BFSLA John Stumbles Scholarship

Applications for the 2025 BFLSA John Stumbles Scholarship have now closed. The recipient of the scholarship will be announced at the BFSLA’s annual conference in Queenstown in late August 2025.
View T&CDownload Application Form
About the BFSLA John Stumbles Scholarship

Since 1993, the BFSLA is proud to have awarded 37 scholarships to law degree graduates from Australian and New Zealand universities, enabling them to undertake postgraduate study in banking, finance and/or insolvency law at premier global universities around the world, such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Columbia. 

The scholarship recipients have gone on to practise at the bar and top law firms around the world, to teach at prestigious universities and to share their knowledge through other career paths.

Be your best.


Study at the world’s
top institutions.

About John Stumbles

The BFSLA John Stumbles Scholarship honours John, who had one of the finest minds in Australian banking and finance law. He was renowned not only for his legal brilliance but also for his love of teaching and mentoring law students and young lawyers. He was a long-time member and supporter of the BFSLA, as well as a mentor and dear friend to many within the BFSLA. The BFLSA was privileged to have known John.

Learn More About John Stumbles

2024 BFSLA Scholarship Recipient – Bianca Hawkins

Bianca is undertaking a Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge.

The BFSLA scholarship has enabled me to undertake the University of Cambridge LLM, which has been the most insightful, rewarding and transformative experience of my academic and legal career. I have been privileged to learn about corporate governance law, corporate finance law, international financial law and corporate insolvency law from the leading United Kingdom academics. The content taught is on the pulse of market developments and has important practical relevance for further practice. Our lecturers’ teaching, workshop debates and guest speaker presentations have provided invaluable and unique insights I will take with me throughout my career. It has also been very special to study in the course with a wide range of international students and participate in the unique traditions of the University of Cambridge. I am incredibly grateful that the BFSLA scholarship has given me the opportunity to undertake the LLM.

Bianca's Update

Past BFSLA Scholarship Recipients

The BFSLA Scholarship recipient in 2023, Dayle, completed a Master of Laws at Cambridge University in 2024 and came 18th out of 230 students.

With assistance from the BFSLA, I have spent the last year studying the LLM at the University of Cambridge. It has been an unrivalled experience in my life, and I have learnt so much from my time on the course, from both lecturers and the many other international students. I have also enjoyed immersing myself in the full university experience, including living on campus and wearing gowns to weekly formal halls.

A BFSLA Scholarship recipient in 2022, Jordan Phoustanis completed a Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford in 2023.

I am very grateful to have received the BFSLA Scholarship to read the Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford University in 2022/23. Receipt of the scholarship helped me achieve my long-held ambition of pursuing postgraduate study abroad. I have benefited greatly from the unique pedagogical method and dedication of eminent legal scholars (both from Oxford and abroad), and have embraced the opportunity to immerse myself in the ‘authentic Oxford experience’. I encourage others considering postgraduate study abroad to apply for the BFSLA Scholarship.

A BFSLA Scholarship recipient in 2022, Isabel Trinca completed a Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford in 2023.

Studying the BCL at the University of Oxford has so far been an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the world’s best academics and acquire great depth of knowledge in my chosen subjects. I am thoroughly enjoying my subjects and I am grateful for the support of the BFSLA in getting here and look forward to the rest of my time in Oxford.

The BFSLA is very grateful to King & Wood Mallesons for their support the Scholarship.