Barristers in England and Wales - Education and Training

Education and Training

Prospective barristers must first complete the academic stage of their legal education by obtaining a qualifying law degree but many undertake a one year law course having initially graduated in a subject other than law. This conversion course used to be known as a CPE (Common Professional Examination) or PGDL (Postgraduate Diploma in Law), and is now known simply as a GDL: a Graduate Diploma in Law. The student then joins one of the Inns of Court and takes the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) at one of the accredited providers. It is still mandatory to 'keep terms' before the student can be called to the bar. This involves undertaking 12 qualifying sessions, which may include dining in the Hall of the Inn. It used to be a prerequisite that twenty-four dinners were eaten before call but the number has since been reduced to twelve. Dining credits are available for participating in specified training events e.g. a weekend at Cumberland Lodge organised by one of the Inns credits attendees with three dinners. It is also possible to "double-dine" on various special occasions, where the student is credited with two sessions.

The origins of this date from the time when not merely students but practitioners dined together and students picked up the elements of their education from their fellow diners and from readings given by a senior member of the Inn (Master Reader) after the meal. Generally, in order for the dinner to count towards the twelve required, the student must remain seated until after coffee has been served. Often moots (legal debates arguing for or against a point before a notional appellate court) are held in hall afterwards. At the successful completion of the BVC (where continuous assessment as well as examinations are now the rule) and completion of the requisite number of dining nights, students are entitled, subject to various formalities, to be 'called to the Bar' at a ceremony in their Inn. This is conducted by the Masters of the Bench, or Benchers, who are generally senior practicing barristers or judges.

Once called to the bar, the new barrister has a choice whether or not to pursue a career in practice. There are far more applicants for "tenancy" in barristers' "Chambers" (see below) than there are places, and so many barristers, unable to obtain a tenancy in chambers, nowadays choose to go into commerce or academic work. One who wishes to become a practicing barrister must first obtain a 'pupillage'. This is a competitive process which involves some 4000 students applying for some 300 places each year. The online pupillage application system, Pupillage Portal (formerly known as OLPAS) enables applicants to submit their details to up to twelve barristers' chambers. The Pupillage Portal system is utilised by most chambers to recruit their pupils; many, however, do not, and these chambers must be contacted directly by applicants. There is no limit to the number of non-OLPAS chambers that an applicant can contact, although such chambers' recruiting deadlines broadly mirror those of the Pupillage Portal sets.

Pupillage consists of a period of 12 months, where the pupil studies with and under a practicing barrister of at least five years experience. This is traditionally served in two six-month periods under different pupil-masters (three month periods are becoming increasingly common), usually in the same chambers. Traditionally, the pupil was paid nothing and could earn no fees until the second six month period, when he or she was entitled to undertake work independently. All sets are now required to pay their pupils a minimum of £12,000 per year. Some pay considerably more than that although others have applied for exemption and do not guarantee any income. The Bar is a very varied profession, both in terms of the specialism (or otherwise) of individual sets of chambers, and in the financial rewards available. For sets doing predominantly publicly-funded work, earnings are low for new practitioners. In other more specialized areas serving private clients, such as commercial, tax or chancery work, earnings are far higher and at least comparable to those of similarly experienced solicitors in big city firms.

After pupillage the new barrister must find a seat or 'tenancy' in a set of chambers. Chambers are groups of barristers, and tend to comprise between 20 and 60 barristers. The members of a Chambers share the rent and facilities, such as the service of "clerks" (who combine some of the functions of agents, administrators and diary managers), secretaries and other support staff. Most chambers operate a system whereby the members contribute to these common expenses by paying a certain percentage of their gross income. However, there is no profit-sharing as in a business partnership, and individual barristers keep the fees they earn, beyond what they have to pay towards professional expenses.

The Bar remains a highly individualistic profession and earnings vary widely from some newly qualified (usually criminal) juniors who are lucky to earn £25,000 per year to the top Queen's Counsel (QCs or 'silks' as they are known, from their silk gowns) making well in excess of £1 million a year (with a handful of tax and commercial QCs reported to earn more than £2 million a year).

Although not all barristers now practice from the Inns themselves (for reasons such as the limited amount of space available), the majority still practice from chambers. The names placed on boards at the entrances of many of the staircases of the buildings within the Inns are the names of the tenant barristers (and occasionally distinguished members now prominent in judicial or political life) practising from the chambers in those buildings.