helping her realise her long-held goal of coming to the bar. She also highlighted their importance in increasing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession in Scotland.
The Four Devilling Scholarship Schemes Explained
There are four distinct scholarship schemes administered by the Faculty of Advocates. Each has its own focus, funding source, and award criteria. You can apply for more than one, and in some cases, awards from different schemes can be combined. Here is a detailed look at each one.
1. The Lord Reid Scholarship
The Lord Reid Scholarship is the most prestigious of the four schemes. It is awarded in honour of the late Lord Reid of Drem, funded from a bequest he left for this purpose. Only one Lord Reid Scholarship is awarded each year, and it goes to the most outstanding candidate in the applicant pool.
In recent years, the Lord Reid Scholarship award has been in the region of £15,000. This makes it a very significant financial award that can cover a meaningful portion of living costs during the nine months of devilling. Given that only one award is made annually, competition for the Lord Reid Scholarship is intense, and candidates must demonstrate exceptional merit across the board.
The current recipient, Tony Convery, who had previously practised as a solicitor, described the scholarship as “really helpful in making it financially possible” to give up paid work for nine months to undertake devilling. His experience reflects how transformative a single scholarship can be for a career decision of that magnitude.
2. Faculty Scholarships
One or more Faculty Scholarships may be awarded each year to candidates of particular merit. These scholarships are administered directly by the Faculty of Advocates and are funded from Faculty resources. In recent years, Faculty Scholarship awards have been in the region of £10,000 per successful applicant.
The Faculty Scholarships are awarded based primarily on merit, but greater weighting is given to applicants who are in financial need or who come from groups that are currently under-represented at the Scottish Bar. This dual focus on excellence and inclusion makes the Faculty Scholarships an important tool for broadening access to the profession.
Unlike the Lord Reid Scholarship, more than one Faculty Scholarship can be awarded in a given year, which increases the number of candidates who can benefit from this scheme.
3. The Lord Hope Fund
The Lord Hope Fund takes a somewhat different approach from the other schemes. Its principal focus is to assist candidates who may be prevented from devilling entirely if they do not have access to financial support. In other words, it is targeted most directly at those for whom the financial barrier is the most acute.
Applicants for the Lord Hope Fund must still demonstrate sufficient ability to merit receiving assistance, but greater weighting is given to those in financial need and to those from groups currently under-represented at the Scottish Bar. Awards from the Lord Hope Fund may be given on their own or in conjunction with one of the other scholarships outlined above, where a candidate demonstrates both particular merit and particular financial need.
The size and number of Lord Hope awards depends on the need and number of eligible applicants in any given year. Typically, around eight to ten awards have been made, for amounts ranging from £5,000 to £10,000. This flexibility allows the fund to respond to the actual needs of the applicant pool each year.
Aimée Doran, a devil who received a Lord Hope Scholarship, described it as not only alleviating the financial burden of pursuing a career at the bar but as something that truly enabled her to devil in the first place. She also noted its particular value in helping with travel costs between her home outside Edinburgh and the city where most training and court activity takes place.
4. The SCLR Scholarship
The SCLR Scholarship is generously funded by the Scottish Council of Law Reporting and is administered by the Faculty’s Scholarship Committee. It is for a fixed sum of £6,000 and only one award is available each year. Its criteria are similar to those of the Lord Hope Fund, with an emphasis on both merit and financial need or under-representation at the bar.
The Scottish Council of Law Reporting plays a vital role in documenting and sharing Scotland’s legal developments, and their sponsorship of this scholarship reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that the next generation of advocates is as diverse and talented as possible.
Summary of All Four Scholarship Schemes
Lord Reid Scholarship: One award annually. Awarded to the most outstanding candidate. Award typically around £15,000. Primarily merit-based.
Faculty Scholarships: One or more awards annually. Awarded to candidates of particular merit. Award typically around £10,000 per applicant. Merit-based with additional weighting for financial need and under-representation.
Lord Hope Fund: Typically eight to ten awards annually. Focused on candidates who need financial support to be able to devil at all. Awards range from £5,000 to £10,000. Greater weighting given to financial need and under-representation.
SCLR Scholarship: One award annually. Fixed amount of £6,000. Similar criteria to the Lord Hope Fund, administered with support from the Scottish Council of Law Reporting.
Eligibility Requirements for the Devilling Scholarships
To be eligible for any of the devilling scholarships, you must first meet the general requirements for devilling itself. This means you must be in the process of becoming an intrant with the Faculty of Advocates, or you must be intending to commence devilling in 2027. Here is what that process involves:
Educational Qualifications
You must hold a qualifying law degree in Scottish law, typically an LLB or an equivalent qualification, along with a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP), also known as PEAT 1. If your degree did not cover certain required subjects, you may need to pass additional Faculty examinations before starting devilling.
