Qualifying as a barrister
All Leicester LLB programmes contain the foundations of legal knowledge, as specified by the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales for the academic component. This means you can progress to the vocational component of bar training after completing any LLB degree at Leicester. This is because they all meet the requirements of the academic component in the Bar Standards Board Qualification Manual and include the seven foundations of legal knowledge comprising:
- Criminal Law
- Equity and Trusts
- Law of the European Union
- Obligations 1 (Contract Law)
- Obligations 2 (Tort)
- Property/Land Law
- Public Law (Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Human Rights Law)
As with all courses which fulfil the requirements of the academic component, you must pass the modules which cover the foundations of legal knowledge to a minimum standard described in the manual. Generally speaking, this means that you must achieve a mark of at least 40% in each of the modules which cover the foundations of legal knowledge.
You can practice skills of argument and presentation relevant to your future professional life as a barrister in your tutorials and in the moot court room. Mooting competitions are regular events at Leicester Law School, where you will pit your wits against an opponent to try to win your case, whether that is an appeal or in trial advocacy. You can compete against colleagues and students at other universities or at an international level. Are you a future International Vis Moot competitor or the next Mistress or Master of the Moots? Try your hand at advocacy in speed mooting with mentoring from experienced students, judges and professionals, right from the start of your degree.
You need to begin the vocational component (often called the 'bar course') within 5 years of finishing your degree. Leicester Law School partners with leading providers of this training, including the University of Law and BPP to help you prepare for the application process to join their courses. These courses are given different names by different providers and are often called the Bar Practice Course, the Barrister Training Course or the Bar Professional Training Course. Contact us on law@le.ac.uk to find out more about scholarship schemes currently available to University of Leicester students who progress to study their professional stage at the University of Law and BPP.
