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During my Law degree, I found the vast majority of advice and guidance on pursuing a legal career was aimed at those students who wanted to become Solicitors.

This is understandable, as those of us who want to make a career out of wearing a funny wig and arguing tend to be few and far between—but we do exist!

This step-by-step guide gives you the insider on the steps needed to join the Bar to become a Barrister.

Three main stages to joining the Bar

There are three stages on the route to the Bar that you need to complete before you become a fully-fledged ‘Baby Barrister’ with a Tenancy in Chambers or employed in-house.

1 - The Educational Stage

This stage involves obtaining at minimum a 2:2 in a qualifying Law degree, or a non-law degree and a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).

Though this is an expensive and time-consuming stage, it is essential. Ensure you take full advantage of the resources and activities you are offered at this early stage! Get involved in moots, negotiation competitions, societies, sports teams…anything you have time for. These will be invaluable experiences you can draw on in interviews (Moots especially).

Other good things to do during this stage that will help you stand out from the crowd later-on are Mini-Pupillages and Marshalling. A one to three day Mini-Pupillage with any chambers gives excellent insight into the life of a Barrister and Marshalling. A judge in court shows you what life is like on the other side of the bench, and a great opportunity to see some advocacy in action—not to mention you can make great contacts.

Go to chamber’s websites to find out how to apply, or email your local court asking about Marshalling opportunities. The more experience, the better!

2 – The Vocational Stage

Currently called the Bar Professional Training Course, this stage is an intense course designed to teach you the essential skills you will need at the Bar. It aims to teach you the skills of advocacy, conferencing, writing opinions, as well as many others.

This stage is less theoretical and more practical than the Educational Stage, so it can be far more intense.

While only a handful of providers offer most offer part-time and full-time courses over one or two years, and some even offer it as a Master’s degree. This stage is quite expensive, so it is worth planning well ahead.

From September 2020, this stage is set to change slightly in the way it is delivered and by whom – so make sure to keep an eye on the .

To apply for this stage, you must be a Member of one of the four Inns of Court, and have completed the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT).

3 – Pupillage

Pupillage is a year-long stage, split into two six-month blocks and is undertaken in Chambers. The first six months (imaginatively called your ‘First-Six’) is essentially a period of work-based training, but you will not be actively practicing. The Second-Six is when you will finally begin standing up in court and practicing yourself. Throughout your Pupillage, you will be supervised by a practicing Barrister, called your Pupil-Master.

After your Second-Six, the members of that Chambers will vote as to whether to keep you on as a Tenant (ie, to join their Chambers as a fully qualified Barrister). If unsuccessful, you may choose to undertake a Third-Six at another Chambers, where you will be doing the same thing as you were doing in your Second-Six.

This is the most competitive part of the process, and often the most stressful!

Once you have completed the Vocational component, you will have a period in which you must obtain pupillage. At present, the BPTC qualification lasts for just five years before it expires. Students often apply for pupillage during their Vocational Stage, at several different Chambers.

Visit the Bar Standard Board for more information about the Pupillage stage.

After you completed all the three stages and have obtained a Tenancy, you will be a fully qualified Barrister!

Truthfully the process is long and a huge commitment, and, at times can be very confusing with all the overlapping deadlines. However, if you are organised and fully committed, you stand a good chance. The information is out there but with the Bar you tend to have to look a bit more.

Best of luck!