Your Name Your Chambers/Employer Becoming a Barrister Your Name Your Chambers/Employer

What we will cover: Myths about the Bar; What a Barrister actually does; The route to becoming a barrister; and Where to go for further information

Myths about the Bar… Barristers are upper/middle class, white men Barristers are all “fat cats” earning £500 per hour Barristers talk in legal jargon, incomprehensible to normal people Barristers spend all of their time in court Barristers bully witnesses and try to trip up genuine victims Barristers see it as a game – otherwise how could they represent people they know are guilty? Use Myths as an opportunity to explain what barristers do. Note: Diversity: 35% of barristers are women; At entry level about 50% of pupils are now women whilst 20% are from ethnic minority backgrounds Earnings: explain earnings range depending on the type of work you are doing. Mention barristers also undertake pro bono work. Explain the importance of being able to explain what is happening to lay clients Outline the type of work barristers do outside court, e.g. conferences, writing opinions etc. [also covered in next slide] Opportunity to discuss barristers’ code of conduct, honesty/integrity etc.; not misleading the court and not undermining public confidence in justice

What is a Barrister? A specialist legal adviser Advises on evidence and the strengths and weaknesses of a case Work involves: Conducting cases and advocacy in court Conferences and paperwork Training junior entrants to the Bar Re: ‘Akin to a doctor and a consultant’ can say to students barristers are like consultants (know a lot about small specialised areas) and sols are like GPs (know a little about a lot))

What is the difference between a solicitor and a barrister? Barrister Solicitor There is now much less of a distinction between the two legal professions, but: Barristers wear a wig and gown Akin to a doctor and a consultant’ can say to students barristers are like consultants (know a lot about small specialised areas) and sols are like GPs (know a little about a lot)) A barrister is entitled to exercise a right of audience before EVERY court in relation to ALL proceedings [some solicitors i.e. Solicitor-advocates now also undertake advocacy in court] A solicitor deals directly with the client [acknowledge the profession is changing so now some barristers do this too through direct access]

What is…? Call A Junior barrister A Silk A Self-Employed Barrister An Employed Barrister Chambers Circuits A Specialist Bar Association Call – Barristers are called by their Inn after completing the vocational part of their training. A barrister’s experience is measured in the level of Years’ Call Junior Barrister – what we call a barrister who hasn’t taken Silk Silk – an experienced barrister, who is a member of the Queen’s Counsel and has the suffix of Q.C. after their name. They are entitled to wear silk gowns! (Please note: approx. only 10% of the profession are Q.C.’s) Self-employed barrister – 80% of the Bar is made up of Self-Employed barristers. An employed barrister – 20% of the Bar is made up of employed barristers. Employed barristers provide legal advice within numerous organisations and will usually be based in the corporate headquarters of that organisation. Some of these organisations are based in the third sector, such as the Government Legal Service, local authorities or the CPS. Barristers employed by the Armed Forces or the Foreign & Commonwealth Office may find that there are opportunities to work abroad. Other employed barristers work in private practice in law firms or in-house for national and international companies. Chambers - Most self-employed barristers group together in sets of chambers, enabling them to share office space, staff costs and other overheads.   Circuits - England and Wales are divided into six regional ‘Circuits’, which act as local hubs for barristers outside of London, running training and social events. Specialist Bar Associations (SBA’s) - membership organisations for barristers, focused on a specific area of law, such as crime, chancery, commercial, family or personal injury.  

What skills do you need to become a Barrister? Written and oral communication skills Numeracy skills Analytical skills Interpersonal skills IT skills Organisational skills A good memory Remaining professional, discreet and emotionally uninvolved Ability to think logically and with attention to detail Ability to cope with stress and pressure Academic ability GCSEs A-Levels Degree Professional examinations (BPTC)

Currently three key stages to qualify as a barrister: You need good A-levels in strong academic subjects Academic Stage: a 2:1 degree (3-4 years) Either an undergraduate degree in law (LLB), or an undergraduate degree in any other subject followed by the conversion course Vocational Stage: Bar Professional Training Course (1 year) * After completing your BPTC course, and the requisite number of qualifying sessions (as mentioned in the slide after), you will be “called to the Bar” by your Inn of Court Work Based Training or Pupillage Stage (1 year) After completing pupillage you obtain tenancy at a chambers or employment (as an employed barrister)

