UEA Bar Society - Recently Updated Pages

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suzieqc — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:58:08 CST

A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER:

Hello and welcome to UEA's Bar Society, created for UEA's aspiring Barristers!

The UEA Bar Society, part of the UEA Law Society, recognise how difficult it is to become a barrister. We aim to act as a support network and a step by step guide - whether becoming a barrister is a career you've had your heart set on since as long you can remember, or this is something you're only just considering - to make your journey that little bit easier.

The committee members are all third year UEA students who have been through a fraction of the dramas this journey entails. Here, using our past experiences as a guide, we shall endeavour to give you helpful tips to get a foot in the door in this profession and update you on what you should be doing and when, at whatever stage you're at. We also aim to get in guest speakers and provide you with opportunities to meet with the legal profession.

Please look on the left hand side for helpful information and sites. Keep checking the site, we'll be updating it frequently!

We're very new, so any suggestions and feedback on the site (good and bad) is appreciated. We just to ensure that we provide you with what you want.

Suzanne
Founding President UEA Bar Society

Bar Society Events

suzieqc — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:09:32 CDT

Any suggestions for further events, please let me know!

s. hawary@uea.ac.uk

INNER TEMPLE DINNER DANCE!
The Inner Temple Student's Association, invites you to a Dinner Dance on 4th April
at Inner Temple (http://www.innertemple.org.uk/educ/bvc/itsa.html
<http://www.innertemple.org.uk/educ/bvc/itsa.html> ).

The theme of the evening is 'Through the Ages' - celebrating 400 years since the
Charter.

The evening will begin at 6pm with a champagne reception, followed by a 3 course
dinner. We will also have fire eaters, magicians, actors, actresses, disco and much
much more!!

Dress code is Court dress from the last 400 years or black tie. If you would like to
hire a costume, but don't know where to go, let us know - we will be hiring as a
group.

Tickets cost £35 for each ticket or £330 for a table of 10 and are LIMITED, you do
not have to be a member of Inner (partners and friends welcome). The deadline for
purchasing tickets is Friday 28th March!

Tickets are available from the Education and Training Department (020 7797 8208).
Purchase them as soon as you can before places are taken!!!

TRIP TO MIDDLE, INNER AND BPP ON THE 5th!!

Hello all the lucky people who have secured a place on what will be a fantastic day!

We all meet at 9.30 at the bus stop to get on the coach to Middle Temple.

We will be having lunch at Middle Temple along side barristers and then make our way to have an exclusive tour of Inner Temple.

Following on from this we will have a private tour of Middle Temple, where you'll be able to see the Inn and ask any questions.

Finally, we will go to BPP for a group tour and presentation. Here you will you will have the opportunity to meet BPP's staff and ask any questions you may have about the BVC in general. Remember, the staff who teach the BVC are barristers, so this is a great networking opportunity. This provides a fun and interactive way to:

find out more information about the BVC.

see the quality of BPP’s facilities and resources

Then we'll get the coach at 6pm to arrive in Norwich at 9pm. Any questions, email me! s. hawary@ uea.ac.uk Suzanne x

PUPILLAGE FAIR 8th MARCH 2008

The Bar society are organising a trip to the National Pupillage Fair on the 8th March 2008. The National pupillage fair is a huge event where all the barristers chambers in the country will have some sort of presence, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to talk to barristers to see if a career at the bar is for you, or to find out what they’d like you to write on those all important OLPAS forms. A coach shall whisk us off to Lincoln’s Inn in London where we’ll leave at 6.30am from the porters lodge to arrive at 9am. We should leave London at 5pm, so it’ll give you ample opportunity to chat to barristers as well as have a little wander around London!

See you then Suz x

Extra curricular activities

loulou87 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:22:49 CDT

So as well as doing work experience like mini pupillages, its important to build up your CV in other ways as well.
A really good way is by taking part in the internal mooting competition within the law society that takes place every year.
Not only does this help you with simple things like remembering cases, and learning to articulate yourself in a clear and concise manner, but it also starts to teach you the basics of being in court. For example court room manner is extremely important, mooting helps you to develop skills like this, as well as improving your overall confidence, and above all its so much fun to take part in.
If you are lucky enough to make to the final then you will even be judged by a barrister or a judge.

