How to become a barrister

The steps typically taken to become a barrister involve three main stages of training:

• Academic Stage: an undergraduate degree in law (LLB), or an undergraduate degree in any other subject followed by the conversion course

• Vocational Stage: the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), which entails one year of full time study or two years' part time study

• Pupillage: one year spent as a pupil in barristers' chambers or in another organisation approved by the Bar Standards Board as a Pupillage Training Organisation (PTO).

After training, the final stage is to obtain tenancy in a set of barristers' chambers as a self-employed barrister, or to go into practice as an employed barrister.