Win a free place competition

In conjunction with Lawyer2B, BPP Law School runs an annual essay competition with the fantastic prize of a free place on the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) conversion programme for non-law graduates and a free place on the Legal Practice Course (LPC) for law graduates at BPP Law School.

The competition is launched in the October issue of the Lawyer 2B and requires you to write a 1,500 essay. There are two essay questions, one for non-law graduates and one for law graduates. The prize scholarships cover all programme fees, examination fees and a range of books and materials.

The 2009 competition is now open. The closing date is midnight GMT on Friday 23 Janaury 2009. For the questions, how to apply and the terms and conditions please use the links on the right menu.

2008 winners

Competition one	Competition two
Naila Gul	Sioban Taylor

2007 winners

Competition one	Competition two
Imran Aleem	Ali Vass

2006 winners

Competition one	Competition two
Victoria Walne	Alex Muir

2005 winners

Competition one	Competition two
Victoria Booth	Théobald Jean-Marie Naud
A levels: Economics, History, Maths and Politics University: Magdalene College, Cambridge Degree: Social and Political Sciences “Since winning the BPP Law School essay competition I have completed my final year at university. I then returned to London, where I’m from, and spent the summer working and completing two mini-pupillages at family law chambers, Queen Elizabeth Building and 1 Hare Court. Although I had already decided on specialising in family law, gaining an insight into these two sets confirmed completely to me that my choice to train as a barrister, and to specialise in family law, had been the right one. Following this, I started the GDL at BPP at the Law School’s Waterloo branch, which I found challenging yet very enjoyable. I found that I needed to adjust my approach to studying and was surprised by how different the study of the law was to my degree subjects of politics and sociology. However, I learnt that the skills I had picked up at university and my passion for certain issues, particularly the sociology of the family, would become increasingly useful. Part of the GDL included an essay on family law, which was centred on issues concerning child abuse and children being taken into care. Writing this essay made me realise that I wanted to try and gain pupillage at a set which covers a broad range of family law and does not focus solely on ancillary relief. I therefore began to investigate various chambers and applied through Olpas. During the GDL year, I also joined tutoring agency Cambridge Tutors and tutored two A-level students in psychology and sociology. I found this work to be immensely rewarding. What’s more, having to simplify and explain concepts to students has proved a useful skill, which I was able to use in pupillage interviews and at bar school. I also found tutoring to be an excellent job to fit around the GDL course as I worked as many hours as I wanted, when I wanted. Midway through the GDL, I joined Gray’s Inn, and received the Lord Justice Holker Award, which has been extremely useful to fund my BVC year. Following my exams, I attended pupillage interviews at family law sets and have accepted a pupillage at 4 Paper Buildings, which I’m extremely excited about. After a summer of relaxation, I started the BVC at BPP in September. I was initially quite surprised by the workload on the course, but am finding it very interesting and am particularly enjoying advocacy classes. I greatly look forward to my years ahead at the bar.” (8th November 2006)	A levels: Business Studies, French, Maths with statistics and Political Studies University: Essex Degree: Law “Since winning a place on BPP’s LPC, I have completed both my LLM in European Law and the LPC. I had my last LLM exam the day before starting on the LPC so needless to say my 2005 summer holiday was rather short. To compensate I have just come back from a seven-week holiday in the sun this summer. I went to Brittany, in France, where I spent most of my time sailing and wakeboarding, fishing and eating fish. Now that I’m back in England I’m sadly restricted to a rather less aquatic adventure. I’m currently working as a paralegal in a top 50 firm trying to save money in order to go travelling before I start my training contract at DLA Piper next September. I’m planning to go to South America, and in particular Peru where I would like to walk the Inca trail. This takes you from Lake Titicaca to the ancient city of Machu Picchu, and will probably include a few strenuous climbs. I would also like to go to Japan for a more cultural holiday, avoiding the bigger cities in favour of smaller villages, and probably a small climb up Mount Fiji. Finally, I’m planning a walk across Corsica called ‘Mare a Mare’. Corsica is also known as the Beauty Island and I would recommend it to anyone in search of breathtaking landscapes. This is extensive travelling and I fear that it may break my bank balance, but my plan is to take in as much scenery as possible before I start on the arduous journey, so I have heard, that is the training contract. I’m really looking forward to working at DLA Piper as it is one of the fastest-growing firms in the world. Moreover, DLA Piper has been consistently named as one of the best companies to work for, a factor which certainly influenced me in accepting its offer of a training contract. Once I qualify I would like to specialise in European and competition law. “ (8th November 2006)

