Want to become a barrister? If you’ve completed a law degree at undergraduate level, or a law conversion course, we can help you on your journey towards a career at the bar.
The Bar Practice Course (BPC) is the qualifying postgraduate course allowing graduates to prepare and practise as barristers in England and Wales. It is the vocational stage of training, which you’re required to pass before you can go on to complete the final, practical stage of training; pupillage. To start the BPC, you’ll need either an undergraduate law degree or a law conversion course such as our MA Law (Conversion) or Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PgDL). The infographic below shows the route from your law degree / conversion course to becoming a fully qualified barrister.
*If you successfully complete one of our Master of Laws (LLM) programmes and achieve 55% or above in the Advocacy and Bar Skills, Civil and Criminal Litigation, and Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution elective modules, you could be eligible for exemption from our BPC Selection Process.
Our Bar Practice Course provides an ideal environment for developing the confidence, communication skills and leadership you’ll need to thrive at the Bar. With our experienced academic team and advanced learning technology, you will gain the expertise and experience needed to start your career as a barrister.
You can also add an internationally recognised LLM qualification to your CV and pupillage applications by studying our BPC LLM. Choose from three pathways to success: real-life work experience via our Pro Bono clinics, study additional modules or write a dissertation.
Hear what our students had to say about our lecturers and resources.
Choose to study this award and you will have the opportunity to add an internationally recognised LLM qualification to your CV and pupillage applications.
You can complete your Master of Laws (LLM) qualification via three routes:
If you study our Bar Practice Course LLM, you could also be eligible for a SLC Postgraduate Loan.
To find out more about each of the BPC LLM pathways, take a look at our blog.
**Students studying additional modules at our Liverpool campus will have to attend regular sessions (1-2 days per week) at our Manchester campus for a single semester. Students studying additional modules at our Newcastle campus will have to attend regular sessions (1-2 days per week) at our Leeds campus for a single semester. International students cannot study the additional module route in Liverpool or Newcastle, as they must complete all of their studies at one campus.
Students wishing to complete our BPC must go through our Selection Process*. This allows us to identify the brightest and most able students, creating a stimulating learning environment for all. As a result, when you undertake our BPC you can guarantee that you will be studying alongside committed, focused and intelligent students, which in turn will push you to succeed. It’s also an excellent way to get vital practise for advocacy and pupillage interviews.
Hear what our students had to say about our selection process experience.
*If you successfully complete one of our Master of Laws (LLM) programmes and achieve 55% or above in the Advocacy and Bar Skills, Civil and Criminal Litigation, and Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution elective modules, you could be eligible for exemption from our BPC Selection Process.
The Inns of Court are professional institutions for barristers in England and Wales, and you must be a member of an Inn at least 12 weeks before starting your Bar Practice Course. There are four Inns of Court to choose from: , , , and . All four are in central London, and they provide training and support to both students and fully qualified barristers. Each Inn will offer student scholarships to help towards the fees of the BPC, and they will regularly hold academic activities and professional events to assist your training.
To help you choose which Inn to join, take a look at our helpful information below.
We have a variety of funding options available for our BPC. If you study our Bar Practice Course LLM, you could also be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan.
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Hear from our Programme and Student Experience Lead, Nigel, as he reveals his route to teaching law.
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We understand that moving to a new country for your studies is a big decision, and we're here to support you every step of the way as you settle into life in the UK.
Learn more about how we can help with funding your law studies and guide you through the visa application process.
Pupillage is the final stage of training before becoming a barrister. During this time, you put into practise everything you have learnt so far. In the first six months, you will be shadowing a barrister, this will include accompanying them to court, conferences and consultations as well as providing assistance with their papers. In the second six months, you are in the practise stage, where you will have a provisional practising certificate and be able to provide legal services to the public, under supervision.
The University of Law is committed to ensuring you have the advice and support you need to make successful pupillage applications. Our unique Future Pupil Programme means that you’ll be able to prepare for pupillage applications from the moment you accept your place.
Here's a list of the support you’ll receive from moment you accept your place until after you graduate:
Sent as soon as you accept your place on our Bar Practice Course. This will be your guide to ensuring your CV is Bar-focussed.
From the moment you accept your place, you’ll be able to register with our employability platform to gain access to relevant job and work experience opportunities as well as event listings.
Once you accept your place, you’ll be invited to meet one of our Specialist Careers Advisors to review your CV and get strategic advice on future pupillage applications. This is followed by our preparing for the BPC workshop, which is a chance to hear from our Future Pupils.
Participate in our award-winning pro bono activities and test your skills in front of real barrister and judges at prestigious national and international advocacy competitions. We also run internal competitions and workshops, including mock trials in court.
One-to-one appointments are available in person, by email, via Teams or Zoom. These can cover anything from general strategic advice to feedback on your applications, and mock interviews tailored to you.
Prepare for pupillage interviews in groups of four with a Specialist Careers Advisor and BPC Lecturers ready to grill you.
We run a range of events from practice-specific panels to How to Succeed at the Junior Bar, and our celebrated Pupillage Application Question Time and Pupillage Interview Question time events. We also run Bar networking events as well as events on the non-legal aspects of your practice such as taxes.
A newsletter run buy Future Pupils that ensures students are kept up to date with relevant information on topics such as mini-pupillage openings, job opportunities, volunteering opportunities, pupillage application pointers, scholarship information and events.
Even if you obtain pupillage whilst you’re on the BPC, you are likely to have a year to fill before you start. We can help you with scholarships, internships, employment and further education decisions. You’ll have access to our careers service for 5 years after graduating.
Hear from our expert lecturers about the skills you’ll learn with our BPC course.
Join us at one of our Postgraduate Open Days held both on campus and virtually throughout the year. These events will provide you with the opportunity to find out more about the various academic and professional postgraduate qualifications we offer, which are designed to support your future career ambitions and set you up for success.
Gain up to 50 hours of advocacy training as you test your skills in front of real barristers and judges at mooting competitions and mock trials in court. Winners of our Advocacy Awards and Scholarships are required to become a member of our Advocacy Committee, which plays a pivotal role in ensuring that students have access to advocacy opportunities throughout their time at The University of Law. The committee organises internal mooting competitions and supports students in entering teams into external competitions on behalf of the university.
If you're considering our BPC, learn how our selection process helps identify the most promising candidates. We caught up with our BPC alumni to discuss the selection process they went through before enrolling in our BPC course.
Watch nowOur BPC alumni discuss how the course helped support their learning and prepared them for a successful career at the bar.
Watch nowWe caught up with BPC award winner, Olivia Thirkettle, to discuss her experience studying at The University of Law as a member of our Advocacy Committee.
Watch nowWe caught up with BPC alumni Olivia Kirk and Walter Verkaik to discuss how our Future Pupil Programme supported them in successfully securing pupillage. This unique programme allows you to prepare for pupillage applications from the moment you accept your place at The University of Law.
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