Barristers | Pupillages | Mini-pupillages

"The breadth of expertise at 12KBW is one of its selling points: we have practice groups dedicated to industrial disease, international and travel law, clinical negligence and employment. You are able to pursue your own particular interests."

Alexander Greaves

Francis Taylor Building

Planning & environment

"From appearing at a planning inquiry to appearing at the High Court, or even in criminal court dealing with prosecutions following enforcement action – flexibility is the key thing."

Shail Patel

4 New Square

Professional negligence

"Unlike some commercial litigation, there’s always a story – whether it’s some transaction or litigation that’s gone wrong, or some fraud that accountants have failed to uncover – there’s usually some human interest behind it all."

News

“Crisis level” backlog of crown court cases disproportionately affects young people from ethnic minority backgrounds

The all-time high in the current backlog of crown court cases is likely to have a disproportionate impact on children and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds, the House of Lords constitution committee has found.

News

Bar predicts income boom from students despite pupillage numbers falling

The Bar Standards Board’s 2021-22 budget foresees a 40% increase in student fees from last year, despite declining numbers of pupillages available. The regulator has predicted an income of £1.35 million from Bar training, compared with £958,000 last year and £657,000 in 2019.

News

One in 10 young lawyers globally say they experience “suicidal thoughts” due to work

One in 10 lawyers under 30 said they have experienced suicidal thoughts as a result of work, a recent International Bar Association survey found, with wellbeing in the legal profession a “global concern”.

News

Bar pupils to watch virtual hearings as part of professional development

Pupil barristers will have access to virtual criminal hearings to help them develop their advocacy skills, as part of an observation scheme created by the South Eastern Circuit.

Videos

See more videos

APPLICATION FORMS EASY MISTAKES TO AVOID on application forms

VLOG How I processed pupillage rejections | BLESSING AT THE BAR

VLOG Three years into my journey to the Bar | BLESSING AT THE BAR

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES Including MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES in law applications

VLOG Tips: Planning and Time Management | Dani the Barrister

Podcast

How to become a barrister

We sat down with BPTC student Blessing to find out more about the process of becoming a Barrister. She explained about the BPTC, how to get pupillage, what skills you should develop as an undergraduate, and more.

Feature

Aspiring lawyers: a guide to social media

Despite the challenges that the UK’s lockdown presents, the importance of maintaining and building a professional online network has become increasingly evident.

Feature

International Women’s Day: what does the legal profession look like for women in 2021?

After the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act received royal assent in 1919, it began to pave the way for women to become lawyers for the first time in the UK. Much has been achieved since then, but as in many professions, women working within the legal sector still face many distinct challenges.

Blog post

Neide Lemos

With pupillage season upon us, you might be looking to learn more about becoming a barrister. Although mini-pupillages offer a great insight to the Bar, they can sometimes be quite hard to obtain. Hopefully, this article will give those who have not yet joined an Inn of Court or are contemplating a career at the Bar an insight into the role of the Inns of Court and what you can get out of them.