This page will aim to explain what mooting is about, give examples of past mooters preparation, past mooting cases and will even give a few hints and tips on being a top mooter!!!!!

Mooting is basically arguing a case in front of a judge on a point of law. The facts are never in dispute in a moot.
You moot in a pair, one of you as lead counsel and the other as junior. You each have ten minutes in which to present your argument to the judge. You should be aware that the judge WILL ask you questions regarding your arguments.

There are two example mooting problems as attachments at the bottom of this page. Please feel free to download them and take a look.
You will see if you have looked at them that there are always two grounds for appeal. The lead counsel will take the first one and the junior will take the second.
During the early rounds you will be limited to the cases that are specified on the problem, however in the semi finals and finals you are allowed to use cases other than the ones specified. Although you have a maximum limit of 8 cases in total.
In later rounds you will also be required to provide your opponents and the judge with a bundle and a skeleton argument. A bundle is a collection of all the cases you are using in your arguments, and should always be neat and easy to navigate. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what a bundle should look like:-

As you can see from the pictures, a good bundle should be in a binder, which is in good condition, with the cases clearly labelled, and markers so that the judge can easily flick to the relevent parts of the case that you rely on in your arguments. Of course all bundles will vary slightly depending on the person, so as long as they are neat and tidy you will be fine!!
You are likely to lose marks if your bundle is not up to scratch!!!!

Next up is your argument itself. The biggest mistake a mooter can make is to come to the moot with a pre-prepared speech, and simply recite it word for word. When the judge asks you a question you will become flustered, as you have not allowed any flexibility in your arguments. Come with prepared cue cards, which contain bullet points, this will allow you to be much more flexible in your arguments.
Below are some pictures showing examples of cue cards, key phrases are ideal to put on cue cards, especially your opening and closing statements. As it wont be very impressive if you mumble your closing statement as you sit down!!!!

A skeleton argument is an outline of your submissions and all the cases you are using. It must contain all the cases you seek to rely on, it wont look good if you rely on a case which is not mentioned in your skeleton argument and bundles. There is an example of a skelton argument as an attachment at the bottom of the page.

Top tips for mooting

Make sure you are smartly dressed. WEAR A SUIT!!!! and girls make sure hair is neat and away from the face!!!
If you make it to later rounds, ensure your bundle is neatly put together, and easy to navigate
DO NOT read a prepared speech!!!
Skeleton arguments have to be sent to the judge prior to the moot, usually 24hrs. Make sure it is not late!! You WILL lose marks if it is.
Make sure you include all authorities on which you wish to rely on. The judge wont be impressed if you quote from a case that you then haven't provided!!
Finally and probably most importantly ENJOY YOURSELF!!! mooting takes a lot of preparation, but is a lot of fun to take part in!!

Mooting isn't the only extra curricular activity that you can do, however. Its advisable to have other extra curricular activites, volunteering for example is a great way of building up your CV. There are a mountain of volunteering opportunities both law and non-law related. Both are equally good. Below are a few examples of the types of volunteer work you can do.

mentoring schemes, eg with norfolk probation service.
street law
appropriate adult schemes
FRU - free representaation unit
being a fundraiser for charities
helping out in local charity shops
and many many more

Not only does this look great on your CV but at the same time you could really be helping to change someones life, which is a reward in itself.

Another great activity to get involved in is negotiating, although more tailored for if you want to become a solicitor, it is still a great thing to have on your CV!!!! Its great to improve your communication and bargaining skills, and is also good fun too!!!!!

Finally, getting involved in clubs and societies is another great extracurricular activity. As well as being great fun and rewarding at the same time, it shows that you are willing to put in time effort and to commit yourself, qualities which are needed if you want to become a barrister or a solicitor.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

loulou87 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:14:34 CDT

Ok, so this page is basically for you to have a look at, for any questions you need answering.
Remember if you have a question and it hasn't been answered yet, then email me at l.kneller@uea.ac.uk

I have heard that it costs £100 to join an inn of court. Is this true?
It does cost to join an inn of court. The actual cost however is £85. Although this may go up a bit by the time you come to joining an inn of court.

