advertised under a range of different names (eg, ‘ICCA Bar Course’, ‘Bar Practice Course’, ‘Barrister Training Course’ and more). However, completing any BSB-approved Bar course involves passing centralised assessments resulting in the same required postgraduate diploma. Like those who graduate with the BPTC, graduates of one of the new Bar courses are ‘called to the Bar’ – making them eligible to apply for a pupillage, the final stage of qualifying before being able to practise as barristers. Course content The course content for each new Bar course will vary depending on the law school, but they all combine teaching legal knowledge with practical skills. All Bar courses approved by the BSB prepare students to pass the same centralised exams. Depending on which course you choose, you may study the knowledge and skills elements simultaneously or separately. The main areas of knowledge taught on the Bar courses are criminal litigation, evidence and sentencing, civil litigation, evidence and alternative dispute resolution. Students will also learn the key barrister competencies of advocacy, conference skills, legal research and opinion writing and drafting, with ethics also forming part of the course. Some courses will offer the option to undertake extra electives or a dissertation to add a master’s qualification to the core Postgraduate Diploma in Bar Practice – this may be an attractive option for some students because it grants eligibility for postgraduate student loan funding. If a Bar course graduate seeks to pursue a career as a solicitor, they may be granted exemption from attendance and assessment in several areas of the LPC, including litigation, advocacy, drafting, practical legal research and two vocational electives. Students must have completed the Bar course no earlier than five years before enrolling on the LPC.
In Stage One, the core subjects cover litigation, property, business, professional conduct and regulation, taxation, wills and the administration of estates. This stage also teaches students specific skills such as advocacy, drafting and writing, interviewing and advising, problem solving and legal research. This stage is completed at law school. Stage Two consists of electives from a range of subjects in private and corporate client work, including commercial law and practice, employment, intellectual property, consumer, housing, family and immigration. As stated above, it is possible to complete Stage Two during your training contract or while working at a law firm in another role (eg, as a paralegal or legal secretary), should you wish to do so. All institutions that offer the full-time LPC are managed by the Central Applications Board. You should contact them for an application form or apply online at www.lawcabs.ac.uk. Bar courses Anyone wanting to become a barrister must complete one of the new Bar courses, which effectively bridge the gap between the study of law and work as a pupil. Students seeking a place on a Bar course must apply direct to their desired institution. The introduction of these new Bar courses is part of a larger overhaul of barrister training aimed at making it more flexible and accessible to a more diverse range of candidates. From September 2020, anyone pursuing a career as a barrister who has not already started the BPTC must complete one of the new Bar courses approved by the BSB. The Bar course may be taught in one or two parts, with formats and learning styles differing among providers. As universities and law schools now have more freedom to decide how their courses are taught and structured, you will find the Bar course
91
Sign up to
POSTGRADUATE TRAINING
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online