Law PhD
During 2025, Trinity Hall will be celebrating its 675th Anniversary. Founded in 1350 for the study of law, this represents a significant milestone not just for the College, but in particular for the study of law at Trinity Hall. We are proud of our past and the historic continuum that stretches back 675 years. Now our anniversary fundraising campaign aims to place Trinity Hall in a powerful, resilient, and exciting position for the future.
Securing a Trinity Hall education for future generations lies at the heart of all that we do. As an ancient college at a world-leading research University, Trinity Hall continues to play a crucial role in innovation. Our postgraduates are the power-house of early-stage research. They work on matters from global challenges and wicked problems (those virtually impossible to solve due to their complexity), to exploring fascinating areas of knowledge which help us better understand ourselves and our world.
Postgraduate funding is under pressure and we lose around 40% of our postgraduate applicants each year because of a lack of finances. The impact is exacerbated by the fact that many of those wanting to undertake a postgraduate degree may already be facing more than £50,000 worth of debt from their undergraduate studies. The College has been able to support a number of postgraduates in recent years, thanks to generous philanthropy. In 2022-23 we spent £696,000 on postgraduate studentships, but the need far exceeds the Colleges ability to support the many brilliant young people wishing to take up their places here.
The Project
To further strengthen our postgraduate community, one of the goals of the anniversary fundraising campaign is to endow five new postgraduate studentships to cover course fees and living costs.
Given our long tradition in the academic pursuit of Law, the College intends that one of the endowed studentships should be an endowed PhD studentship in Law, ensuring Trinity Hall builds on its proud history to research multi-faceted and difficult legal questions in the future.
The cost to endow the PhD studentship in Law in perpetuity is £1 million and we are pleased to announce that the College is able to contribute £500,000 from historic funds to cover half of the cost. We are now seeking donations from our alumni and other supporters of the College to fund the other £500,000.
Your gift will help us to attract students with the highest academic potential, regardless of background. A studentship can be life-changing, making a transformative difference in enabling someone to undertake their research, pursue a potential career in academia and provide enhanced lifelong employment opportunities.
John Collier Fellow and Director of Studies in Law
Dr Rachel Tolley
“The law does not stand still, and a vibrant community of legal academics is required to chart, critique and inform its development. By funding a PhD studentship, we can support talented students to pursue their academic research, nurture tomorrow’s leading scholars, and reaffirm Trinity Hall’s longstanding commitment to the study of Law.”
Make your gift
Trinity Hall has a long history of being supported by philanthropy. A gift of books of theology, canon and civil law, given by Bishop Bateman, is still held in the College library. This gift marked the beginning of a long history of benefactions stretching from our founder to the present day.
By making a gift to the PhD studentship in Law, not only are you continuing this proud tradition but also helping us to secure our future.
Thank you for your support.
The online payment service is provided for your convenience. Please be aware that there are transaction fees involved, and for larger gifts you may wish to consider an alternative payment method such as a Bank Transfer. Please contact the Alumni & Development Office for more information.
For more information about the PhD studentship in Law, or to make a tax efficient gift from the United States or Europe, please email Donna Thomas-Watson development@trinhall.cam.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1223 763010.
