MEMBER'S GUIDE
Durham University Bar Society serves to support and inspire students towards a career at the Bar. ​​
Click the icons below to access Student Material.
Routes to the Bar
This article briefly explains the different routes to becoming a barrister through the academic, vocational, and work-based/pupillage stages involved.
Mock Trial Handbook
Find the latest edition of the DUBS Handbook and Guide to Mock Trials!
What are the Inns of Court?
This article provides breakdown on the different Inns of Court and their role at the Bar.
How to improve oral advocacy
Some advice on how to better present your during your next Moot or Mock Trial
Top Tips
Some top tips on how to prepare for a career at the Bar whilst at University!
Route to the Bar
A career at the Bar, representing individuals or organisations within a court, is an incredibly exciting and fulfilling career. This said, it requires more than just your undergraduate degree.
​
This article briefly explains the different routes to becoming a barrister through the academic, vocational, and work-based/pupillage stages involved.
​
The Academic Stage
​
Although having an undergraduate law degree is helpful for a career at the Bar, it is not a requirement. Individuals who have completed non-law undergraduate degrees can still pursue a career at the Bar after completing a Law Conversion Course. This is called a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) which you can read more about here:
​
-
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/law-sector/law-conversion-courses
-
https://www.thelawyerportal.com/study-law/gdl/gdl-course-comparison-table/
Every GDL or law undergraduate degree must include the seven foundations of legal knowledge and skills associated with graduate legal work. These are listed below.
​
-
Contract
-
Tort
-
European Union Law
-
Land
-
Criminal
-
Public
-
Equity and Trusts
Regardless of undergraduate degree, you must achieve a 2:2 classification (at minimum) in all of these modules before progressing to the vocational stage.
The Vocational Stage
​
Before you begin your vocational training, you must have joined an Inn of Court. There are four different Inns, listed below, and your membership to your chosen Inn is for life.
​
-
Gray’s Inn
-
Lincoln’s Inn
-
Middle Temple
-
Inner Temple
​
To understand the relevance and importance of Inns, and how they differ, please click here.
​
After joining an Inn, one must pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) before beginning their vocational Bar training course. This vocational course teaches you the specialist skills and knowledge of procedure and evidence needed to become a Barrister. It is also supplemented by twelve qualifying sessions put on by the Inns of Court that students must complete. You can read more about these here:
​
​
The vocational stage does not look the same for everyone, as there are numerous ways to complete it. These include;
​
-
A one-part course. This can be either full-time over a year, or part-time over a longer period of time.
-
An integrated course as part of an academic qualification, e.g. LLM.
-
A two-part course. This could have a hybrid nature of both face-to-face teaching and self-study.
-
A longer course that combines the vocational aspect with an undergraduate law degree (these are provided by limited universities).
-
​
Regardless of how the vocational stage is completed, it must be passed. After passing you will be ‘Called to the Bar’ by your Inn of Court which enables you to begin the work-based stage of qualifying.
Pupillage ​
​
To be able to practice as a Barrister one must complete a pupillage. This is work-based training under the supervision of a barrister and is very competitive. Most pupillage placements are advertised on the Pupillage Gateway: https://www.pupillagegateway.com/
​
When applying for Pupillage most Chambers look for similar characteristics. These include:
​
-
Passion for a career at the Bar
-
Oral and written advocacy experience. You can read more about this here: (insert link to the other article I’m going to do)
-
Time-management
-
Work experience – especially mini-pupillages
-
Analytical ability
-
Commitment to hard work
You can read more about applying for pupillage and the formats of pupillage by following the links below:
​
The academic, vocational, and work-based stages of becoming a Barrister are notoriously tough. This said, with enough drive and passion, a career at the Bar is an incredibly respected and successful career and one worth committing to. ​
Mock Trial Handbook
The Inns of Courts
​
What are the Inns of Courts? ​
​
The Inns of Court are often described as ‘professional associations’ which are of importance throughout your entire career at the Bar. They must be joined prior to beginning the vocational stage of training to be a barrister as they play a significant role in the education and oversight of training barristers, as well as the funding! Once qualified, the Inns remain a place of support and community.
​
All barristers must be a member of one of the following Inns of Court:
-
Gray’s Inn
-
Lincoln’s Inn
-
Inner Temple
-
Middle Temple
Although all Inns are similar in their location, funding, and community, they do have subtle differences. It is these differences that should be considered to best determine which Inn is the best fit for you.
Scholarships​
​
One of the main areas of difference that students like to consider is the financial support available from each Inn. Each Inn awards financial support for the following:
​
-
GDL
-
Vocational stage / Bar Course
-
Pupillage
-
Assistance if disabled
-
Assistance for work experience opportunities
-
Essay prizes
-
Mooting prizes
This said, the financial sum each Inn awards to successful applicants for specific scholarships is an area of difference. The best way to see these differences is to look through each Inns scholarship page on their websites, which can be found by clicking on the buttons below: ​
Other Differences​
​
It is important to recognise that although there are marginal differences between the Inns, there is no hierarchy for they all provide very similar services and have all existed for a similar period of time. Given individuals’ preference over which Inn is best suited to them is completely subjective, it is best for you to have a look around the Inns, or even just their websites, to determine which Inn you would like to join.
​
Things to consider when doing this could include:
​
-
Funding and scholarships (as mentioned above)
-
Size
-
Tradition (dining, etc)
-
Charitable activity and outreach
-
Internal competitions (mooting, essay writing etc)
-
Notable members
Improving Oral Advocacy
When reading about key skills required for a career at the Bar, the performance skill of advocacy is guaranteed to be mentioned. The question is, what does it mean?
