Route to becoming a Barrister

A qualifying law degree is traditionally the first step on the road to becoming a barrister. It will exempt you from the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), provided it covers all seven foundations of legal knowledge: obligations I (contract) and II (tort); criminal law; equity and law of trusts; European Union (EU) law; property law; and public law. However, an extra hurdle awaits applicants for many of the UK's leading universities, following the introduction of the National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT), a uniform legal exam that must be completed before advancing to the undergraduate law courses of participating universities. The following universities are signed up to LNAT: University of Birmingham, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge, Durham University, NUI Maynooth, University of Exeter, University of Glasgow, King's College London, University of Nottingham, University of Oxford and University College London Registration for this year's exam can be completed online from 1 August and costs £40 within the EU. Further details are available here.here Around this stage it is always advisable to do a mini-pupillage at a set of chambers. The experience you get - and the contacts you make - will be very helpful when it comes to applying for Bar school and pupillages. 1

STEP 2: If you do not have a qualifying law degree, you will have to take the Common Professional Examination (CPE ) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). How long? One year (full-time); two years (part-time). How much? Up to £8,735. When to apply? Third or final year of your degree. Following the law degree route is the main way to becoming a barrister. But there is evidence that chambers, like law firms, look favourably on candidates who choose the CPE/GDL route because of the wider range of experience they get. The CPE/GDL comprises one three hour examination in each of the seven foundations of legal knowledge, plus one other area of legal study. The course is offered by a multitude of institutions across the country, from universities to traditional law schools (details of providers are on the Solicitors Regulation Authority website). website However, applications for full-time courses should be made centrally by 1 February of the year of entry to the CPE Applications Board, PO Box 84, Guildford, Surrey GU3 1YX. Forms can be downloaded from lawcabs.ac.uk or completed online. Applications for part-time courses should be made directly to the relevant college.lawcabs.ac.uk Competition for places on the course can be fierce. In most colleges, the minimum grade is a 2:2, but the substantial majority of students hold a 2:1. Full-time students have three years in which to complete the CPE/GDL. Except in extreme circumstances, a candidate cannot sit for an examination on more than three occasions. Completion of the CPE/GDL does not automatically guarantee a place on the BVC. However, there are some institutions that do assure places if the CPE is passed at the same college. So check this when applying. It is also worth checking the Bar contacts of your CPE course provider, because these can be helpful in securing that useful mini-pupillage.

STEP 3: Bar Vocational Course (BVC) How long? One year (full-time); two years (part-time). How much? Up to £14,700. When to apply? During the final year of a qualifying law degree or at the beginning of the CPE/GDL course for non-law graduates. All students must join one of the four Inns of Court - Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple - before registering on the BVC. Eight educational establishments offer the course. The purpose of the BVC is to ensure students acquire the skills, knowledge of procedure and evidence, attitudes and competence to prepare them for the more specialised training in the following 12 months of pupillage. Some variance exists between the courses. However, the main skills taught are divided into three groups: casework, which covers fact management and legal research; written skills, which comprises general word skills, opinion writing and drafting of documents; and interpersonal skills, which concentrates on interviewing clients, negotiation and advocacy. In terms of legal knowledge, the BVC covers civil and criminal litigation, evidence, sentencing and two optional subjects selected from a list of at least six. Assessment is by a combination of multiple choice and written papers, as well as by video-recorded performance for the interpersonal skills modules. Applications can be made online at bvconline.co.uk. In the past, the pass rate has been around 80%. Academic achievement is the primary consideration when awarding places and the minimum required degree grade is a 2:2 - although the majority of students have a 2:1. Pupillage must be started within five years of completing the BVCbvconline.co.uk

STEP 4: Pupillage How long? One year. How much? They pay you. The minimum award (including any fees earned) is £5,000 for each six-month term. When to apply? The year prior to starting your BVC. To facilitate the pupillage applications process, the Bar Council has created the OLPAS system, allowing direct communication between applicants and chambers through a website. Application forms, and offer or interview letters, are handled online. There are two deadlines each year. Students should go to the 'Pupillage Portal' website for details of OLPAS and the timetable.Pupillage Portal The rules state that all pupillages must be advertised on this website. Vacancies will not appear directly on the site, but there are direct links to all pupillage information and vacancies, both OLPAS and non-OLPAS. The site acts as a gateway to the information, meaning prospective pupils can get all the data they need from one source. Pupillage is the final stage of qualification to the Bar, with pupils gaining practical training under the supervision of an experienced barrister. It is divided into two six-monthly parts: the ‘first six' and ‘second six'. All pupillages are full-time. Working under the tutelage of a pupilmaster or mistress, the pupil is expected to successfully complete a checklist of experience, which is usually tailored to the particular specialism of the chambers. However, pupillage will include most aspects of chambers life, from dealing with clerks to client conferences to advocacy. Full details, including a sample completed checklist, are on the Bar Council website.Bar Council website The first six months are non-practising. Much of this time is spent shadowing the pupilmaster or mistress. Previously, it was compulsory for this time to be served in a set of chambers. However, the rules have been changed to allow law firms and commercial companies that employ barristers to offer both first and second sixes. During the second six, the pupil is permitted to practise and to accept paid instructions from clients. It must be started within 12 months of completing the first six. The second six may be completed at one of several locations: in the same chambers; at another set or partially at a solicitor's office (in the UK or the European Union (EU)); at the European Commission (EC) in Brussels or Luxembourg; with a High Court or circuit judge; or with a solicitor or other professional with a practice relevant to your chambers. In addition, the full second six can be served with an ‘employed' barrister in industry or with the EC in London. Full details are available on the Bar Council website. As well as completing the checklist and satisfying their pupilmaster or mistress, pupils must complete further external training modules in advocacy training, advice to counsel (a practical course on working as a barrister) and forensic accountancy - either during pupillage or within the first three years of practice. On successful completion of the second six and associated red tape, you will receive your final certificate. This will enable you to practise unsupervised. Chambers offer around 500 pupillages each year. Competition is intense, so applications should be made as early as possible.

STEP 5: Get a tenancy Tenancies, whether at the chambers where you trained or elsewhere, have to be applied for. They are not offered as a matter of right on successful qualification. Some chambers take pupils with a view to giving them all a tenancy if they make the grade, while others take on more than they need and select the best at the end. Pupillage is often described as a year-long job interview. To pass, pupils must show all-round ability, particularly in advocacy, research and writing skills. The decision on whether to grant a tenancy is often taken by committee, a little while before the end of the second six. If you do find yourself without a tenancy, there are several options. You can apply to do a ‘third six' or ‘squat' at another chambers, or you can work in commerce and industry. There are around 2,500 employed barristers in this field. Information on this can be obtained from the Bar Association for Commerce, Finance & Industry.