The Paris Bar Exchange, run by the Pegasus Scholarship Trust at the Inner Temple, sends barristers from all four Inns of Court to Paris for the month of September. Paris Bar avocats of similar seniority come to London in July.
The Paris Bar and its school, the EFB, offer up to four barristers a stage in an avocat’s office, ideally in their own field, plus hearings, court visits and a mock trial before French judges.
Benefits & funding
- £2,000 grant from the Pegasus Trust, paid by the end of August.
- Travel and accommodation are at the participant’s own cost.
- A month in Paris: EFB seminars, hearings, visits to the Palais de Justice and a closing mock trial.
- Possible Trust help towards a French refresher course, depending on individual needs.
- Visas are the scholar’s responsibility.
Eligibility
- Member of one of the four Inns of Court.
- Practising at the Bar of England and Wales, as a tenant in chambers or in the employed Bar.
- No more than seven years’ practice by 31 December of the application year (pupillage excluded); a career break may earn a dispensation.
- Written permission from your employer, or your Head of Chambers and Head Clerk.
- Intend to return and practise at the Bar of England and Wales for at least three years afterwards.
- French at B2/C1 (How to apply page); the programme page asks for C1-level command of legal French.
- No nationality or residence rule.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
Bachelor
Experience required
≤ 7 yrs
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Application process
- 1Submit the online form by 11.59pm on 29 November 2026, with a lettre de motivation in French.
- 2Within 7 days of submitting, name two referees who have known you at least six months (not family); references are due 6 December 2026.
- 3Every eligible applicant is interviewed online by Trustees and former Paris Bar scholars: about 20 minutes, partly in English and partly in French.
- 4Results usually arrive by email within two weeks of the interviews.
Program timeline
Online Q&A webinar, 5.30–6.30pm
Oct 26, 2026
Application deadline, 11.59pm
Nov 29, 2026
Reference deadline
Dec 6, 2026
Online interviews, evenings
Feb 3, 2027 to Feb 4, 2027
Placement in Paris
September 2027