Legal Personnel – Barristers
• About 12,700 self- employed barristers and 3000 employed by organisations in
England and Wales.
• They’re referred to as “the Bar”.
• Controlled by their own professional body: the General Council of the Bar.
• All barristers need to be a member of one of the four Inns of Court: Lincoln’s Inn,
Inner Temple, Middle Temple, and Gray’s Inn.
Qualifications and training
o Normally to enter the Bar n individual will need a degree in law.
o Those who don’t have a degree in law will need to take the Graduate Diploma in
Law.
o All barristers need to have passed the Bar Professional Training Course.
o On this course students study: case preparation, opinion writing and legal research,
drafting legal documents, conference skills, negotiation, advocacy (speaking in
court), and legal knowledge.
o Once the student has passed this course, they’re “called to the Bar”, meaning
they’re officially qualified as a barrister.
o However, they still need to complete a practical stage to their training:
Pupillage
This is ‘on the job’ training where the trainee becomes a pupil to a qualified barrister. This
can be done with the same barrister for 1 year or two different Pupil Supervisors for 6
months each. The first 6 months the trainee observes cases trails and shadows the
professional. Following this the second 6 months they are involved in simple cases. To get
into the pupillage, an application must be made to the Pupillage Gateway. These are made
about 18 months before the programme starts.
Role of Barristers
o Usually work from the Chambers.
o 15-20 barristers per chamber.
o A clerk is employed as a practice administrator (booking in cases and negotiating
fees).
o Majority concentrate on advocacy, which is presenting cases in court.
o If a barrister has practiced for at least 10 years, they can apply to the Queen’s
Counsel and if they’re appointed as a QC they will receive more complex cases and
get paid more.
o Barristers have rights of audience (the right to present a case in court of behalf of
their client).
o Those who specialise in tax and company law will rarely appear in court.
o Barristers have to draft documents, give advice and write opinions on cases.
• About 12,700 self- employed barristers and 3000 employed by organisations in
England and Wales.
• They’re referred to as “the Bar”.
• Controlled by their own professional body: the General Council of the Bar.
• All barristers need to be a member of one of the four Inns of Court: Lincoln’s Inn,
Inner Temple, Middle Temple, and Gray’s Inn.
Qualifications and training
o Normally to enter the Bar n individual will need a degree in law.
o Those who don’t have a degree in law will need to take the Graduate Diploma in
Law.
o All barristers need to have passed the Bar Professional Training Course.
o On this course students study: case preparation, opinion writing and legal research,
drafting legal documents, conference skills, negotiation, advocacy (speaking in
court), and legal knowledge.
o Once the student has passed this course, they’re “called to the Bar”, meaning
they’re officially qualified as a barrister.
o However, they still need to complete a practical stage to their training:
Pupillage
This is ‘on the job’ training where the trainee becomes a pupil to a qualified barrister. This
can be done with the same barrister for 1 year or two different Pupil Supervisors for 6
months each. The first 6 months the trainee observes cases trails and shadows the
professional. Following this the second 6 months they are involved in simple cases. To get
into the pupillage, an application must be made to the Pupillage Gateway. These are made
about 18 months before the programme starts.
Role of Barristers
o Usually work from the Chambers.
o 15-20 barristers per chamber.
o A clerk is employed as a practice administrator (booking in cases and negotiating
fees).
o Majority concentrate on advocacy, which is presenting cases in court.
o If a barrister has practiced for at least 10 years, they can apply to the Queen’s
Counsel and if they’re appointed as a QC they will receive more complex cases and
get paid more.
o Barristers have rights of audience (the right to present a case in court of behalf of
their client).
o Those who specialise in tax and company law will rarely appear in court.
o Barristers have to draft documents, give advice and write opinions on cases.
