The Paris Bar Exchange is an exchange programme for barristers of all four Inns of Court who have been in practice at the Bar of England and Wales for up to 7 years. It offers the opportunity to spend the month of September doing undertaking a placement in Paris. Avocat members of the Paris Bar of similar seniority spend the month of July in London.
The Bar of Paris with the Paris Bar School (EFB) offers the following stage to up to four Barristers:
- An introductory seminar and other activities at the EFB
- A stage in an Avocat’s offices, preferably specialising in the Barrister’s field of practice
- Attendance at hearings of both interlocutory injunction applications and criminal proceedings
- Visits to the Palais de Justice, an administrative tribunal or the Conseil d’Etat with some marshalling
- Meeting between young Avocats and Barristers and a reception
- Conducting a mock trial in the Palais de Justice before French judges
While candidates will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation, a grant of £2000 will be payable by the Pegasus Trust.
Though it is not necessary for candidates to have studied French law, they will need to have a sufficient command of French to understand and contribute to discussions of legal subjects, read complex legal texts, and follow court hearings in French: comparable to level C1 on the Common European Framework of Languages. Successful candidates whose French is recently unpractised may wish to take a refresher course in French over the summer ahead of their programme, financial assistance is available from the Trust for this subject to individual requirements.
Application Process
Eligibility
Applicants must be:
- A member of one of the 4 Inns of Court
- Practicing at the Bar of England and Wales, either as a Tenant in Chambers or as part of the Employed Bar.
- Within their first 7 years of practice (not including pupillage). (This is defined by applicants not superseding 7 years’ experience by December 31 of the year of application. Applicants with a break in practice during this time, due to illness, life or career change, Maternity or Paternity leave; any other circumstances beyond their control may write to the Pegasus Scholarship Trust to receive a dispensation.)
- Able to obtain written permission to undertake any placement offered from either their Employer or Head of Chambers and Head Clerk
- Confirm that they intend to return and remain in practice at the Bar of England and Wales after completing their placement for a duration of at least 3 years. (This is to be confirmed when signing their Undertaking form if offered a placement).
- Able to speak French, proficiently (B2/C1 as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
When to apply
For 2026 placements
Applications open: on Friday 26 September 2025
Application submission deadline: 11.59pm on Sunday 30 November 2025
Criteria
Your application and interview will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Professional Achievement & Academic Performance – Evidenced by professional and personal achievement to date, and academic performance at university and the Bar Course
- Motivation –
- Commitment to the Bar of England and Wales (employed or self-employed);
- Commitment to learning about the common law system outside of England and Wales;
- Ability to act as an ambassador for the Pegasus Scholarship Trust, Inns of Court, and the Bar of England and Wales, both during the scholarship placement and by using the experience on return;
- Resilience
- Interpersonal Skills –
- Ability to build and sustain productive working relationships, treat people with courtesy and respect regardless of their background or circumstances;
- Demonstrate awareness of socio-political and cultural differences and ability to adapt to working practices within different workplaces and cultures;
- Being adaptable and flexible by being self-aware and self-directed;
- Good communication skills
- Advocacy Skills –
- Deploys precise and well- reasoned arguments, with clarity and fluency;
- Can demonstrate persuasiveness and conviction;
- Can tailor style to suit audience
- French language proficiency – Ability to speak French, proficiently (B2/C1 as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
Application Form
To apply for a placement you must complete an online application form. The form will be linked below on this page when applications are open. The application form is divided into the following section: personal details, education, work experience, supporting information, and equal opportunities monitoring (not compulsory). As part of the application, you will be required to submit an Lettre de motivation (letter giving reasons why they would gain professionally and personally from taking part) in French.
References
Applicants are required to arrange for two references to be included in support of an application. All referees should have known the applicant for at least 6 months, and they will be asked to comment on each of the criteria. Please note that family members cannot provide references. Within 7 days of submitting an application form, applicants will be required to provide the names and contact details for their 2 referees. An automatic email will then be sent to the referees, asking them to upload their reference directly to us. The deadline to submit reference is 7 December 2025.
Interview Date
In 2026, interviews will be held online (via Zoom) on the evening of Tuesday 3 February 2026, usually between 5-9pm.If you intend to submit an application, we would encourage you to put this date in your diary, the timings of your interview will be sent to you in mid-December.
Interview Process
The Trust offers interviews to all eligible candidates who apply. Interviews will be held online (via Zoom) and conducted by a panel of Trustees and former Paris Bar scholars. The interview will be held partially in England and partially in French, and will last approximately 20 minutes.
Results
Results are usually distributed, via email, within 2 weeks of the interviews.
Pegasus Scholarship Trust 2026 Application Q&A
The Pegasus Scholarship Trust team will be holding a webinar and Q&A regarding the 2026 applications followed by a Q&A session, this session is open to anyone interested in applying for a Pegasus Scholarship Trust placement or self-arranged placement. The webinar and Q&A will be held from: 6.00-7.00pm, Thursday 25 September 2026 via Zoom 5.30-6.30pm, Tuesday 4 November 2026 via Zoom.
Pegasus Trust
Shahzadi Hussain - Pegasus Trust Co-ordinator