Everyone knows the route to becoming a solicitor, but the route to becoming a barrister seems very confusing and not as well known. What are the key steps? Why do we have to join an inn of court?
Firstly, if you do not join an inn of court you cannot be called to the bar, and as such would not be able to practice as a barrister. As for the route to becoming a barrister the navigation bar on the left has a page titled timetable, this outlines what needs to be done and when. However i shall give a very brief list of the things that you need to do:

join an inn of court
Apply and be accepted on the bvc course
Apply and be accepted for pupillage
apply for tenancy

This is a very basic outline. For a more indepth explanation please feel free to look on the pages in the navigation window.

Ive been told i can get scholorships from the inns of court to help me fund my bvc, How much are these?
Yes you can apply for scholorships from the inns of court. However you can only apply for scholarship from the inn of court that you have decided to join.
The scholorships vary at each inn. The best way to find out what each inn offers would be to consult the websites of each inn. They will detail how many scholorships they offer and how much the scholorships are worth.
I will post the website links of the four inns, shortly so you can have a look at them.

ALTERNATIVE WORK EXPERIENCE

matt207 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:24:56 CST

I thought that something that would be useful was to explore what can be done for work experience for the Bar other than mini pupillages, which everyone who is half serious will have done, and is now seen as more or less a given for OLPAS applications and CV's. I will add to this page in the future, and will concentrate on work experience that I have completed to give a bit of an insider view.

Outdoor Clerking:
This might be something that you have heard of but don't really know what it is. Instead of sending a qualified solicitor, or fee earner as they are known, it is more cost efficient and economical to send a clerk to run a file at court so the solicitor can get on with some more billable work.

Outdoor clerking is extremely useful work experience, in my opinion, because:

1) You get to meet Barristers every day, thus increasing opportunities to network;

2) You are actually involved in real cases, doing real legal work;

3) And possibly most important of all it is paid.

The best way to go about securing a place as a clerk is to Google "outdoor clerking in (insert area)", or to send in a letter and CV to local firms that deal with criminal law, as they tend to have the most work. I was lucky enough to find a company which were advertising on the net so that made it a lot easier.

The main duties of a clerk are to take the file to court, provide the barrister with any documents they require, take notes in conferences with the clients (some of which may be in the cells), and take a note of the proceedings in court (which can be quite difficult if you are trying to get down everything said during the examination of a witness).

The work is freelance so you tend to not know if you are working from week to week, sometimes it can be the afternoon before. In the beginning you will probably be asked to attend mentions, PCMH's, and bail applications. When you have proved you can handle these smaller jobs you will be asked to clerk for trials, which for me personally included crimes such as Rape, ABH and GBH, possession with intent to supply, and sexual assault. As well as the other benefits, it also gives you a really good idea of the work a criminal barrister takes on, and shows you everything that you learnt in English Legal Process in action.

Finally, lets get down to brass tacks. I currently earn £25 for a half day, and £45 for a full day. Although it is not the most fantastically well paid of jobs, the experience it provides far outweighs the fact that it doesn't pay too well.

I hope that this has helped you get a better idea of what clerking is all about, as well as thinking a bit further than just mini pupillages.

PUPILLAGE

suzieqc — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 08:16:46 CST

Pupillage
A pupillage is typically 12 months long and split in to 2 sixths. The first sixth you will shadow a barrister of at least 10 years of call. The second sixth, you will undertake your own work! Then at the end of it, you find out whether you have tenancy or not. Tenancy is when you are a fully fledged member of chambers. Pupillage is 12 months where the barristers can assess whether you are suitable enough to get your name on the door, and likewise where you can work out whether you can envisage working there for the rest of your life.

How do I apply?
One applies for pupillage via OLPAS (an online form), or non-OLPAS. http://www.pupillages.co.uk provide useful information on who is offering a pupillage that year and the mode of application.

