'Access to the Bar' is a term you may hear a lot on your journey to becoming a barrister and that is because it is notoriously difficult to secure a career at the bar. It is mentally tough, physically tough and financially tough too. There are many critics out there who would argue that in fact it's too hard for lots of people to access the career and that some don't even get given the shot. Whilst there certainly is some truth to that argument, the bar does also try to support and encourage greater access to the bar, including supporting a move towards a more diverse bar.
I, so far, have had a very positive experience of the journey to the bar and want to identify for my readers what help is available along each step of the way. This post is perfect for those who are just starting their third year law degree, or their GDL (graduate diploma in law), and are wanting to start the yellow brick road to the bar. What I have tried to create below is a timeline to the bar, with some sources, websites and information about the assistance which is available.
To start off, here is a source that I used several years ago to help lay out clearly what I needed to do.
It can be slightly confusing depending on what stage you are at in your journey, so I've simplified it in this post and attached some advice on what to look out for and utilise. The 'Chambers student' website is also a great source in general for researching areas of the law, barristers chambers and work experience opportunities.
So, let's start the journey....
Start third year / GDL
If you have just started your final year at university doing law, or you have just started the GDL conversion year, then congratulations step 1 is complete!
If you have not started your third year yet or you are keen to take the GDL then you can seek comfort in the fact that you have another year or so until you need to start applying for anything (but make sure to keep securing relevant work experience where you can).
Apply for the BPTC
The BPTC (bar professional training course) or BVC (bar vocational course) is a postgraduate course which trains law graduates in the skills and knowledge of a barrister. It is typically a 10 month course from September to June where you are taught about, civil litigation, criminal litigation, ethics, advocacy, conferencing and much more.
It is the first opportunity that a law graduate gets to learn about the specific skills of a barrister. Before then, most law graduates have only ever studied the academic law, the black letter law, textbooks and case law. The BPTC/BVC is far more practical and vocational than a law degree and is really where your journey to the bar begins.
So...obviously you need to apply for the course. It is taught at the following institutions, despite the different names used the providers all teach the same course and are authorised to do so.
BPP University - Barrister Training Course (BTC) https://www.bpp.com/courses/law/postgraduate/btc-barrister-training-course
Cardiff University - Bar Training Course (BTC) https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/bar-training-course-pgdip
Northumbria University - Bar Course https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/bar-course-ft-dtfbtc6/
Nottingham Trent University - Barristers Training Course (BTC) https://www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-courses/courses/find-your-course/law/pf/2020-21/barristers-training-course
The City Law School, City, University of London - Bar Vocational Studies (BVS) https://www.city.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate/bar-vocational-studies
The Inns of Court College of Advocacy - ICCA Bar Course https://www.icca.ac.uk/bar-training/
The University of Law - Bar Practice Course (BPC) https://www.law.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/law/bpc/
The University of the West of England - Bar Training Course (BTC) https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/M99C12/bar-training-course
From 2020 onwards, to apply for the BPTC you will need to apply directly to the institution providing the course. The DEADLINE is usually around November each year!
There are certain requirements to take the course, usually a 2:2 at degree level, fluent in English and a 'pass' score on the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT).
(The BCAT is usually taken after you've secured your offer to study the bar course and typically before the end of July on the year you intend to start. However, make sure to check the individual requirements of the provider as this deadline will be specified by them!)
The application process is usually made up of an online application form detailing your education history, work history and several long answer questions about your future career plans.
Here are several factors you may want to consider when deciding which institution to apply to...
- Their location
- Whether they hold interviews for the course or not
- The cost of the course (this varies from £11,000 to £18,ooo roughly)
- Whether they offer scholarships or bursary's to exceptional candidates
- Their reputation in the legal industry / pass rates
There is nothing from stopping you from applying to more than one institution if there are several that you'd be happy to attend. Once you've applied then just follow the application process tightly, not any deadlines, interview dates or requirements you have to complete and good luck.
Apply for Scholarships
As stated above, the bar course can be financially tough and cost is often the biggest barrier to those wishing to pursue a career as a barrister. However, hope is not lost as the Inns of Court offer scholarships to help fund the bar course each year.
If you are not familiar with the Inns of Court they are;
1) Middle Temple
2) Inner Temple
3) Gray's Inn
4) Lincoln's Inn
Here is a really great link which briefly summarises each Inn of Court and their differences/similarities. https://www.thelawyerportal.com/blog/the-four-inns-of-court/
As you will see from the final step on the journey, you will need to become a student member of ONE of the Inns of Court before you start the Bar Course. However, before you start the course you can apply to ONE of the Inns for a scholarship.
