Bar Council launches 6th and largest Social Mobility Foundation Bar Placement Week
8 July 2013
The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and
Wales, today launches the sixth, and largest, Social Mobility
Foundation Bar Placement Week in London, and is set to launch the
first ever regional Placement Week in Birmingham on Monday 15 July,
in partnership with Aim Higher West Midlands.
This year, 74 students from state schools in London, and 12 from
state schools in Birmingham, will visit local barristers' chambers
where they will shadow a practising barrister in their work, as
well as accompany them to court.
The Bar Placement Week offers academically gifted students from
disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to experience a career in
law.
Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar,
said:
"The Bar Placement Week is a fantastic opportunity for the
selected students to experience life at the Bar and to understand
the working day of a barrister. It should be a challenging week,
and will hopefully encourage the students to continue pushing hard
for academic success, regardless of whether or not they choose a
career in law.
"The Bar Council is dedicated to improving social mobility
within the profession, and the growth of the Bar Placement Week is
testament to the value that it represents.
"I am delighted that we have now set up a Placement Week in
Birmingham, and hope that we will be able to launch further
regional programmes in years to come."
David Johnston, CEO, Social Mobility
Foundation, said:
"The Bar Placement Week continues to go from strength to
strength and we are delighted to work with the Bar Council on this
important initiative which has a significant impact on both the
university and career aspirations of the participants."
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Further information is available from the Bar Council Press
Office on 020 7222 2525.
2. The Bar Council has been running the Social Mobility
Foundation Bar Placement Week for six years. Please
visit our
website for more information.
3. The
Birmingham Bar Placement Week will run for the first
time this year, and was set up by the Bar Council, in partnership
with Aim
Higher West Midlands, who helped to identify suitable
students in the region.
4. The Bar Council represents barristers in England and
Wales. It promotes:
-
The Bar's high quality specialist advocacy and advisory
services
-
Fair access to justice for all
-
The highest standards of ethics, equality and diversity across
the profession, and
-
The development of business opportunities for barristers at home
and abroad.
The General Council of the Bar is the Approved Regulator of the
Bar of England and Wales. It discharges its regulatory functions
through the independent Bar Standards
Board.