pupillage

This year’s Young Bar Conference was as popular as ever. Alexander Learmonth rounds up the highlights.  

The Young Bar Conference is the highlight of the Young Barristers’ Committee’s  calendar and so it is fantastic that it remains so popular among barristers – and pupils – up to ten years’ Call. Thanks to the support of Circuits, many of which funded delegates’ costs, more than 200 barristers, pupils and Bar Vocational Course students attended the 2009 conference – held on Saturday, 3 October at London’s Hotel Russell – from all corners of the country: Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Cardiff and Bristol. And given sponsorship from commercial sponsors and several Specialist Bar Associations, delegates enjoyed 5 hours of accredited CPD, coffee, lunch and tea – all for £40. 

A period of pupillage is not valid unless and until it has been registered with the Bar Standards Board. All pupils will receive confirmation of registration by email. Anyone who has commenced a period of pupillage without registering it should contact Rachel Reeves at the Bar Standards Board, as a matter of urgency. 

Compulsory pupillage courses 

All registered pupils will have been sent information about the compulsory pupillage courses – the pupillage advocacy course, the practice management course and the forensic accountancy course. Those undertaking pupillage in London should undertake the pupillage advocacy course and practice management course run by their Inn. Those on Circuit should attend the courses run by their Circuit. The pupillage advocacy course must be completed as part of the non-practising period of pupillage. This means that a pupil who has not yet satisfactorily completed the pupillage advocacy course will not be issued with a provisional qualification certificate and so will not be eligible to commence the practising period of pupillage until the course has been completed. 

Members of the Bar Standards Board Pupillage Working Group held an open discussion with pupils on 13 July at Lincoln’s Inn, which focused on pupils’ experiences of Pupillage. Although few pupils were able to be present, a good discussion was held with those who attended the drinks reception and with those who stayed for the formal discussion. 

The BSB review of Pupillage continues and we are still keen for pupils to share their experiences by contributing to the private forum, which every pupil was sent a link and password to in March. For more information about the Pupillage forum, please email Kofi Kramo at: kkramo@barstandardsboard.org.uk 

How can BVC students maximise their chances of obtaining a pupillage? Yvonne Kramo believes a traineeship with the European Parliament will help her achieve her goal 

Regulations and a “lack of understanding” have led to a shortage of pupillages at the employed Bar. 

Tim Kevan
Bloomsbury, August 2009
£11.99 (Paperback) 

EACH year, fifteen Chinese lawyers participate in the Lord Chancellor’s Training Scheme for Young Chinese Lawyers (LCTS). The Bar Council and Law Society were delighted to formally welcome this year’s LCTS lawyers at a reception held at the Law Society last night. 

The LCTS was launched in 2001. The 15 candidates who will take part this year are highly regarded practising commercial lawyers between the ages of 25 and 40. The programme consists of an academic programme at School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and practical placements in law firms and chambers. This enables the Chinese lawyers to gain an understanding of English law and the English legal system and obtain practical experience in commercial law, litigation and court procedure as well as the management of a legal practice. 

As part of the Review of Pupillage programme, Derek Wood QC has written to all pupils inviting them to talk about their pupillage experiences at a drinks reception. 

This event will take place on Monday, 13 July, at 5:30pm in Lincoln’s Inn. 

All pupils are invited to attend – including those that have recently completed pupillage. It is hoped that Heads of Chambers will encourage pupils to participate in this discussion, and explain about their positive and negative experiences in pupillage. 

If you are a pupil who would like to attend please email Andrea Clerk:aclerk@barstandardsboard.org.uk 

David Pittaway QC outlines how Inner Temple, working in conjuncture with the National Educational Trust, is making the Bar more accessible as a career path for school children.  

The Neuberger Report marked a step-change in the thinking of the Inns of Court as to how they should address the issue of access to the profession, as well as being the providers of education to Bar Vocational Course (“BVC”) students, pupils and new practitioners. For some years the Inns have run their own programmes, in an increasingly co-ordinated way, largely focussing on universities and providing substantial merit or means-tested scholarships or bursaries to give financial assistance to students whatever their background wanting to join the profession. 

The BSB has set up a private forum, on its website, for current pupillage students to discuss their pupillage experiences. This forum will run for the length of the Pupillage Review, which is being chaired by Derek Wood QC and is seeking to improve the pupillage stage of training.
All current pupillage students were emailed a password to access the forum in March. The passwords ensure anonymity, so we hope this encourages students to participate with frank comments about their pupillage experiences. Any current pupillage student who wishes to participate but has not received a password should email Kofi Kramo, BSB Communications Officer, at: kkramo@barstandardsboard.org.uk