You will not that I have 'ONE' in capitals above as you are only permitted to be a member of one of the Inns. It also follows that if you receive a scholarship from an Inn, then you should apply to be a member of that Inn and not another one.
The scholarships are essentially a sum of money awarded to you by the Inn, to help you complete the bar course and continue your journey to the bar. They are kind of a pat on the back and a silent 'we believe in you' from the Inns (pretty nice to receive on this hard journey). The Inns focus on academic ability, motivation and commitment to a career at the bar, integrity and excellent communication skills.
Here are the links for each Inn's scholarship information:
- Middle Temple: https://www.middletemple.org.uk/education-and-training/scholarships-and-prizes/bptc-and-gdl-scholarships DEADLINE 6TH NOVEMBER 2020.
- Inner Temple: https://www.innertemple.org.uk/becoming-a-barrister/scholarships/barcourseawards/ DEADLINE 6TH NOVEMBER 2020.
- Grays Inn: https://www.graysinn.org.uk/scholarships/barcourse DEADLINE 6TH NOVEMBER 2020.
- Lincoln's Inn: https://www.lincolnsinn.org.uk/scholarships-prizes/bar-professional-training-course/ DEADLINE 6TH NOVEMBER 2020
How to decide where to apply?
When I started going through this process a couple of years ago I had no idea which to apply to, they are all great and all offer some amazing scholarships. So, I went through each website and noted down the information about the scholarships available and then just compared them.
These are some of the things that I specifically focused on to help me choose:
1) The amount of scholarships on offer (they range from 75-100 each year)
2) The amount of money the Inn has to offer in total (it might sound vain but its an important variable when weighing up your chances of receiving a scholarship)
3) Whether they offer interviews to all candidates OR do a paper sift first
4) How many references they ask for
5) Whether you've visited the Inn
My experience:
I chose to apply to Middle Temple and was very fortunate to be awarded a scholarship from them to support my bar course and career to the bar. I chose Middle Temple because; they offered around 100 scholarships each year, seemed to have the biggest pot of money to offer; interviewed all candidates; asked for 2 references and I'd been to the Inn for an open day and felt very welcomed.
I personally feel as though I come across better in interview rather than on paper, so it was important for me to have the opportunity to sit in an interview and chat with a panel of barristers. Further, I only had two people I could ask to provide references for me, I was not particularly close with my tutors and teachers during undergrad so two was a push. Some Inn's such as Inner Temple asked for 3 references at the time, which was just not practical for me.
Feeling comfortable, welcome and inspired by an Inn is quite important as an Inn of court can offer a wealth of support over your career. Therefore, I would highly recommend visiting them during open days so that you can get a feel for yourself.
Once you've decided where to apply, then make sure to put some time and dedication into the application form, honing your answers down and seeking feedback/help from others where you can. The best thing you can do when applying for something like a scholarship is to stand up, power pose with your hands on your hips and head held high, and believe in your own ability and that you are deserving of a scholarship.
Seek Other Assistance
There are also several other forms of assistance out there.
- Inner Temple Pegasus Scheme (PASS)
This aims to provide individuals from under represented backgrounds assistance and support in pursuing a career at the bar. It does this by helping those individuals to secure work experience such as mini-pupillage's, offering skills programmes and other vital experience.
Eligibility and further information is found at this link: https://www.innertemple.org.uk/becoming-a-barrister/how-to-get-involved/pass/
- BPTC Awards
When you apply to an institution to study the bar course, they may consider that you are an exceptional applicant and offer you an 'award' should you accept their offer to study the bar course with them eg. a sum of money to help towards the cost of the course.
BPP specifically has awards for advocacy. Part of their application process involves a filmed advocacy exercise and if you are offered a place on the course following the application process AND the panel think you exhibited exceptional advocacy skills then you may also be awarded an advocacy scholarship.
Other institutions also offer financial support in different ways so make sure to do some research on your preferred provider.
Join an Inn of Court
Regardless of whether you get a scholarship or not you have to become a student member of an inn of court BEFORE you start the bar course. The deadline is 31st May of the year you intend to start the course eg 2021.
Start the Bar Course and enjoy!
Then it's up to you to go with full force and confidence into the bar course and make the most of it. Make sure to check out my previous posts about preparing for and succeeding on the bar course when you get to that stage...because you are more than capable!
Thanks for reading,
Monica x