The four Inns of Court — Inner Temple, Lincoln’s Inn, Middle Temple and Gray’s Inn — are the heart of the legal establishment.

Nestled just off High Holborn and Fleet Street in Central London, these colleges of barristers have, since at least the 14th century, provided accommodation and training to lawyers called to the Bar of England and Wales.

To become a barrister, you must pick an Inn at which you dine and study, allowing you to be proposed by a bencher of the Inn at a “call” ceremony that marks the end of academic training before pupillage.

The modern role of the Inns is to address the education and training needs of barristers, to provide buildings in which many then work, and to support students with scholarship funds so that they can meet the ever-increasing cost of law school.

It is worth spending time deciding which Inn to join.The starting point must be to take a good look around, to get an idea of their different atmospheres.

All four have education and training departments that are keen to show would-be members around and to provide detailed information. All have their strengths: as one Lincoln’s Inn member noted, Inner and Middle Temple are seen to have the edge when it comes to balls and garden parties, but Lincoln’s and Gray’s Inns have sumptuous dining rooms and put on all manner of events.

For a small number of would-be barristers, the decision of which Inn to join is based on family tradition. Others choose on the basis of the quality of the food or the strength of student-run activities.

Finances have a part to play for most. The Inns all offer money to students on the conversion course (CPE) and the Bar Vocational Course (BVC). But they offer different amounts and have widely different annual intakes, so some students look to the numbers when making their decision.

All four Inns interview for scholarships. One successful candidate at Middle Temple said of these interviews: “The content is a mix of topical legal issues and your wider interests. They aim to test whether you’ve got the skills to be a barrister and your enthusiasm for becoming one.”

While the Inns guard the detailed breakdown of their applications, it is possible to research the basics and to get a feel for what the competition is like.

For example, while Lincoln’s Inn has the largest amount of scholarship money available each year, it gives out the least on a “per new member” basis.

Money is an important factor in other ways too. At Middle Temple, for example, out-of-London students get their dining sessions free.

The differences are not to be overstated. There are no significant professional or cultural differences between the four, all of which have far more in common than the fierce loyalties displayed would suggest.

The area of law in which a barrister wishes to practise has no bearing on his or her choice. Beyond the friendly rivalry, there is much co-operation, with some services such as the libraries available to members of all Inns.

The loyalty of members is heartfelt: in the sometimes lonely and always challenging early years there is nothing as encouraging as going before a panel of judges and senior barristers who award you money towards your training.

For many students, that day is the first real confirmation from independent and experienced legal sources that they have a good chance of making it in their chosen profession. The opportunity that scholarships provide is key to the opening up of the Bar to people from all backgrounds.

For a choice upon which little rests professionally, the results can sometimes feel profound. Picking an Inn is a mixture of thought and intuition; there is no one way to go about it. But whichever Inn you opt for, your preference soon takes precedence above the others.

TOP ADVICE

* Enrol early — at the latest before the Bar Vocational Course.

* Take the time to go around the Inns.

* Find out what is on offer for students with your particular interests.

* Look at the means/merit basis on which scholarships are awarded by each Inn, and think about how that applies to you.

Terminology

* Inn: Named for the historic accommodation provided for young men.

* Dining: A compulsory course of events, generally social.

* Call: Admission to the Bar and, with it, rights of audience in courts.

* Benchers: Senior barristers and judges in the Inns.

* Pupillage: Vocational “on the job” training to become a barrister.

The four Inns

Inner Temple

* Crest: White pegasus on a blue background.

* Famous members: Gandhi, Keynes, Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Mortimer, Lady Butler-Sloss.

* Reputation: The best food. Many of the buildings replaced after the Second World War. Shares the Temple Church with Middle Temple.

“Strong debating, mooting and drama societies . . . all applicants for scholarships are interviewed. The first woman barrister called to the Bar was an Inner Templar,” says Eamonn O’Reilly.

Middle Temple

* Crest: Lamb on St George’s Cross.

* Famous members: William Blackstone, Shami Chakrabarti, David Cameron, Anthony Clarke.

* Reputation: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was first performed in the beautiful dining room. The students’ association puts on good parties.

“Mooting is very strong . . . personally I think the Inn is fantastic, I genuinely enjoyed the dining sessions, there’s also some generously subsidised accommodation for students,” says Craig Morrison.

Lincoln’s Inn

* Crest: Lion and mill rinds.

* Famous members: William Pitt, Sir Thomas More, Lord Denning, Tony Blair.

* Reputation: The oldest and largest Inn. Faces on to Lincoln’s Inn Fields and serves great afternoon tea.

“I chose Lincoln’s because it is the richest, biggest and has the nicest library. They have twice stumped up cash for me to do voluntary work abroad,” says Shauna Gillan.

Gray’s Inn

* Crest: Gold griffin on a black background.

* Famous members Francis Bacon, Winston Churchill, Lord Slynn of Hadley, Margaret Thatcher, The Prince of Wales.

* Reputation The smallest Inn, thought by younger members to be the best for scholarship to applicant ratio.

“What is really great about Gray’s is that it keeps the old traditions alive. On some dining nights the barristers and students are required to entertain their guests after dinner. As for scholarships, there are far fewer people applying," says Emma Harling-Phillips.

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