Competition one

Competition two

Victoria Booth

Théobald Jean-Marie Naud

A levels: Economics, History, Maths and Politics

University: Magdalene College, Cambridge

Degree: Social and Political Sciences

“Since winning the BPP Law School essay competition I have completed my final year at university. I then returned to London, where I’m from, and spent the summer working and completing two mini-pupillages at family law chambers, Queen Elizabeth Building and 1 Hare Court.

Although I had already decided on specialising in family law, gaining an insight into these two sets confirmed completely to me that my choice to train as a barrister, and to specialise in family law, had been the right one.

Following this, I started the GDL at BPP at the Law School’s Waterloo branch, which I found challenging yet very enjoyable. I found that I needed to adjust my approach to studying and was surprised by how different the study of the law was to my degree subjects of politics and sociology. However, I learnt that the skills I had picked up at university and my passion for certain issues, particularly the sociology of the family, would become increasingly useful.

Part of the GDL included an essay on family law, which was centred on issues concerning child abuse and children being taken into care. Writing this essay made me realise that I wanted to try and gain pupillage at a set which covers a broad range of family law and does not focus solely on ancillary relief. I therefore began to investigate various chambers and applied through Olpas.

During the GDL year, I also joined tutoring agency Cambridge Tutors and tutored two A-level students in psychology and sociology. I found this work to be immensely rewarding. What’s more, having to simplify and explain concepts to students has proved a useful skill, which I was able to use in pupillage interviews and at bar school. I also found tutoring to be an excellent job to fit around the GDL course as I worked as many hours as I wanted, when I wanted.

Midway through the GDL, I joined Gray’s Inn, and received the Lord Justice Holker Award, which has been extremely useful to fund my BVC year. Following my exams, I attended pupillage interviews at family law sets and have accepted a pupillage at 4 Paper Buildings, which I’m extremely excited about.

After a summer of relaxation, I started the BVC at BPP in September. I was initially quite surprised by the workload on the course, but am finding it very interesting and am particularly enjoying advocacy classes. I greatly look forward to my years ahead at the bar.”

(8th November 2006)

A levels: Business Studies, French, Maths with statistics and Political Studies

University: Essex

Degree: Law

“Since winning a place on BPP’s LPC, I have completed both my LLM in European Law and the LPC. I had my last LLM exam the day before starting on the LPC so needless to say my 2005 summer holiday was rather short. To compensate I have just come back from a seven-week holiday in the sun this summer. I went to Brittany, in France, where I spent most of my time sailing and wakeboarding, fishing and eating fish.

Now that I’m back in England I’m sadly restricted to a rather less aquatic adventure. I’m currently working as a paralegal in a top 50 firm trying to save money in order to go travelling before I start my training contract at DLA Piper next September.

I’m planning to go to South America, and in particular Peru where I would like to walk the Inca trail. This takes you from Lake Titicaca to the ancient city of Machu Picchu, and will probably include a few strenuous climbs. I would also like to go to Japan for a more cultural holiday, avoiding the bigger cities in favour of smaller villages, and probably a small climb up Mount Fiji. Finally, I’m planning a walk across Corsica called ‘Mare a Mare’. Corsica is also known as the Beauty Island and I would recommend it to anyone in search of breathtaking landscapes.

This is extensive travelling and I fear that it may break my bank balance, but my plan is to take in as much scenery as possible before I start on the arduous journey, so I have heard, that is the training contract.

I’m really looking forward to working at DLA Piper as it is one of the fastest-growing firms in the world. Moreover, DLA Piper has been consistently named as one of the best companies to work for, a factor which certainly influenced me in accepting its offer of a training contract. Once I qualify I would like to specialise in European and competition law. “