BPTC fees rise as Inns of Court estimate students waste £5m on the course every year – The Lawyer

Posted May 7th, 2015 in fees, inns of court, legal education, news, universities by sally

‘Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) fees have risen by 9 per cent in three years nationwide, while fees in the capital have been hiked by 12 per cent in the same period.’

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The Lawyer, 30th April 2015

Source: www.lawyer.com

“Professional Statement” could be the key to unlocking flexible routes to the Bar, says regulator – Bar Standards Board

‘Using a Professional Statement to define what a newly authorised barrister should be able to do from “day one” – the point of being issued a Full Practising Certificate – could be the key to making qualification routes to the Bar more flexible and innovative, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said.’

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Bar Standards Board, 15th April 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

The Rivlin Report – the Bar talking to itself? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted April 7th, 2015 in barristers, case management, fees, guilty pleas, legal education, news, reports, trials by sally

‘The last of the three “state of the Bar” reports, the “Criminal Justice, Advocacy and the Bar” Report by the Criminal Justice Reform Group (generally known as the Rivlin Report) was released shortly before Easter. Unlike Leveson and Jeffrey’s, the MoJ did not commit to consider this report before deciding on the future of legal aid provision. As this was a report commissioned by the Bar Council (the report itself acknowledges “we should stress that the substance of this Report, and the recommendations which accompany it, are independent and made on behalf of the Bar”), this may not have been a bad call by the MoJ.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 7th April 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Paralegals could damage solicitor ‘brand’ – survey – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Paralegals who qualify as solicitors without completing a formal training contract could damage the solicitor ‘brand’, according to a survey by Leeds Law Society.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 31st March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Keep legal executives out of the Crown Court, Rivlin report demands – Legal Futures

‘A report for the Bar Council on the future of criminal justice and advocacy has recommended that legal executives are kept out of the Crown Courts, while solicitors should only be granted rights of audience if they have undergone the same level of training as barristers.’

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Legal Futures, 31st March 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Arrange family court open days’ – judiciary – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 24th, 2015 in children, courts, family courts, legal education, news, reports, witnesses by sally

‘Family courts should have annual open days for children, a report from the judiciary recommends.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Paralegal hopes to be first solicitor admitted through ‘equivalent means’ route – Legal Futures

‘Paralegal Shaun Lawler has said he hopes to be the first solicitor admitted to the profession through the ‘equivalent means’ route rather a traditional training contract.’

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Legal Futures, 20th March 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Final Report of the Vulnerable Witnesses and Children Working Group – Judiciary of England & Wales

‘Final Report of the Vulnerable Witnesses and Children Working Group.’

Full texts

Judiciary of England and Wales, 17th March 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Should barristers have to qualify within five years? – The Guardian

Posted March 12th, 2015 in barristers, legal education, news, pupillage, time limits by sally

‘People are always bemoaning how difficult it is to get into law. It’s competitive, expensive, and for would-be barristers, there’s a five-year time limit during which to secure pupillage – the next stage of legal training.’

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The Guardian, 4th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Put barristers back in charge of pupillage, says bar training regulator – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 20th, 2015 in barristers, consultations, legal education, licensing, news, pupillage by sally

‘Chambers and employers should be put back in charge of designing the pupillage experience for aspiring barristers, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said.’

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Bar Standards Board, 20th February 2014

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Lawyers and their Regulators: What Next? – Nicholas Lavender QC, Chairman of the Bar Council

Lawyers and their Regulators: What Next? (PDF)

Nicholas Lavender QC, Chairman of the Bar Council

The Bar Council, 24th November 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Careers for the 21st century law student – The Guardian

‘Even in a profession as traditional as law, technology is powerful enough to kill and create a range of roles.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BSB to develop ‘professional statement’ – Legal Futures

Posted November 13th, 2014 in barristers, legal education, legal profession, news, professional conduct by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is to launch a “professional statement” which, like the “competence statement” being developed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), will attempt to describe the knowledge and skills barristers should possess at the point of qualification.’

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Legal Futures, 13th November 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB to “consider future” of Bar Professional Training Course – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) launched its ‘future Bar training’ programme this morning, which includes “considering the future of the Bar Professional Training Course” (BPTC).’

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Legal Futures, 31st October 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

You’ve got a law degree, but will you make a good lawyer? – The Guardian

Posted September 23rd, 2014 in legal education, news, solicitors by sally

‘It’s not just the academic side of studying law that’s important – you need to build the skills employers value.’

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The Guardian, 23rd September 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

University of Law revolutionises bar course, sets minimum 2:1 entry grade – The Lawyer

Posted September 1st, 2014 in fees, legal education, news, standards, universities by sally

‘The University of Law has unveiled plans to dramatically change its bar professional training course (BPTC) in a move to set it apart from its competitors.’

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The Lawyer, 1st September 2014

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Law careers from restorative justice, to legal ombudsman, to media – OUP Blog

‘What range of career options are out there for those attending law school? In this series of podcasts, Martin Partington talks to influential figures in the law about topics ranging from restorative justice to legal journalism.’

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OUP Blog, 19th August 2014

Source: www.blog.oup.com

Joseph Tomlinson: Ambitions and Constraints – A Report on the Second Conference on the Teaching of Public Law (2014) – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted July 4th, 2014 in legal education, news, universities by tracey

‘Following on from the success of last year’s inaugural Conference on the Teaching of Public Law at the University of Manchester, City Law School ably assumed hosting duties to allow the discussions to be advanced further. The enthusiasm that was so evident at last year’s event showed no sign of waning a year on, as interesting perspectives from contributors and stimulating discussion from attendees continued throughout the day’s four panel sessions. This post briefly summarises some of the key points that were raised by contributors and during discussions.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 2nd July 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Law graduate Rhiannon Brooker jailed over false rape claims – BBC News

Posted June 27th, 2014 in legal education, news, perverting the course of justice, rape, sentencing by tracey

‘A law graduate who falsely accused her boyfriend of rape as an excuse for failing her exams has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.’

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BBC News, 26th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Whose Magna Carta is it anyway? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Yesterday was Magna Carta Day. It is now only 364 days until the 800th anniversary of the sealing of England’s oldest charter of rights, and one of the world’s most influential legal documents.’

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UK Human Rights Blog,

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com