The Bar Council has responded to the Bar Standards Board’s new policy statement on pupillage, work-based learning and qualification.

Following on from publication last week of the Lammy Report on racial bias in the British criminal justice system, the chair of the Bar Council’s Equality and Diversity and Social Mobility Committee has responded by saying that report makes an important contribution to the “urgent task of securing a fair and equal criminal justice system”.

According to the new report by Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC), “45% of the Young Bar reported a negative impact on their financial situation, higher still at 60% for those working in crime – as court work ceased in 2020, their earnings plummeted.”

The Bar Council recently ran a week of events for sixth form students, designed to promote better access to the profession.

The Bar Council has partnered with tech company Spot to launch an anti-harassment and bullying tool for barristers to anonymously report inappropriate behaviour.

After announcing that the opening date of the Pupillage Gateway application system would be moved from April to January from 2016 onwards, the Bar Council has now U-turned to say that the current timetable will remain in place (with applications being made in April and offers being sent out in August) until further notice.

The Bar Council has said it is “disappointed” in the Bar Standard Board’s decision to scrap the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) because it “no longer […] serves a useful purpose” without making sure there are alternatives in place.

The Bar Council, the body that represents around 18,000 barristers in England and Wales, has several committees; one of which is the Young Barristers’ Committee.

The Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT), which all aspiring barristers must pass to gain a place on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), is to have its pass mark raised to exclude students who would be unlikely to pass the course or secure pupillage.

Manchester Metropolitan University has been given conditional approval to deliver its new Bar course from September 2020 by the Bar Standards Board. 

Nearly 20% fewer Bar Professional Training Course students had completed the course in 2019/20 as of May 2021, compared with the 2018/19 cohort, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) reported in July – an additional 2.5% had withdrawn from the course at this stage. 

In the latest episode of The LawCareers.Net Podcast, LawCareers.Net’s Bethany Wren speaks with Bar student and LCN vlogger Dani Alaka about her journey to becoming a barrister.

The woman I was a month ago and the woman I am today are two very different people and it’s all thanks to beginning my Bar Vocational Studies course at City, University of London.

A Bar course is the mandatory vocational stage of training for aspiring barristers before they commence pupillage.

The Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) was replaced by a range of new Bar courses in September 2020. To become a barrister, students must pass a Bar course approved by the Bar Standards Board. All approved Bar courses lead to the same destination – being ‘called to the Bar’, which enables you to apply for a pupillage. Here is LawCareers.Net’s guide to Bar courses.

The Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) was replaced by a range of new Bar courses as of September 2020. To become a barrister, students must pass a Bar course approved by the Bar Standards Board. All approved Bar courses lead to the same destination – being ‘called to the Bar’, which enables you to apply for a pupillage. Here is LawCareers.Net’s guide to Bar courses.

The Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) was replaced by a range of new Bar courses in September 2020. To become a barrister, students must pass a Bar course approved by the Bar Standards Board. All approved Bar courses lead to the same destination – being ‘called to the Bar’, which enables you to apply for a pupillage. Here’s LawCareers.Net’s guide to Bar courses.

The Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) was replaced by a range of new Bar courses in September 2020. To become a barrister, students must pass a Bar course approved by the Bar Standards Board. All approved Bar courses lead to the same destination – being ‘called to the Bar’, which enables you to apply for a pupillage. Here’s LawCareers.Net’s guide to Bar courses.

To become a barrister, students must pass a Bar course at an education provider that's been approved by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). All aspiring barristers must complete a Bar course in order to be ‘called to the Bar’, which enables you to apply for a pupillage. Read LawCareers.Net’s guide to Bar courses to understand what you need to do to reach qualification as a barrister.

To become a barrister, students must pass a Bar course at an education provider that's been approved by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). All aspiring barristers must complete a Bar course in order to be ‘called to the Bar’, which enables you to apply for a pupillage. Read LawCareers.Net’s guide to Bar courses to understand what you need to do to reach qualification as a barrister.