Grants & scholarships · Opportunity source
Indigenous Barristers' Trust — The Mum Shirl Fund
The Indigenous Barristers' Trust, known as the Mum Shirl Fund, was set up in 2001. The New South Wales Bar Association administers it, and donations from Bar Association members fund it. The Trust gives financial help to First Nations people pursuing a career at the NSW Bar. Students in legal or related education can seek help with immediate living expenses. First Nations lawyers in the Bar Readers' program or in their first five years at the NSW Bar can seek support to avoid hardship. The Trust also makes grants to young solicitors attending advocacy courses. Applicants use a financial assistance form. No fixed rounds or closing dates are published. The Bar Association also offers First Nations law students and lawyers a clerkship program, mentoring, part-time work with barristers and Bar Exam support. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
- Grants & scholarships
- Opportunity source
- Barrister / chambers
Opens nswbar.asn.au
Last verified 12 October 2026 · Listing updated 12 October 2026
Indigenous Barristers' Trust — The Mum Shirl Fund at a glance
- Notifications
- nswbar.asn.auThis detail can change — confirm against the official source before relying on it.
Quick reference · Opportunity source
- Type of source
- Charitable trust administered by the NSW Bar Association
- Typical cycle
- Ongoing: applications by financial assistance form, no fixed rounds or closing dates publishedThis detail can change — confirm against the official source before relying on it.
- Opportunity types
- Financial assistance grants for living expenses, hardship relief and advocacy course costs
- Intended audience
- First Nations law students aiming for the NSW Bar, First Nations lawyers in the NSW Bar Readers' program or first five years of practice at the NSW Bar, and young solicitors attending advocacy courses
Who it's for
First Nations law students, graduates and new NSW barristers facing financial hardship on the path to the NSW Bar, and barristers or lawyers wanting to donate to support them.
Coverage
- Geographic scope
- NSW
Appears in
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