OLPAS.
You thought you left forms behind when you went to uni and did your UCAS applications. I’m afraid that’s not the case. OLPAS is like UCAS, but with a very short word count. I’m talking 200 per question. ... and you thought fitting your personal statement on one page was bad! Also, the chances of getting a pupillage via OLPAS are very slim- way way slimmer than getting on to a law degree course. OLPAS is an electronic form you can fill in online. OLPAS has two seasons, a summer season and an autumn season. Each time you can apply to 12 sets of chambers. Choose very carefully. People usually apply during their BVC year, though you can apply to some chambers a year earlier or up to 5 years after your law degree. The choice is yours. No doubt you already know this, but, it’s going to be said anyway: make sure that you have no spelling mistakes. Make sure your syntax is correct. Barristers are pedantic about spelling and sentence construction. It does not bode well if you mix up practise with practice.
Non OLPAS
There are some chambers that have not signed up to OLPAS and you apply directly to them via their own application procedure. Same advice applies- ensure you spell everything correctly and ensure you construct your sentences well. Also, you may even have to hand write things. If you do, make sure that your hand writing is neat. I know this advice seems obvious, but so many applications get discarded just because someone has misspelt words. Please don’t be one of them.

Useful links:
http://pupillageandhowtogetit.blogspot.com/ - does exactly what it says on the tin.
http://www.babybarista.com - fantastic fictional blog that tells you about some dramas you may encounter as a pupil and a tenant.
http://dbweb.liv.ac.uk/cll/upload/Pupillage_Interviews_What_To_Expect.pdf
to prepare you for your pupillage interview

Help from the Uni

suzieqc — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 06:08:17 CST

Having Trouble with Applications?
Application Checking Service - Careers Centre

Need help or advice on your Mini Pupillage and Pupillage Applications?

Come along on Tuesday lunchtimes 12:00 - 14:00 where the careers centre is
offering an 'application checking service'. Sessions will start in the
Common Room, please feel free to turn up.

Undergoing that dreaded task of CV writing?

Check out some helpful advice at http://www.uea.ac.uk/careers/occupations/law/cvs.shtml

THE BVC

suzieqc — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:16:33 CST

So you've either completed the CPE or your law degree and you've decided you want to be a barrister. What's next? Well, you'll be required to do the BVC...

What is the BVC?
The BVC is shorthand for the Bar Vocational Course. It can be completed either part- time (in 2 years) or full time (in 1 year), at any of the BVC course providers. The BVC prepares you practically for your chosen career, where you learn the art of advocacy, negotiation, cross examination amongst many skills. One must complete this before going on to pupillage.

How do I apply?
To do the BVC, you must first apply via http://www.bvconline.co.uk. Applications generally open in November and close very early January. You'll need to pay a £40 registration fee to apply.

Here you must select your BVC course providers in order of preference, detailing why you wish to study at that institution.

Following on from this, you must then provide educational information as well as supporting evidence as to why you would succeed as a barrister.
To do this, you should go through extra- curricular work and paid work to demonstrate relevant transferable skills. They don't expect you to have climbed Mount Everest to show perseverance and stamina (though if you have fantastic), but having a part-time job in Tesco's shows great time management and potentially inter-personal skills, which are two important assets!

The Costs. The costs of this course are ridiculous. They are around £10,000- £13,000. Think very carefully before you embark on the BVC if you do not have a pupillage lined up or a very wealthy parent or a scholarship. Pupillage success is low and the cost of this course it high. Ultimately, this is a decision you'll have to make yourself. The following website gives brilliant advice on funding the BVC http://www.tsg.org/scholarships.html.

LLM? There are now opportunities to do an LLM alongside the BVC at some institutions for more money and more work. Consider whether this is something you'd like to do.

What BVC Course Provider?
There are eight BVC providers to choose from. But which one? This, of course, depends on you. Think about where you will be happiest. If you don't think London's for you, steer clear of the London ones. Likewise, if you're desperate to do pro-bono work, look for one that has a pro-bono centre or strong links with FRU. Do as much research as you can on it before you choose. Ultimately, you will be spending at least one year there, so it's important you make the right decision.

