Webinar will examine future of training at the Bar

The Bar is holding a webinar on 16 September 2015 between 1:00pm and 2:00pm as part of a consultation with the profession and other interested participants on the direction the Bar should take in terms of training would-be barristers. A number of approaches are being put forward that would introduce change, some of which “could be radical”.

The consultation focuses on three main areas of training, namely:

• the academic stage - including whether a minimum degree classification should be required, what subjects this stage should cover and how to ensure that those completing the academic stage have the requisite knowledge and understanding to progress to the next stage;

• the vocational stage - including looking at the current BPTC offering (eg, its strengths and weaknesses, and its affordability) and whether this stage “prepares barristers for the current and future legal services market”;  and

• the pupillage stage - including the recruitment and selection of pupils, the structure of pupillage and the regulator’s role.

Dr Vanessa Davies, director general of the Bar Standards Board, and Professor Andrew Sanders, head of the school of law, politics and sociology at the University of Sussex, will outline key messages from the consultation and answer questions live during the webinar.

To register for free and to find out more, sign up here.