​
Advocacy can be either written or oral, and although both are important, the ability to advocate orally is fundamental for a career at the Bar. Thus, oral advocacy, the skill of speaking in a persuasive manner in favour of a particular cause, whether that being to support, defend, or plead on behalf of others, is an important skill.
​
Ways to get involved:
​
There are numerous ways to improve your advocacy, whether it be holding a position in a debate with friends or competing in legal competitions. Outlined below are a few easy ways to get involved with oral advocacy whilst at university!
​
​
DEBATING
Debating in any format is a great way to build the key skills required for oral advocacy. The reasons for this are threefold:
​
-
Debating enables you to build your confidence with speaking in public.
​
-
Debating gives you the opportunity to experiment with tone, pace, and emphasis.
​
-
Debating requires a well thought out argument that can be supported by fact and strongly defended (important as strong and well formulated arguments are fundamental for a successful career at the Bar).
Debating can take place in numerous formats, whether it’s around the dinner table with friends, at the Discussion and Debate Society (DADS), or in a more formal setting such as the Debate Society or Durham Union.
​
​
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Public speaking is another great way to practice and perfect oral advocacy. Although public speaking is more structured, as you often know what you are going to say prior to speaking, it shares many of the benefits of debating, listed above. Public speaking societies can additionally provide a supportive space to practice, tone, pace, and emphasis, and are thus a great place to begin your oral advocacy journey.
​
​
MOOTING
The most substantial means of improving your legal oral advocacy is through mooting. Although mooting shares common elements of public speaking and debating, it tailors these skills to the legal setting.
Most moots have the same format:
-
a problem scenario;
-
an area of law (often unsettled or of recent development);
-
a judge;
-
a prosecution counsel (usually a team of two);
-
and a defence counsel (also a team of two).
The idea of a moot is to parallel a court hearing. It requires those involved to analyse the problem or scenario, research the current status of the law, produce written submissions in the format of a bundle, and give an oral argument.
​
Like public speaking and debating, mooting requires confident advocates who can think on their feet and respond to the opposition. Moots additionally enable individuals to engage with difficult areas of law and practice their written advocacy alongside their oral advocacy.
​
​
MOCK TRIALS
Mock Trials are another way to perfect your legal advocacy, especially for those interested in a career at the Bar. These competitions stimulate real life criminal trials, usually within the Crown Court, and thus has the additional benefit of teaching individuals court procedures. Most mock trials consist of the following;
-
a case bundle;
-
a judge;
-
a prosecution counsel;
-
a defence counsel;
-
a jury.
Durham University Bar Society holds numerous Mock Trial competitions throughout the year and are well worth getting involved in to improve oral advocacy.
​​
DRAMA
For a less intense means of practicing advocacy, drama societies are great! Having the opportunity to act, dance, and sing, in front of complete strangers helps to build the confidence and strong court presence needed for a career at the Bar. Most colleges have their own drama society, as well as their existing numerous university wide ones.​​​
Top Tips
​
A career at the Bar is incredibly prestigious and fulfilling. This said, it is a long, competitive, and expensive journey and one that individuals must thoroughly prepare for. Although nobody’s success at the Bar is comparable, and the route itself is not often linear, below are some top tips on how to prepare for a career at the Bar whilst at University.
​
Have a long-term strategy
The process of becoming a barrister is a long one, and thus one that benefits from a long-term strategy. One of the best ways to do this is by starting with your endpoint. What is it you want to achieve? What area of law? Which part of the country? Which chambers? From the answers to these questions work your way backward. What will you need to have achieved to apply for a Pupillage? Any work experience required? Mini- pupillage? A certain degree qualification? By thinking like this, step-by-step, you can quickly formulate your own long-term strategy and henceforth help plan the trajectory of your career.
​
Keep your options open
As mentioned above, although you can satisfactorily plan for the next steps of your career, nothing is guaranteed and no two people’s journey to the bar looks the same. It is important to approach a career at the Bar with an open mind. Although it can be helpful to have an idea of which area of practice you wish to specialise in, or which Chambers to be at, don’t let that keep you from having an open mind. Sometimes wonderful opportunities will come your way that would be foolish to decline, even if they don’t entirely line up with what you had planned!
Get involved
Getting involved in as much as you can at university, tailoring the skills required to be a barrister, is of utmost importance. Although this is not exclusive to oral advocacy practice, which you can read more about here (insert link), getting involved in some type of advocacy whilst at university is always helpful! The importance of involvement also extends to events held by the law faculty and societies at University. Attending talks, events, and dinners can help you gain invaluable insight into careers and opportunities.
Do your research
As stated above, there is not a particularly linear pathway to becoming a barrister. Thus, it is important to do your research into all the options and opportunities available to you at all stages of your journey.
Work experience
Work experience is of paramount importance in the legal industry. For a career at the Bar the most important experiences are mini-pupillages. These are usually three or five days of shadowing a barrister in chambers. To find out more about what a mini-pupillage is and how to apply see attached the links below:
– https://www.thelawyerportal.com/study-law/law-work-experience/mini-pupillage/
– https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/the-bar/mini-pupillages
– https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/career-path-guides/commercial-law/what-mini-pupillage/
Other forms of work experience, such as volunteering, or even experiences working with solicitors in different law firms, are also beneficial.
​
Practice your communication
Communication of all kinds is important as a barrister, whether it be with clients, judges, or other barristers. Practice your communication skills by getting involved in oral advocacy (link here), volunteering on legal call lines such as with Citizens Advice, or by striking up conversations with different groups of people!
Connections
Although the legal sector is shifting away from ‘who you know’ being fundamental for success, building strong connections with people working within the profession remains important. This is because individuals who are already practicing at the Bar can provide insight into what life is like when practicing as a barrister, and very often offer to help and support you through stages of your progression. Going to university events, talks, and dinners helps you to build these connections, as does completing different work experience placements.