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In the wake of pupillage decision day yesterday, I thought I would share my lesser-known route to the Criminal Bar, in case others wished to know more about it. It isn’t for everyone, it may not work, but it is another way in.
I was a criminal defence solicitor first.
I was a criminal defence solicitor first.
I had a pretty ordinary degree from a fantastic uni, the bottom had fallen out of legal aid so many chambers had shut up shop & stopped taking criminal pupils when I graduated all those years ago. I decided I had a better chance of becoming a Solicitor & swapped from BPTC to LPC.
I did the LPC & then a training contract (now SQE). As a BPTC grad you can undertake parts of the LPC. You will be exempt from the main parts of it but still need to do some of the course. If you are a paralegal, your firm may pay.
Info here, see Annex A: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/admission-solicitor/
Info here, see Annex A: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/admission-solicitor/
Then you can undertake the SQE & qualify as a Solicitor. Trainee Solicitors have to pass the Professional Skills Course. This has electives. As a bolt on, you can sit Higher Rights in criminal, civil or both. The firm pays, usually under a minimum term agreement in your contract.
I did mine with Kaplan Altior, now called Altior. Info here:
https://altior.co.uk/course/professional-skills-course/
https://altior.co.uk/course/professional-skills-course/
This meant that I had my higher rights and could accept instructions at all levels from the first day I qualified as a Solicitor and had a valid Practising Certificate.
Then your advocacy begins and you are on your feet. My advice is that you should start in the Mags and only
Then your advocacy begins and you are on your feet. My advice is that you should start in the Mags and only
watch more experienced advocates & barristers on your firm’s crown court cases for a bit (do this during your TC too!). Then, with the close supervision of a very experienced advocate, progress to simple crown court hearings and work your way up to appeals, then jury trials.
If you are trained properly (my enduring thanks go to @lancscrimbrief, who was my faux ‘pupil supervisor’/supervising Barrister) then you will impress barristers at the crown court.
Or at the very least, not make an epic tit of yourself and burn potential bridges.
Or at the very least, not make an epic tit of yourself and burn potential bridges.
If you impress other barristers at the crown court, you are likely to find that you are invited to join their chambers. Or you can gently ask around to see if they might want you.
But you are a Solicitor, so you can’t actually join them without transferring to the Bar.
But you are a Solicitor, so you can’t actually join them without transferring to the Bar.
[Sidenote: I personally wouldn’t recommend transferring to the Bar unless you know you definitely have a chambers to go to. It’s an expensive process for a junior solicitor so unless your firm is going to fund it, you may be wasting your money.]
How do you transfer to the Bar? It’s a simple process, and if you have some crown court trials under your belt, references will be easy to obtain from Judges and other Barristers.
It took me about 3 months tops.
Full info here: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/training-qualification/becoming-a-barrister/transferring-lawyers.html
It took me about 3 months tops.
Full info here: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/training-qualification/becoming-a-barrister/transferring-lawyers.html
You need to obtain a Certificate of Good Standing, (there are charges for all of this) and apply for any exemptions needed. From memory in total it costs about £700, maybe more.
Then you need to buy all the gear you’ll need to go it alone.
Then you need to buy all the gear you’ll need to go it alone.
You won’t need to apply to an Inn and be Called as a Solicitor who did the LPC would, because you did that already.
If you are experienced enough as an advocate the BSB will exempt you from pupillage. Many chambers will decide you still need a short pupillage anyway (3 months is normal) or give you a mentor, or place you on probation. You may prefer this as you gain access to new areas of law.
Once in chambers, the clerks will explain how you purchase insurance and clerks and other barristers will guide you through managing your taxable income, advise you upon which accountants to use, the Data Protection fees, etc.
Everyone at the bar was wonderful when I joined and my friends gave me the best advice. It is a very welcoming profession.
Now my route isn’t for everyone, and you may find that once you transfer and become a Solicitor, you would prefer to stay a Solicitor as you have found something that really interests you and is more fulfilling. You may fall in love with it (it’s also more stable and structured).
For non-criminal or very junior Solicitor transferees without higher rights: you are less likely to have the required advocacy experience to be partially or fully pupillage exempt and you may need to take the Bar Transfer Test. https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/training-qualification/becoming-a-barrister/transferring-lawyers/bar-transfer-test-handbook.html
If you have any questions I am happy to answer them, I may be a little delayed as I don’t have my phone with me all day, but I will try to reply to everyone (and my followers who took this route may also jump in).
