Bar Professional Training Course

The Bar Professional Training Course (Bar Vocational Course or BVC prior to the 2010-2011 academic year) is a graduate course that is completed by those wishing to be called to the Bar, i.e. to practise as a barrister in England and Wales. The ten institutes that run the BPTC along with the four Inns of Court are often collectively referred to as 'Bar School'.

This vocational stage is the second of the three stages of legal education, the first being the academic stage and the third being the practical stage, i.e. pupillage. Only those who have successfully completed the course can practise as a Barrister.[1]

Contents

Entry requirements

Although the minimum entry requirements for the BPTC is a qualifying law degree with no less than lower second class (2:2) honours, or a degree in another subject with no less than 2:2 honours in addition to a pass in the [Graduate Diploma in Law(GDL), applicants for the BPTC should demonstrate a strong academic profile (preferably upper Second Class Honours degree and above from a leading university and excellent extracurricular activities). Additionally, a suitable candidate should provide strong evidence of a commitment to the English Bar.

In 2008/09:[2]

As a result of the apparent over-supply of barristers, the Bar Standards Board recently considered four controversial proposals:

As of 2008, only two of these proposals have been able to find enough support to be implemented.

Fees for the BPTC are now between £10000 and £15000, making the course a serious investment for future barristers.[3]

Course options

The course bridges the gap between academic study and the practical work of a barrister by teaching subjects with which a practising barrister will need to be familiar. Core modules include:

Grading

Students successfully completing the course may be awarded the overall grade of “Outstanding”, “Very Competent” or “Competent”.

Providers

BPTC Providers
Institution Location Circuit Approx. course fees Report Website
BPP Law School London South Eastern £15,750 Report BPP
BPP Law School Leeds North Eastern £11,950 Report BPP
University of the West of England Bristol Western £11,600 Report BILP
Cardiff University Cardiff Wales & Chester £11,050 Report Cardiff
Nottingham Trent University Nottingham Midland Circuit £11,850 Report Nottingham
The College of Law London South Eastern £14,670 Report CoL
The College of Law Birmingham Midland Circuit £11,340 Report CoL
City Law School (formerly ICSL) London South Eastern £16,000 Report City
Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Northern £9,650 Report MMU
Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne North Eastern £10,100 Report Northumbria
Kaplan Law School London South Eastern £15,000 Report Kaplan

References

  1. ^ Adam Kramer (2007). Bewigged and Bewildered: Pupillage and a Career at the Bar. Hart Publishing. ISBN 1841136514. 
  2. ^ Bar Standards Board statistics
  3. ^ [1]

External Links

See also