Legal Training Background
Most candidates have completed or are completing a traineeship with a solicitors’ firm. The Faculty of Advocates requires a minimum period of 21 consecutive months as a trainee solicitor before commencing devilling. However, some candidates come to devilling after several years of practice as a solicitor, and others may arrive from different legal backgrounds.
Intrant Status
You must matriculate as an intrant with the Faculty of Advocates before you can begin devilling. This process involves a formal application and examination, and you need to complete the matriculation process by mid-October in the year prior to starting devilling. The total fees for matriculation and court registration are around £493. Before devilling can begin, intrants also need to pass Faculty entrance exams in Practice and Procedure and Evidence.
Scholarship-Specific Requirements
All applicants for any of the four scholarship schemes must demonstrate sufficient ability to merit receiving financial assistance. Beyond that core requirement, the Lord Reid Scholarship prioritises outstanding merit, while the Faculty Scholarships, Lord Hope Fund, and SCLR Scholarship all give additional weighting to financial need and under-representation at the Scottish Bar. Applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those from care-experienced backgrounds, those who are first in their family to enter the legal profession, and those from communities currently under-represented at the bar, are particularly encouraged to apply.
Key Dates and Deadlines for 2027
Getting your application in on time is absolutely essential. Here are the key dates you need to have firmly in your diary:
Application Deadline: Friday 8 May 2026. This is the cut-off date for all scholarship applications from those intending to commence devilling in 2027. Missing this deadline means you will not be considered for any of the four scholarship schemes.
Free Webinar: Wednesday 29 April 2026 at 8pm. The Faculty Scholarships Committee is hosting a free webinar for prospective applicants. This is an invaluable opportunity to hear directly about life at the bar, the financial assistance available during devilling, and how the scholarship application process works. You can attend anonymously, and attendance is treated in strict confidence. To register for the webinar, email the Admissions Coordinator, Gillian Myers, at gillian.myers@advocates.org.uk.
Devilling Commences: October 2027 (foundation course begins).
The deadline of 8 May 2026 is not flexible. If you are reading this before that date and you are considering a career at the Scottish Bar, you need to act now.
How to Apply for the Devilling Scholarships
The application process for the devilling scholarships is designed to be accessible and straightforward. The Faculty of Advocates has worked to make the process as simple as possible, while still gathering the information needed to make fair and well-informed decisions about each applicant.
Step 1: Attend or Watch the Webinar
Before you begin your application, seriously consider attending the free webinar on Wednesday 29 April 2026 at 8pm. Current and past scholars, as well as members of the Faculty’s Scholarship Committee, will be on hand to answer questions. You can participate anonymously, so there is no reason to hold back from attending even if you are still in the early stages of considering devilling.
Step 2: Gather Your Supporting Information
Before starting the formal application, think carefully about how you will demonstrate your ability, your financial need (where applicable), and any background circumstances that are relevant to your application. Be honest and thorough in how you represent yourself. The committee is looking for candidates who genuinely need and deserve support.
Step 3: Complete and Submit Your Application
Full details of how to apply, including the application form and guidance notes, are available directly from the Faculty of Advocates. To access the scholarship information and submit your application, visit the official Faculty of Advocates devilling scholarships page for 2027. Make sure your application is complete and submitted well before the 8 May 2026 deadline.
Step 4: Follow Up if Needed
If you have specific questions about the application process or need further information, you can contact the Faculty directly. The Faculty Office is based at Parliament House in Edinburgh and can provide guidance on the admissions and scholarship process.
What Happens After You Apply?
Once you have submitted your application, the Faculty’s Scholarship Committee reviews all eligible applications and makes decisions about which candidates will receive awards. The committee’s process is thorough and takes into account all the relevant factors for each scholarship scheme.
Successful candidates are notified of their awards before they need to make the final decision about whether to commence devilling. This timing is deliberate and thoughtful. The Faculty understands that for many candidates, the decision to leave paid employment and undertake nine months of unpaid training is a major financial commitment. Knowing what scholarship support you will receive before making that leap is crucial to being able to plan properly.
For those who receive awards, the funds are provided to assist with living expenses during the devilling period itself. As previous recipient Kevin Jarvis noted, the scholarship allowed him to “properly budget for living costs and expenses while devilling,” which meant he could focus more effectively on the training process without constant financial anxiety. That peace of mind, he said, is itself a significant benefit beyond the direct financial value of the award.
