Bermudian law students have the opportunity to win a “once in a lifetime” training contract at one of the UK’s leading chambers this October, plus a bursary of $25,000.The pupillage award was founded by the Bermuda Bar Association in conjunction with Carmelite Chambers in London in memory of Dame Lois Browne-Evans, who died in 2007.Dame Lois was Bermuda’s first female lawyer, the first black woman elected to Parliament, the first female Attorney General and the first female leader of the Opposition.Carmelite Chambers is one of the largest and longest established in the UK, and its barristers are regularly instructed in high profile criminal cases nationally and internationally. Competition for pupillages is incredibly fierce as a result, with more than 200 applications for each spot.Thanks to the award in Dame Lois’s name, local law student Antoine Lightbourne, 45, won a year-long training contract and $15,000 bursary in 2009, and has now completed the contract and returned to Bermuda.The second recipient, Richard Ambrosio, 26, began his pupillage in October 2010. Now, the Bermuda Bar Association is seeking an outstanding Bermudian candidate to begin a pupillage with Carmelite Chambers in October 2011.The opportunity extends to those who have completed, or are in the process of completing, the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) or Legal Practice Course (LPC) and is now worth up to $25,000.Delroy Duncan, Vice President of the Bermuda Bar Association, said: “The Bermuda Bar Council is eternally grateful to Carmelite Chambers of London and the UK Bar Council for allowing Bermudians the unique opportunity of completing their pupillage with a first-class law firm in the United Kingdom.“When hiring a lawyer, employers are always looking for top talent and Richard Ambrosio, our second pupil to have received this prestigious award, will truly stand out from the crowd upon his return to Bermuda from the UK in November, 2011.“The knowledge and experience he will have gained during his stay at Carmelite Chambers will put him in [a] position to secure a top-class post within the local job market.”He congratulated Mr Ambrosio on his achievements so far, as did Chief Justice Richard Ground, who said he’s sure he will be a credit to Bermuda.Mr. Justice Ground said of the award: “This is a very important scheme, which will not only be valuable to the individual recipient but will also make a very real and positive contribution to the practice of criminal law in Bermuda.On behalf of the judiciary I would like to express my appreciation to Carmelite Chambers for making this opportunity available, and congratulate the Bermuda Bar Council on their generous support for the successful candidate.”A spokesman for Carmelite Chambers said: “We are delighted with the success of the scholarship, now in its second year, and welcome Richard Ambrosio whom we are sure will learn a great deal during his time with us. We are proud to be able to foster links with the bar in Bermuda in this way and look forward to the relationship continuing in the future.”The deadline for applications for the 2011 pupilage is February 28. For more information visit www.bermudabar.org and www.carmelitechambers.co.uk.