It is such a shame that information on becoming a barrister isn’t properly accessible or easier to understand. So, in this blog post I intend to explain it all for you.
Let us break this all down then shall we.
What is the barristers training course?
Well, it is the second stage out of a three-stage process in qualifying as a barrister.
The first stage is the academic stage which requires either an undergraduate degree in law or an undergraduate degree in a non-law subject and a law conversion course (known as the GDL).
The third stage is pupillage. This is a year long work-based learning. For six months a pupil will shadow a barrister, and in the second six months they will be ‘on their feet’ taking cases of their own under the supervision of a qualified barrister. On completion of this stage, if a pupil is offered tenancy, they can then take instructions of their own. I recommend Alexandra Wilsons: ‘In Black and White’ if you want an insight into pupillage!
However, to even be able to start pupillage, you must have passed the barristers training course. This is traditionally known as the ‘BPTC’. The course has recently been privatised and the Bar Standards Board (the regulatory body for barristers) has given the reigns to individual institutions that offer the course allowing there to have been some changes to the course. This includes the name of the course, its structure and how it is taught. For example, I study at BPP University and the course is called the BTC (Bar Training Course). It is taught in two parts to replicate pupillage. This is not necessarily the same for other institutions.
Students will still be required to sit the main BSB exams: Civil Litigation and Criminal Litigation and Evidence. These exams are made up of multiple choice and single best answer questions, but they are not easy. The sheer volume of knowledge required for these exams makes it notoriously difficult. Alongside these two main exams students will also be required to learn the following: professional ethics; submission advocacy; witness handling; drafting and opinion writing. There is an assessment for each of these skills.
Essentially, the course teaches you the necessary skills and procedure in preparation for pupillage.
What is an Inn of Court and why is it important?
Prior to starting the bar course, you are required to do two things: pass the BCAT exam and join an Inn of Court.
The BCAT is the Bar Course Aptitude Test, it is a critical thinking skills assessment that is designed to test whether you would be successful on the bar course. It costs £150 to sit the exam in your local test centre, but it is a pretty straight forward multiple-choice assessment that doesn’t require oodles of preparation.
Joining an Inn of Court also requires a fee of approx. £105. To join you must be an aspiring barrister in either your final year of your undergraduate degree or on the GDL.
You need to be a member of an Inn of Court because in order to be called to the bar as an unregistered barrister, you must have passed the bar course AND completed 12 ‘qualifying sessions’ (‘QS’). QS’s are taught at the Inns of Court. They can range from advocacy classes, lectures, or even discussions on the law. Traditionally, QS’s would be accompanied by a fancy dinner in the halls at your Inn of Court. Mine have all been remote. Sad.
There are four Inns of Courts: Middle Temple, Lincolns Inn, Gray’s Inn and Inner Temple. They are all located in London. Traditionally, the bar course was only taught at these Inns of Court. Fun fat: before America sought its independence from the UK, aspiring lawyers would sail to the UK to study law in our Inns of Court!
Nowadays, the Inns’ are more of a barrister’s association. They offer education by way of QS’s which is why you must join one, but they are also a fantastic support and networking system for barristers and aspiring barristers.
A question I get asked a lot is: how do I choose my Inn of Court?
In all honesty, they are much of a muchness. There is hardly any difference between them, and they offer the exact same things. I was lucky enough to be able to visit two Inns of Court before the pandemic. I just chose the Inn that I had a better experience at, and that was Middle Temple!
The only important thing to consider before choosing your Inn of Court is scholarships.
The Inns of Court offer thousands of pounds worth of scholarships to aspiring barristers embarking on the GDL or the bar course every year.
I should have mentioned, the bar course is around £13,000 and therefore, if you are like me and do not have any savings, you may benefit from a scholarship. That being said, you are still encouraged to apply for a scholarship if you do not need the money. It is great to have the title of a prestigious scholarship to your name and they are first and foremost awarded on merit not your financial situation!
If you are thinking about applying for a scholarship, you may not want to join the Inn of Court until they have awarded you with a scholarship. Reason being, you can only apply to one Inn per year for a scholarship and once you have joined an Inn, it is not appropriate to move from Inn to Inn. You may find yourself in a difficult position having joined an Inn in which you are continuously denied a scholarship year on year.
How then do you decide which Inn to apply to for a scholarship?
Once again, it is all much of a muchness. But there are some differences in application and interview processes. For example, Middle Temple and Inner Temple (to my knowledge) offer all candidates an interview whereas that is not the case for other Inns which undertake an initial paper sift. This was the main reason I applied to Middle Temple – I knew I didn’t come across as well on paper as I did in person, so I needed that guaranteed interview.
I am not going to go into scholarship interviews at this stage but if you follow me on Instagram, I will be joining @danithebarrister for an IGLive on scholarship interviews. I recommend you check this out, especially if you have an upcoming interview.
I will follow this up with another blog post on interviews over the weekend. For everyone with an interview this year - if I can do it any one can. Best of luck!
Until next time,
The Woman on a Mission
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