BPP University Law School launches nationwide advocacy competition for aspiring barristers

BPP University Law School has launched a nationwide advocacy competition for aspiring barristers, with scholarships and bursaries the prizes.

Almost 100 Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) students are expected to participate in the ‘Advocate of the Year’ competition, which will see entrants take on advocacy and client conference roles during mock trials acted out by actors from the Synergy Theatre Project. The competition will run across five locations nationally – Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, London and Manchester. BPP is inviting 22 teams to enter by sending specific invitations to some universities, and encouraging composite teams to enter from other universities. Students wishing to enter who are at universities which have not received an invitation should apply individually.

James Welsh, director of BPP University Law School BPTC programmes, said: “We are keen to give those considering coming to the Bar the chance to practice their skills in the sort of work that junior barristers do. There is such a huge appetite to moot but that form of advocacy is actually quite rare in practice. This competition will focus much more on everyday cases and test a wider range of practical skills. It’s a chance for students to take on life-like cases and have a ‘taster’ for what the BPTC entails which could help them in their career choices.”