Bar Skills Course
1 Year Part Time | September Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
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The Bar Skills Course is the second step in Northumbria’s alternative barrister training route. The Bar is a demanding profession, and our Bar Knowledge Course and Bar Skills Course give you the flexibility to break your learning down into two separate stages, while still receiving the very best possible legal training.
Building on your learning from successfully completing the Bar Knowledge Course, the Bar Skills Course focuses on giving you the opportunity to develop the skills and attributes you will need to practice at the Bar.
Through working on realistic briefs, you will develop your skills in Advocacy, Conferencing, Drafting and Opinion Writing. This invaluable, practical experience will equip you to be immediately effective in pupillage.
You will benefit from the highest quality of practice-informed teaching, taught by staff who are professionally qualified as either barristers or solicitors with strong staff-student contact and tailored feedback.
The programme makes the best use of facilities such as Northumbria’s extensive IT provision and dedicated legal practice library. Close links with the Bar and judiciary enhances networking opportunities and employment prospects.
Successfully completing both stages (120 credits) is equivalent to completion of the Bar Course and leads to a Postgraduate Diploma in Bar Vocational Training and means you will ultimately possess the attributes set out in the Professional Statement for Barristers and be eligible for Call to the Bar of England and Wales (subject to meeting the qualifying requirements of your Inn of Court.)
The Bar Knowledge Course and the Bar Skills Course ultimately prepare you for pupillage and training as a barrister, but also a highly successful career not only at the Bar, but across the legal profession, business and politics.
Our flexible suite of Bar Courses offers you the opportunity to learn in the way that suits you best, with part-time, LLM and PGDip options available.
Find out more information about applying for our Bar Courses.
Please note: The Bar Knowledge and Skills Courses, when both are taken, replace the Bar Professional Training Course, and provide an alternative BSB-regulated vocational stage of training for those who wish to become a barrister in England and Wales.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
1 year Part Time
Department
Northumbria Law School
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2021
Fees
Fee Information
Modules
Module Information
Take a look at our Law school and the opportunities available to you.
Northumbria Law School is one of the largest law schools in the UK, with a national and international reputation for excellence in legal education for those interested in studying law. Hear from our academics on why you should study at Northumbria, the facilities we offer as well how we support our students.
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The Bar Skills Course at Northumbria will be immersive, practice-focused and extremely supportive. By studying in a way that simulates professional practice, you will prepare yourself for a seamless transition from classroom to courtroom.
Building upon the knowledge modules taken on the Bar Knowledge Course, you will develop your skills through practice streams focusing on the foundational areas of practice in pupillage and the junior Bar. You will practise Advocacy, Conferencing, Drafting and Opinion Writing in realistic scenarios with the ability to access briefs entirely electronically – as in many areas of modern practice.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
At Northumbria you can expect exceptionally high standards of teaching from a practice-oriented teaching team, many of whom remain in practice at the Bar or sit as Judges.
We are enthusiastically supported by the broader Bar and Judiciary, who often deliver in-course and extra-curricular teaching as part of the Practitioner Programme – with a strong emphasis on the development of your Advocacy skills. The quality of our teaching at Northumbria has been recognised through a variety of awards and nominations. These include Law Teacher of the Year Award, the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Award and the Northern Law Awards.
The expertise of staff extends beyond professional practice. As academics, the tutors at Northumbria Law School have expertise in a range of areas, with some members recognised as national or international leaders in their field. We host the Northumbria Centre for Evidence and Criminal Justice Studies, and our research groups include Gender, Sexuality and Law; the Northumbria Information Rights Research Group; and the International Law Research Interest Group.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Northumbria Law School provides first-class teaching in a world-class environment. You will be based in our award-winning City Campus East building, which houses our mock courtroom and Student Law Office as well as an array of lecture theatres, classrooms and a dedicated postgraduate study area.
It is also home to our specialist Law Practice Library, which contains practitioner materials as well as a wide variety of journals, databases, and law reports. The range and depth of resources reflects our position as the largest law school in the North East region.
The 24/7 University Library achieves some of the highest levels of student satisfaction in the UK, and holds Cabinet Office accreditation for Customer Service Excellence.
Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) is an integral part of this course. You receive extensive support through our e-learning platform, Blackboard, where you can access a wide range of resources. These include online discussion forums, collaborative online learning, self-test materials and assessment tasks. We use Panopto software to record teaching, feedback and practical exercises in Conferencing and Advocacy. This is a valuable aid in the process of self-reflection, critical thinking and continual improvement.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
You will experience research-rich learning in both the knowledge and skills elements of the Bar Course, through enquiry-based tasks, case analysis and engagement with legal research.
The pervasive research culture of Northumbria Law School will facilitate your development of excellent research skills and a strong conceptual understanding of specialist areas of law.
The Law School’s research is focused on three areas: Law and Society; Legal Education and Professional Skills; and the Centre for Evidence and Criminal Justice Studies. Your tutors will discuss their own and wider research as it relates to the course, enhancing your learning experience and encouraging critical thinking.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
The Bar Skills Course allows you to build on the knowledge gained on the Bar Knowledge Course and develop the skills and attributes you will need to practice as a successful barrister.
At Northumbria, we aim to ensure that you are prepared in every way for pupillage selection and life as a barrister. Choosing this alternative barrister training route, gives you a more flexible way to gain the knowledge set out in the Professional Statement for Barristers, so that you can move on to develop the skills and attributes needed to practice as a successful legal professional.
Successful completion of the Bar Skills Course and the Bar Knowledge Course will mean you are ready to apply for pupillage and train as a barrister. The skills you learn would be useful not only at the bar, but in careers across Law, Business and Politics.
Find out how studying on the Bar Course at Northumbria helped students secure pupillage and read about their journey to becoming a barrister.
Watch four of our Northumbria Law alumni talk about their experiences, and their flourishing careers as barristers at Trinity Chambers and Dere Street here in Newcastle.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in Law, or a minimum of a Commendation in the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) – or to be on course to achieve this. Applicants with a 2:2 honours degree or a Pass in the GDL will be considered exceptionally on an individual basis, and with appropriate evidence.
Please note academic qualifications must satisfy the requirements outlined by the Bar Standards Board. Applicants that hold, or are completing a non-UK/ROI degree or conversion course, must apply to the Bar Standards Boards for a Certificate of Academic Standing and be studying or have studied a Conversion Course such as the GDL. Further information can be found on the Bar Standards Board Website.
All applicants are required to join one of the four Inns of Court before commencing the course. Applicants must have achieved a minimum standard as specified by the BSB within the past five years. For more information, please visit www.barstandardsboard.org.uk
Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT):
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has decided to discontinue the BCAT as an entry requirement for the vocational component of Bar Training with effect from 31 July 2022. Please see this statement on the BSB website for more information: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/resources/bsb-to-abolish-the-bar-course-aptitude-test-from-31-july.html
English language requirements:
Please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/barapplications
For further information and how to apply, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/barapplications
Please review this information before submitting your application.
Full UK Fee: £9,225
Full EU Fee: £9,225
Full International Fee: £9,225
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
The fees above include the Bar Standards Board fee (which was £705 in September 2023 - £470 for the Bar Knowledge Course and £235 for the Bar Skills Course, where students elect to take one of these programmes as opposed to the full Bar Course - and which is subject to change each year thereafter at the discretion of the BSB): Upon joining the course, you will be provided with the core textbooks that you require for your studies (you may purchase additional texts if you wish, but they will not be ‘recommended reading’ and you may find that the University library has copies of any additional texts that you may wish to browse/refer to). Additional costs include: the Inn membership fee which was between £100 and £148 in 2023. All of these additional costs are mandatory and subject to pricing by independent bodies (and so the prices given above may possibly change from year to year). Students must also attend 10 ‘qualifying sessions’, run by the Inns of Court. These may include dinners, lectures, advocacy training or residential weekends. One such session is included in your fees - the Northumbria Bar Dinner. The remaining 9 sessions are funded by the student and the cost varies depending on what you choose to attend and its location. Costs will typically include travel, event costs, accommodation and meals if necessary.
