Applications for scholarships awarded by the International Bar Association (IBA) to allow young lawyers to attend its annual conference are now open.

More than 6,000 lawyers from more than 100 jurisdictions attend the conference each year, and the IBA says that a social programme provides the opportunity for delegates to meet, establish and maintain business contacts and friendships with other members of the legal profession worldwide.

Each year, it awards scholarships under a number of categories to young lawyers who wish to participate at the conference, but may find it financially difficult to do so.

The deadline for applications for most categories this year is 31 May.

This year’s conference takes place in Paris, beginning on 29 October.

Fees waiver

The IBA defines a 'young lawyer’ as any lawyer up to and including the age of 35 at the time of the conference.

Applicants must either be:

• A fully-qualified lawyer who is licensed or registered to practice as a lawyer with the relevant professional regulatory body, or
• Undertaking the qualification process (education and/or vocational) to pass the bar (or the equivalent qualification in the relevant jurisdiction) to become fully qualified, providing they hold a temporary or permanent licence to practice as a trainee, or are undertaking a training scheme that is recognised by the professional regulatory body.

Previous scholarship winners are excluded, as are employees and officers of the IBA and their relatives. IBA membership is not required to submit an application.

The award includes a waiving of IBA conference registration fees, accommodation, a contribution towards travel costs, and two years’ free IBA membership.