The Broader Picture: Diversity and Inclusion at the Scottish Bar
The devilling scholarships do not exist in isolation. They are part of a broader commitment by the Faculty of Advocates to promote diversity and inclusion at the Scottish Bar. This is a commitment that runs through every aspect of how the Faculty operates, from the Mini-Devilling Scheme for Diploma students to the active outreach work the Faculty conducts with universities and law schools across Scotland.
The Mini-Devilling Scheme, which was established in 2018 with the support of Strathclyde University and now operates with all six Diploma providers in Scotland, gives students the opportunity to shadow a Member of Faculty for one day a week across a full semester. This gives potential future advocates an early, practical insight into life at the bar and helps demystify the path from law school to advocacy.
The Faculty of Advocates recognises that there is no single “right sort of person” to become an advocate. While there is a traditional path to the bar, the Faculty actively welcomes those who come from less conventional backgrounds. Some advocates arrive at devilling straight after their traineeship. Others have spent years in solicitors’ practice, worked outside Scotland, or pursued entirely different careers before deciding to join Faculty. This diversity of experience is seen not as a weakness but as one of the bar’s genuine strengths.
The devilling scholarships reinforce this message concretely. By providing financial support to candidates who would otherwise be unable to devil, and by giving particular weight to those from under-represented groups, the scholarships help ensure that the Scottish Bar continues to grow and evolve to reflect the full diversity of Scottish society.
The Financial Realities of Devilling: What You Need to Know
It is worth being honest about the financial demands of devilling so that you can plan appropriately. Devilling is a full-time, unpaid commitment lasting approximately nine months. During this period you will have no employment income, though the Faculty does permit devils to take on limited part-time work (such as tutoring or writing legal articles) where the Clerk of Faculty and your principal devilmaster agree it will not materially interfere with your training.
Most aspiring advocates have saved over a period of time to build up the financial reserves they will need to cover their costs while devilling. The scholarships, where awarded, significantly reduce the amount you need to have saved and can make the decision to devil financially viable for people who might otherwise have had to delay or abandon the idea entirely.
In addition to living costs, there are some upfront costs associated with joining the Faculty. The matriculation and court fees are around £493. You will also need to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office as a data controller and pay the annual fee of approximately £40. If you are moving from a solicitor’s role, you will need to make arrangements with the Law Society of Scotland to be removed from the roll of solicitors and to surrender your practising certificate.
The classroom-based training takes place in Edinburgh, so if you are based outside the city, travel and accommodation costs during the structured training periods are an additional consideration. As Aimée Doran pointed out, this logistical dimension can be substantial and is something the Lord Hope Fund in particular is well-suited to help address.
Tips for a Successful Scholarship Application
Applying for a devilling scholarship is a competitive process, particularly for the Lord Reid Scholarship where only one award is made annually. Here are some practical tips to help you put your best application forward:
Attend the webinar. This is the most direct way to get current and specific information about what the Scholarship Committee is looking for. Hearing from past recipients can also give you a real sense of the kind of personal statements and applications that succeed.
Be clear and specific about your financial situation. For the Lord Hope Fund and SCLR Scholarship in particular, vague statements about financial challenges are less compelling than a clear and honest account of your circumstances. The committee wants to understand whether this scholarship is what makes devilling possible for you.
Demonstrate genuine merit and commitment. All four schemes require you to demonstrate sufficient ability to benefit from the support. Think carefully about how your legal experience, academic record, and professional development show that you are ready and capable of succeeding at the bar.
Speak to people who have been through the process. Current and recent devils are often willing to share their experiences and insights. Getting a clear picture of what devilling actually involves day-to-day will strengthen both your application and your ability to commit to the process confidently.
Submit early. While the deadline is 8 May 2026, there is no advantage in waiting until the last moment. Getting your application in early shows organisation and commitment, and it means you will not be caught out by any last-minute issues.
Ready to Apply? Here Is What to Do Next
If you are seriously considering a career at the Scottish Bar and you intend to commence devilling in 2027, the scholarship application process is open and the deadline is 8 May 2026. This is your opportunity to access financial support that has helped over 80 aspiring advocates in the last six years alone, with more than £750,000 distributed to people who needed it to make their ambitions a reality.
Do not let financial concerns be the reason you delay or abandon the path to the bar. The Faculty of Advocates has built these scholarship programmes precisely to remove that barrier. The process is described by past applicants as straightforward, and the rewards can be life-changing.
Register for the free webinar on Wednesday 29 April 2026 by emailing Gillian Myers at gillian.myers@advocates.org.uk. Then, visit the Faculty of Advocates official announcement page for the 2027 devilling scholarships to access full application details and submit your application before the 8 May 2026 deadline.
The Scottish Bar is for everyone with the skill, dedication, and drive to serve. The devilling scholarships exist to make sure that financial circumstances never stand in the way of that potential.