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
LW7120 -
Professional Practice and Ethics (20 Credits)
The Professional Practice and Ethics module is a year-long module delivered on the Bar Course and across the portfolio of Bar programmes at Northumbria University. On this module you will learn about the nature of professional practice and the professional values which underpin practice at the Bar of England and Wales. The module aims to develop knowledge of key areas of practice and instil and consolidate the essential qualities of ethical behaviour at the Bar by nurturing and developing these existing attributes in students to a high level. Encompassing more than the knowledge and formalities outlined in the Bar Standards Board Professional Statement for Barristers and the Code of Conduct the module will furnish far reaching and fundamental knowledge of ethics that underlies practice at the Bar.
The module seeks to:
- provide knowledge and understanding of the nature of professional practice at the Bar and key concepts and topics necessary for the development of an effective practice;
- inculcate the fundamental concepts of professional and ethical values required of a practising barrister at the Bar of England and Wales;
- provide knowledge and understanding of the philosophical issues and purposes underpinning ethical behaviour, including the concept of duty in professional life both to the client and to the rule of law;
- provide in-depth knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Bar Standards Board Handbook and Professional Statement.
LW7121 -
Criminal Professional Practice (20 Credits)
The Criminal Professional Practice is a year-long module on the Bar Course and is delivered across the portfolio of Bar programmes at Northumbria University. It is designed to reflect the nature of criminal cases encountered during pupillage and the early years of practice.
This module involves the study of criminal practice in the context of realistic scenarios which incorporate fact management, case analysis, legal research, advocacy, drafting, opinion writing and conference skills, linked to the relevant procedural framework and ethical considerations as in practice. The module involves a number of different cases which raise legal and procedural scenarios of the kind that criminal practitioners regularly encounter in practice. It is designed to ensure that each student appreciates the importance of identifying legal, procedural, tactical and ethical issues when they arise.
This Criminal Professional Practice module is designed to build on existing legal knowledge and allows the acquisition of the s knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for practice as an effective and successful criminal practioner at the Bar. The module is supported throughout by research rich and practice informed learning and technology enhanced learning which are crucial to current legal practice in a demanding, rapidly changing legal landscape.
LW7122 -
Family Professional Practice (20 Credits)
The Family Professional Practice module is a year-long module delivered on the Bar Course and across the portfolio of Bar programmes at Northumbria University. It is designed to reflect the nature of family cases encountered during pupillage and the early years of practice.
This module involves the study of family practice in the context of realistic scenarios which incorporate fact management, case analysis, legal research, advocacy, drafting, opinion writing and conference skills, linked to the relevant procedural framework and ethical considerations as in practice. The module involves a number of different cases which raise legal and procedural scenarios of the kind that family practitioners regularly encounter in practice with particular emphasis and dealing with financial consequences on the breakdown of relationships. These may include ancillary relief applications, occupation orders and non-molestation orders. It is designed to ensure that each student appreciates the importance of identifying legal, procedural, tactical and ethical issues when they arise.
This Family Professional Practice module is designed to build on existing legal knowledge and allows the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for practice as an effective and successful family practitioner at the Bar. The module is supported throughout by research rich and practice informed learning and technology enhanced learning which are crucial to current legal practice in a demanding, rapidly changing legal landscape.
LW7123 -
Civil Professional Practice (20 Credits)
The Civil Professional Practice module is year-long module on the Bar Course and is delivered across the portfolio of Bar programmes at Northumbria University. It is designed to reflect the nature of civil cases encountered during pupillage and early years of practice.
This module involves the study of civil professional practice in the context of realistic scenarios which incorporate fact management, case analysis, legal research, advocacy, drafting, opinion writing and conference skills, linked to the relevant procedural framework and ethical considerations as in practice, including cases that settle. The module involves a number of different cases which raise legal and procedural scenarios of the kind that practitioners at the civil Bar regularly encounter in practice. Examples of the areas that will be covered include: Drafting pleadings: drafting opinions on liability and /or quantum; arguing interim applications and appeals. It is designed to ensure that each student appreciates the importance of identifying legal, procedural, tactical and ethical issues when they arise.
The Civil Professional Practice module is designed to build on existing legal knowledge and allows the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for practice as an effective and successful civil practitioner at the Bar. The module is supported throughout by research rich and practice informed learning and technology enhanced learning which are crucial to current legal practice in a demanding, rapidly changing legal landscape.
