Expandable Panel / FAQ

There are around 16,000 barristers practising in England and Wales. Barristers provide specialist legal advice and represent their clients in courts and tribunals. Often solicitors or other professional clients will refer work to a barrister, but with some exceptions, it is also possible for a member of the public to go directly to a barrister for advice or representation. This is known as 'Public Access'.

Typically, barristers do some or all of the following:

• Advise their clients on the law and the strength of their legal case. This often requires considerable amounts of legal research, followed by writing an 'opinion' for the client in which the barrister sets out their advice

• Hold 'conferences' with clients to discuss their case and give them legal advice

• Represent their clients in court. This can include presenting the case, cross-examining witnesses, summing up all relevant material and giving reasons why the court should support their client's case, and

• Negotiate settlements with the other side.

A lawyer is a general term that covers both solicitor and barrister. A solicitor is usually the first person that a member of the public will go to with their legal problem. A solicitor will often refer the work to a barrister for specialist advice or to appear in court to represent the client. It is also possible for certain solicitors to appear in court as advocates, if they have higher rights of audience. The judiciary is drawn from both branches of the profession.

To become a barrister, you will need to:

• Have a high level of intellectual ability

• Be articulate and have excellent writing skills

• Think and communicate clearly under pressure, and

• Have determination and stamina.

Since September 2020, the Bar Standards Board has permitted training providers to offer several new ways to become a barrister:

• Three-step pathway

  Academic, followed by vocational, followed by pupillage or work-based component.This pathway is the same as the current pathway, which would normally consist of a law degree (or non-law degree with the GDL), the new equivalent of the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), and pupillage. This pathway is likely to be available to students applying for the vocational stage of training for 2020.

• Four-step pathway

  Academic component, followed by vocational component in two parts, followed by pupillage or work-based component. This pathway consists of a law degree (or non-law degree with the GDL). This is then followed by the vocational stage in two parts and pupillage or work-based component. This pathway will be available to students applying for the vocational stage of training for 2020. One provider of this pathway has been conditionally authorised so far, and you can find out more about this provider's offering here .

• Integrated academic and vocational pathway

  Combined academic and vocational components followed by pupillage or work-based component. This route will offer a single combined academic and vocational pathway before pupillage (which is the equivalent of a law degree/GDL and the current BPTC). Northumbria University is the only provider (by exception) who has provided the combined route in previous years. This pathway is likely to be available to students applying for the vocational stage of training for 2020.

• Apprenticeship pathway

  Combined academic, vocational and pupillage or work-based components. As this structure is currently not offered by any Bar Training providers, this pathway will not be available by 2020, and it may take several years or more for apprenticeship/modular models of training to become available.

Read 'Becoming a barrister' on the Bar Standards Board website

Candidates will be required to pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test before commencing the vocational element of any of these pathways. You can find further information on the Bar Standards Board website.

It is a highly competitive career to get into, with many more applicants than places for vocational training and for pupillages. It is a small and competitive profession. It is best to be realistic but if you are determined to succeed, then you can. In order to see what life at the Bar is like, you need to undertake mini-pupillages, court visits and as much other legal experience (including working in a solicitor's firm or a Citizens Advice Bureau etc) as you can. Experience of mooting, debating, other public speaking or drama is useful, as is experience in many other fields such as acting, journalism, politics, and business.