The Inns of Court Inns of Court Lincoln’s Inn Middle Temple Inner Temple Gray’s Inn Providing: Scholarships Dining Sessions (training) Advocacy training Competitions Lectures Social events Inns of Court This is the Hogwarts/Harry Potter logo [for use if appropriate for your audience and depending on your style of presentation] Although the Inns are all located in London, they have strong links across England and Wales and all over the world. Every barrister must join an Inn before they start the BPTC (vocational stage of their training). The Inns are steeped in tradition but provide extensive library and IT facilities, support for barristers and student members and ongoing training, particularly advocacy coaching. The Inns are one of the major sources of financial assistance to students who are training for the Bar. One of the formal functions of the Inns is to Call new barristers to the Bar, once their training is complete. Once you are Called at a particular Inn, you will have a relationship with that Inn for the rest of your career at the Bar or the judiciary, if you become a judge.   Before you can formally become a barrister, alongside passing the BPTC, you need to complete twelve ‘Qualifying Sessions’, which are run by the Inns. These sessions range from lectures and advocacy training to formal dinners with educational components.

Preparing to become a barrister: At University Year 1 of your degree… Find out as much as you can about the profession by attending law fairs and Inn of Court education outreach events. Get any work experience you can e.g. in Chambers, in-house law departments, and also apply for work experience in solicitors’ firms Apply for Marshalling Participate in public speaking, mooting and debating. Note: Chambers don’t usually offer mini-pupillages to 1st year students

Preparing to become a barrister: At University Year 2… Autumn Term – attend careers events. Spring Term – Apply for mini-pupillages etc. If applying for the conversion course, do so before the February closing date Attend legal career fairs and pupillage fairs Summer Term – undertake work experience

Preparing to become a barrister: At University Final year of degree Autumn Term – Apply for the BPTC (www.barsas.com/) Investigate funding possibilities, i.e. Scholarships. Deadlines are the first Friday in November of final year. Start making enquiries about pupillage. Spring Term – Apply for pupillage via the Pupillage Gateway (www.pupillagegateway.com/) Summer Term – Join one of the four Inns (compulsory) before 31 May of the year you start the BPTC. Explore further scholarship opportunities with your BPTC provider. Obtain degree (aim for 2:1 or above) or finish GDL (conversion course).

Vocational Stage: The Bar Professional Training Course Approximately 1,500 students per annum 13 providers throughout the England & Wales https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/qualifying-as-a-barrister/current-requirements/bar-professional-training-course/bptc-providers/ Currently one year of full time study or two years' part time study Before starting the BPTC, you must successfully pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT). This tests students' critical thinking and reasoning - the core skills required for the BPTC. Teaches case work skills, written skills, advocacy, interpersonal skills and legal knowledge.

Work-Based Training: Pupillage* The training period is twelve months First six months involves shadowing your pupil supervisor (known as “First Six”) Second six months involves conducting your own cases under the supervision of your pupil supervisor (known as “Second Six”) On completion apply for and gain tenancy. If you don’t gain tenancy, you can consider doing a “Third Six” pupillage. *Competition for pupillage is fierce! There are currently 400 places on offer for 1200+ applicants

How to make yourself stand out Excellent grades Work experience (known as mini-pupillages) Marshalling a judge Pro-bono work Debating Mooting Extra-curricular activities Interests other than the law Commitment and dedication

Some Scary Statistics Some universities receive up to 30 applications for each place on their Law degree The BPTC can cost up to £19,000 Each Chambers receives up to 450 applications every each year for 1, or sometimes 2, pupillage places

How much can a Barrister earn? Minimum of £12,000 for your pupillage year (it can be as much as £70,000 depending on practice area/chambers) £30,000 - £1,000,000 per annum (gross figure*) - again this depends on your practice area (it can be more!) You can be paid on the basis of an hourly rate, a brief fee, etc. * when practising from chambers a proportion of your gross income is deemed as a mandatory Chambers’ contribution i.e. paid towards chamber’s rent.

Where can I find more information? www.barcouncil.org.uk www.barstandardsboard.org.uk www.youngbarhub.com www.lincolnsinn.org.uk www.innertemple.org.uk www.middletemple.org.uk www.graysinn.org.uk www.chambersandpartners.com www.lawcareers.net www.lex100.com www.legalhub.co.uk – chambers directory