The twentieth century began with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, and her succession on the throne by her son, King Edward VII, the Middle Temple's Royal Bencher since 1861. He maintained his connection with the Inn, attending events including the Grand Day dinner in 1903.
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The Inn, two decades into the twenty-first century, is a robust institution which looks to the future and respects its past. The conditions laid out by James I in the 1608 charter (confirmed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2008 with a second charter) – to provide education and accommodation for lawyers – remain at the core of the Inn’s mission, and it strives to serve and support its members at all points in their careers.
The purpose of the Talent Retention Scheme is to provide support to Middle Temple barristers who are either returning from time out of practice (a “returner”) or switching practice areas (a “mover”).
The scheme is open to men and women, and all barristers, employed and self-employed.
We record a range of events, talks, lectures, mock trials and discussions.
Recordings of some of these events may be made available on this page for a limited time for members of the Inn to watch.
Please note that watching a recording does not count as a Qualifying Session.
The Forum has been created to support, advise and encourage members of The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple and the Bar as a whole, who identify within the broad heading of LGBTQ+. Although the Forum is described as being for those identifying as LGBTQ+, it is open to all and supportive of all. In doing so, the Forum welcomes allies from every corner; it is created to be an inclusive rather than exclusive organisation. Everyone is welcome, regardless of sexuality, gender or any other characteristic.
The Middle Temple Archive is responsible for the records and archives created by the Inn, and its function is to acquire, preserve and make available those records to the Inn, its members and staff. We aim to provide members of the Middle Temple with a direct and tangible connection with and understanding of the rich and diverse history, heritage and culture of their Inn of Court.
Robert Ashley, a member of the Middle Temple, died in 1641, bequeathing all of his books to the Inn to found a library there, and £300 to employ a Library Keeper. While Ashley did practise as a lawyer, he was more successful as a translator and bibliophile. William Cox was one of the executors of Ashley’s will and was commissioned to create a catalogue of his books; Cox was the first Library Keeper from 1642 to 1655.
Looking at the Temple’s battle against the fire, which destroyed much of Inner Temple and spared all but one building belonging to the Middle Temple.
Middle Temple’s Talent Retention Working Group is working towards putting on some events to support returners & movers, which will cover the key areas set out below. In the interim, we have put together a list of resources and tips for you, which is by no means definitive and we hope will act as a springboard for your own researches. We will update this periodically, to add more content. Please do check the website for updates.
Securing Tenancy / Jobhunting
Uncovering the history of four silver salvers in the Middle Temple’s silver collection. Inconsistencies between the dates of production of the salvers led to discoveries relating to their origin as well as a dramatic tale of grand larceny.