Full-time
BPP (London): www.bpp.com
Cardiff Law School: www.cf.ac.uk
College of Law (London): www.college-of-law.co.uk
Inns of Court School of Law (London): www.city.ac.uk/icsl
University of Northumbria in Newcastle: www.northumbria.ac.uk
Manchester Metropolitan University: www.did.stu.mmu.ac.uk/depts/law/bvc/Home.htm
Nottingham Law School: www.nls.ntu.ac.uk/Postgrad/BVC/BVC.htm
University of West England (Bristol): www.studylaw.co.uk/bvc
Part-time
BPP: www.bpp.com
Inns of Court School of Law: www.city.ac.uk

TIMETABLE

suzieqc — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:33:29 CST

Applications to BVC On-line (www.bvconline.co.uk)

First round opens November 5
First round closes January 9
First round offers posted March 3
Deadline for acceptance of first round offers March 31
Pool opens April 4
Pool closes to new applicants July 16

Joining an Inn of Court

Do so by May 31

Inns of Court Scholarships & Awards

Deadline November 2 in the academic year prior to doing the BVC

OLPAS applications for Pupillage

Autumn season: opens late August, closes late September
Summer season: opens early March, closes late April or early May (dates TBC)

NB. Non-OLPAS applications for Pupillage- closing dates will differ depending on the individual set of chambers.

THE INNS OF COURT

suzieqc — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:32:03 CST

There are four Inns of Court. It is mandatory to be a member of one of the Inns to become a barrister. The Inns provide advocacy training, pupillage help, and links with the legal profession.

The Inns
The Inns are as follows:

Inner Temple,
Lincoln's Inn,
Grey's Inn,
Middle Temple.

They are all very similar and provide pretty much the same function, but all have their little quirks, so you should look around before you make a decision.

Joining an Inn
To join an Inn, you must complete a form and get references to support that you have the requisite qualities to become a barrister. You must also pay £85.

The Qualifying Sessions
At every Inn there are qualifying sessions. Before you are called to the bar, you must complete 12 qualifying sessions. These can take the form of anything from lectures, dining sessions (which are always good banter) and advocacy weekends.

Scholarships
Each Inn has a scholarship scheme for the BVC and CPE year. It's worth checking out the details of each so you can assess the likelihood of you getting a scholarship from the inn.

USEFUL LINKS:
www.graysinn.org.uk
www.lincolnsinn.org.uk
www.innertemple.org.uk
www.middletemple.org.uk

How do I become a barrister?

suzieqc — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:31:39 CST

There are many different stages one has to go through to become a barrister. I've tried to outline (as accurately as possible) the hurdles you have to jump over to get there. Look on the "Navigation" window on the left hand side to find out information. Please let me know what you think of this and what you think needs clarifying or amending.

Any questions, feel free to email me.

Suzanne El Hawary

s.hawary@uea.ac.uk

Mini Pupillage

suzieqc — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:16:47 CST

Mini Pupillages are a fantastic opportunity to get a feel of how it is like to be a barrister. Mini pupillages can last from 2 days to 2 weeks, where your time is spent shadowing a barrister whether it be to court or to a conference, or just watching them do paperwork. Here you're likely to experience your first 'floating case' (where your case isn't listed and you're waiting around for a long time), difficult clients and poorly constructed bundles. Having said that, you're also likely to experience some fantastic advocacy work and help a barrister find an important obscure case while he/ she is researching.
There are times when you may have to make tea, for mini pupillages are not all glamour, but you learn a lot.

How do you apply?
Many sets have application forms now. Others merely require a CV and covering letter. Find out which is preferred. Then make every effort to let them know why you chose them to apply to over other chambers.

To do/ not to do.
Talk only when spoken to.
Do not ever give your opinion in a conference/ court. It will never bode well.
Take an interest in the case.
Go the extra mile to make an impression.
Smile and enjoy yourself.