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
LW7120 -
Professional Practice and Ethics (20 Credits)
The Professional Practice and Ethics module is a year-long module delivered on the Bar Course and across the portfolio of Bar programmes at Northumbria University. On this module you will learn about the nature of professional practice and the professional values which underpin practice at the Bar of England and Wales. The module aims to develop knowledge of key areas of practice and instil and consolidate the essential qualities of ethical behaviour at the Bar by nurturing and developing these existing attributes in students to a high level. Encompassing more than the knowledge and formalities outlined in the Bar Standards Board Professional Statement for Barristers and the Code of Conduct the module will furnish far reaching and fundamental knowledge of ethics that underlies practice at the Bar.
The module seeks to:
- provide knowledge and understanding of the nature of professional practice at the Bar and key concepts and topics necessary for the development of an effective practice;
- inculcate the fundamental concepts of professional and ethical values required of a practising barrister at the Bar of England and Wales;
- provide knowledge and understanding of the philosophical issues and purposes underpinning ethical behaviour, including the concept of duty in professional life both to the client and to the rule of law;
- provide in-depth knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Bar Standards Board Handbook and Professional Statement.
LW7121 -
Criminal Professional Practice (20 Credits)
The Criminal Professional Practice is a year-long module on the Bar Course and is delivered across the portfolio of Bar programmes at Northumbria University. It is designed to reflect the nature of criminal cases encountered during pupillage and the early years of practice.
This module involves the study of criminal practice in the context of realistic scenarios which incorporate fact management, case analysis, legal research, advocacy, drafting, opinion writing and conference skills, linked to the relevant procedural framework and ethical considerations as in practice. The module involves a number of different cases which raise legal and procedural scenarios of the kind that criminal practitioners regularly encounter in practice. It is designed to ensure that each student appreciates the importance of identifying legal, procedural, tactical and ethical issues when they arise.
This Criminal Professional Practice module is designed to build on existing legal knowledge and allows the acquisition of the s knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for practice as an effective and successful criminal practioner at the Bar. The module is supported throughout by research rich and practice informed learning and technology enhanced learning which are crucial to current legal practice in a demanding, rapidly changing legal landscape.
LW7122 -
Family Professional Practice (20 Credits)
The Family Professional Practice module is a year-long module delivered on the Bar Course and across the portfolio of Bar programmes at Northumbria University. It is designed to reflect the nature of family cases encountered during pupillage and the early years of practice.
This module involves the study of family practice in the context of realistic scenarios which incorporate fact management, case analysis, legal research, advocacy, drafting, opinion writing and conference skills, linked to the relevant procedural framework and ethical considerations as in practice. The module involves a number of different cases which raise legal and procedural scenarios of the kind that family practitioners regularly encounter in practice with particular emphasis and dealing with financial consequences on the breakdown of relationships. These may include ancillary relief applications, occupation orders and non-molestation orders. It is designed to ensure that each student appreciates the importance of identifying legal, procedural, tactical and ethical issues when they arise.
This Family Professional Practice module is designed to build on existing legal knowledge and allows the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for practice as an effective and successful family practitioner at the Bar. The module is supported throughout by research rich and practice informed learning and technology enhanced learning which are crucial to current legal practice in a demanding, rapidly changing legal landscape.
LW7123 -
Civil Professional Practice (20 Credits)
The Civil Professional Practice module is year-long module on the Bar Course and is delivered across the portfolio of Bar programmes at Northumbria University. It is designed to reflect the nature of civil cases encountered during pupillage and early years of practice.
This module involves the study of civil professional practice in the context of realistic scenarios which incorporate fact management, case analysis, legal research, advocacy, drafting, opinion writing and conference skills, linked to the relevant procedural framework and ethical considerations as in practice, including cases that settle. The module involves a number of different cases which raise legal and procedural scenarios of the kind that practitioners at the civil Bar regularly encounter in practice. Examples of the areas that will be covered include: Drafting pleadings: drafting opinions on liability and /or quantum; arguing interim applications and appeals. It is designed to ensure that each student appreciates the importance of identifying legal, procedural, tactical and ethical issues when they arise.
The Civil Professional Practice module is designed to build on existing legal knowledge and allows the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for practice as an effective and successful civil practitioner at the Bar. The module is supported throughout by research rich and practice informed learning and technology enhanced learning which are crucial to current legal practice in a demanding, rapidly changing legal landscape.
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