BFSLA John Stumbles Scholarship
Take the first step towards a brighter future in law and apply for the 2026 BFSLA John Stumbles Scholarship.
Applications for the 2026 BFSLA John Stumbles Scholarship are now open and close at 5pm (Sydney time) on 22 May 2026.
The recipient will be announced at the BFSLA’s annual conference in the Gold Coast in August 2026.
Contact julia@bfsla.org if any questions. About the BFSLA John Stumbles Scholarship Since 1993, the BFSLA is proud to have awarded 38 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.
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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.
2025 BFSLA John Stumbles Scholarship Recipient – Jessica WoodJessica is attending Oxford University to study a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL).
I am honoured to have been awarded the BFSLA - Banking & Financial Services Law Association Professor John Stumbles Scholarship to support my studies. It was especially meaningful to be the first recipient of a scholarship bearing the name of the late Professor Stumbles, whose extraordinary contribution to banking and finance continues to shape the discipline. I am sincerely grateful to Matt Cunningham, Katrina Gardiner, the scholarship committee, and the BFSLA community for their guidance, kindness, and support. The warmth and mentorship I received during the conference were truly quite special. I am also excited about the prospect of returning to the BFSLA Community after my studies at Oxford.
Past BFSLA Scholarship Recipients
The 2024 BFSLA Scholarship recipient, Bianca Hawkins, completed a Master of Laws at Cambridge University in 2025.
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.
The 2023 BFSLA Scholarship recipient, Dayle Buckley, 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.
The BFSLA is very grateful to Mallesons for their support of the Scholarship.
