Oxford

GETTING IN AND
ENTRY POINTS
The first step to qualification as
a barrister is to pass a Qualifying
Law Degree (such as the BA in
Jurisprudence) or, for non-law students,
either the Graduate Diploma in Law
(GDL) or Senior Status Law Degree. The
second, vocational stage is satisfied by
passing the Bar Professional Training
Course (BPTC). Prior to getting on this
course you must also have joined one
of the four Inns of Court and passed
the Bar Course Aptitude Test. On
successful completion of the BPTC you
are ‘Called to the Bar’ by your Inn and
able to use the title of ‘barrister’, but
you may not practise as one until you
have completed your pupillage year. The
majority of pupillages are undertaken
within chambers, and are divided into
two parts (‘sixes’): the non-practising six
months, during which pupils shadow
a supervisor, followed by six months
of practice, when pupils undertake
advocacy and other legal services. On
completion, a barrister can either apply
for a permanent position as a tenant
within chambers, or seek a role at the
employed Bar or elsewhere. At every
stage of qualification, competition for
places is intense. Approximately one in
five students who apply for the BPTC
will successfully complete through
to pupillage. Careful assessment of
your skills, motivations and academic
credentials, combined with detailed
research on the role, will help you to
decide whether this is the right option
for you. Many chambers offer a few days
of work shadowing, in the form of a
mini-pupillage, which can be extremely
valuable.
OTHER OPTIONS IN LAW
Many law students decide not to go on
to take the professional qualifications
to become a solicitor or a barrister, but
are still keen to utilise their degree and
do so through different sorts of legally
related work that is available in all
kinds of organisations. If, for example,
you are interested in compliance or
corporate governance, one option
is to become a company secretary.
Secretaries are responsible for ensuring
that a company (or organisation)
complies with standard financial and
legal practice, so must have a thorough
understanding of the laws that affect
their work. A common route to this
is through several years of business
administration experience with the
option of taking the professional exams
offered by the Institute of Chartered
Secretaries and Administrators. If
working with individuals or causes is
more suited to you, there are options
working as campaigners, policy writers
or case workers within the third sector,
NGOs and government organisations
working in areas such as immigration,
housing, and many other social welfare
and human rights related areas.
Perhaps life in academia has caught
your attention? If it has, there will be
options for you, with the addition of
further study, to work in teaching and
research within higher education or
other legal education providers or
research institutes. These are just some
of the possible options. There are many
others, such as legal clerks, paralegals,
legal executives, legal publishers,
trade mark attorneys, notaries, licensed
conveyancers and more.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
IDEAS
+ + Join relevant student societies,
such as the Oxford Law Society,
the Bar Society, or Oxford Lawyers
Without Borders which run useful
skill sessions, dinners and other
social events with law firms and
chambers that visit Oxford.
+ + Get involved with mooting
competitions if a law student, or
join a debating society if a non-law
student.
+ + Volunteer with a not-for-profit
organisation that helps individuals,
such as the Citizens Advice Bureau
or Asylum Welcome.
+ + If you are a law student, put your
skills to use with the Oxford Legal
Assistance or Pro Bono Publico
programmes – both run by the Law
Faculty.
+ + Prove your commercial awareness.
All law firms are businesses and
most have businesses as clients.
Get involved in The Student
Consultancy (p.29) or find another
way of proving your commercial
skills.
+ + Sign up for Insight into Business,
a certificated development
programme offered by The Careers
Service that aims to improve your
business acumen and commercial
awareness.
MORE INFORMATION
If you want to find out more about this
sector, visit:
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/BARISTER
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/solicitors
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/INTERNATIONAL_LAW
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