Category: legal education

Bar regulator announces changes to the Bar Course Aptitude Test for 2016 and 2017 – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 11th, 2016 in barristers, examinations, legal education, press releases by tracey

‘Further to the BSB’s last announcement in December 2015, the regulator has concluded its review into the role of BCAT.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 9th March 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Qualifying as a barrister ‘may cost new students up to £127,000’ – The Guardian

Posted February 23rd, 2016 in barristers, diversity, legal education, news, universities by sally

‘Students beginning university may have to spend up to £127,000 to qualify as a barrister, the new chair of the Bar Council has warned.’

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is becoming a lawyer still about ‘who you know’? – Legal Week

Posted February 18th, 2016 in law firms, legal education, legal profession, news by sally

‘Law student Jasmine Robinson discusses her experience of how the legal profession is taking steps to shake off its elitist reputation.’

Full story

Legal Week, 18th February 2016

Source: www.legalweek.com

Here come the new lawyers – CLC sets out plans for probate practitioners and technicians – Legal Futures

Posted February 17th, 2016 in codes of practice, consumer protection, conveyancing, fees, legal education, legal profession, licensing, news, probate by michael

‘Plans to create three new breeds of lawyer – probate practitioners, conveyancing technicians and probate technicians – are being published today by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).’

Full story

Legal Futures, 15 February 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The Bar regulator publishes responses to the Future Bar Training consultation – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 1st, 2016 in barristers, consultations, legal education, press releases, standards by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) published today the summary of initial responses it received to its consultation launched in the summer of 2015 on the academic, vocational and pupillage requirements to become qualified as a barrister.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 1st February 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Students call on the Bar Council to move Pupillage Gateway timetable – The Bar Council

Posted January 18th, 2016 in barristers, consultations, legal education, press releases, pupillage by tracey

‘Following calls from students and chambers, the Bar Council will be moving the Pupillage Gateway timetable starting in January 2017.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 18th January 2016

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Social background determines career prospects, say almost nine out of ten law students – Legal Week

Posted December 14th, 2015 in diversity, equality, law firms, legal education, legal profession, news, statistics by sally

‘Survey of law students finds strong feelings on influence of upbringing on career prospects, as law firms take new approaches to improve diversity’

Full story

Legal Week, 10th December 2015

Source: www.legalweek.com

Bar regulator announces important developments in the 2016 Bar Professional Training Course – Bar Standards Board

Posted December 1st, 2015 in barristers, examinations, legal education, press releases, universities by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has three announcements to make about the BPTC today. First, today the regulator is publishing statistics about students and providers of the BPTC. Second, there will be changes to the formats of the centralised assessments. Third, the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT), which is an entry requirement, will be deferred until at least March 2016, pending completion of a review.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 1st December 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Insisting on a 2:1 degree for barristers “could discriminate against BAME students” – Legal Futures

Posted October 29th, 2015 in barristers, consultations, diversity, equality, examinations, legal education, news, universities by sally

‘Insisting on an upper second class degree for future barristers could impose a “discriminatory burden” on BAME students, who are less likely to obtain them, a leading academic has argued in response to a Bar Standards Board (BSB) consultation that raises the possibility.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 29th October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Why can’t I return underwear? The questions all law students get asked – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2015 in legal education, news by sally

‘Regardless of how long you’ve been studying it, your friends and family will assume you’re an expert on every aspect of the law.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Employed barristers need specialist training in “persuasive advocacy” beyond the courtroom – Legal Futures

Posted September 14th, 2015 in advocacy, barristers, dispute resolution, employment, legal education, news, statistics by tracey

‘The needs of employed barristers should not be ignored and “second class citizenship” should “by now be a myth”, a former Crown prosecutor has said.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 14th September 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Exams, ethics and roleplay: government reveals more details of solicitor apprenticeship route – The Lawyer

Posted September 4th, 2015 in legal education, news, solicitors by sally

‘The government has published the new assessment plans and standards for its ‘Trailblazer’ legal apprenticeships for qualification as a legal executive, paralegal or solicitor, with oral and written tests sitting alongside workplace assessment.’

Full story

The Lawyer, 3rd September 2015

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Law books aren’t dull – they’re crammed with jaw-dropping tales – The Guardian

Posted August 21st, 2015 in judges, judgments, legal education, news, trials by sally

‘Studying law doesn’t mean burying your nose in huge dusty tomes. Case law shows how theory applies directly to real life.’
Full story

The Guardian, 21st August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Pupillage Gateway opening date change on hold: Gateway must be robust not rushed – The Bar Council

Posted August 14th, 2015 in legal education, press releases, pupillage by tracey

‘The Bar Council is to delve deeper into the impact of moving the Pupillage Gateway annual opening from April to January.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 12th August 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

ULaw to students: get half your fees back if you’re not working in ‘legal or commerce’ after nine months – The Lawyer

Posted August 5th, 2015 in fees, legal education, news, repayment, universities by sally

‘The University of Law promised to reimburse Legal Practice Course (LPC) graduates with 50 per cent of their fees if they fail to find employment within the “legal and commerce fields” after nine months of graduating.’

Full story

The Lawyer, 4th August 2015

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Where is the diversity in law recruitment? – The Guardian

Posted July 15th, 2015 in diversity, equality, judiciary, legal education, legal profession, news, statistics by tracey

‘Despite recent initiatives, the legal profession remains a bastion of white, middle-class, privately educated males. So what can be done to make it more inclusive? Harriet Swain reports on a roundtable debate.’

Full story

The Guardian, 14th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Time for law firms to go back to school, says BPP chief – Legal Futures

Posted July 14th, 2015 in law firms, legal education, news, solicitors by tracey

‘Legal apprenticeships “are going to be massive” and law firms will have to respond by recruiting A-Level students straight from school, the dean of BPP Law School has predicted.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 14th July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB criticises its training course but remains tight-lipped on future – Legal Futures

Posted July 13th, 2015 in barristers, consultations, legal education, news, standards by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has strongly criticised the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), while remaining tight-lipped as to whether it should be scrapped.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 13th July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Regulator consults on what could be the most sweeping reforms to Bar training in a generation; keen to seek views from all – Bar Standards Board

Posted July 10th, 2015 in barristers, consultations, legal education, press releases, pupillage, universities by tracey

‘Future barristers may be able to achieve their career aspirations by a number of different, more flexible pathways if some of the approaches being considered by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) are implemented.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 10th July 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Bar student who failed single module loses JR over having to retake entire BPTC – Legal Futures

Posted July 9th, 2015 in barristers, examinations, legal education, news, proportionality by sally

‘A mature Bar student has lost a judicial review against the Bar Standards Board (BSB) after a two-time failure to pass a single module on opinion writing meant he in turn failed the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) and would have to take entire course again before moving onto pupillage.’
Full story

Legal Futures, 8th July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk