*/
The Bar Standards Board (“BSB”) has published a major report reviewing pupillage training for the Bar, following its meeting on 17 May.
The report is the second in a three step review of all stages of education for practice at the Bar, led by Derek Wood CBE QC.
There are 95 conclusions and recommendations, covering all aspects of pupillage, which is still seen as the best and fairest way of preparation for the profession.
The Review recommends that the four core skills (conduct, advocacy, conferences and negotiations; and legal research and drafting) should continue to be the focus of training. However the Review proposes that defined standards and checklists for all areas must be used to verify that training has been satisfactorily completed. In addition, the standard of performance which a pupil’s work must achieve is defined as the standard at which the work (oral advocacy or written) is “capable of rendering a real and valuable service to the client”.
Other key proposals include raising the minimum amount of the pupillage award from £10,000 to £12,0000 pa; training for pupil supervisors to be strengthened, and overseen by the BSB. Supervisors must attend a course in order to be registered and attend a refresher course every five years; each Approved Training Organisation should appoint a director of pupil training to oversee pupillage; and all pupillage selection panels must include at least one member who has received formal equality and diversity training.
Welcoming the Pupillage Review, the Chair of the BSB, Baroness Deech DBE, said: “The Report makes a number of recommendations that the Board fully supports including the increase of the minimum funding for pupillages and that pupillages are properly established and overseen.
“Above all, the Board is keen to ensure that attaining pupillage is a fair and open process for all those who apply as well as a guarantee to everyone that someone who undertakes pupillage will be properly skilled at the end of it. Making sure that this happens is vitally important in the interests of consumers, for encouraging a strong and diverse profession and for the public interest. The Board will now move on to ensuring implementation of the report’s recommendations.”
Commenting on his Review, Derek Wood said: “It is essential that the Bar modernises its approach to pupillage. While there is a lot to be commended in the present system, it also presents challenges in the extent to which it meets modern expectations for a properly supervised system of vocational training and preparation for practice.
“The Bar has much to be proud of in the excellence and specialisation that it offers the legal services sector. However, it is of critical importance that its role in the market is reinforced by state of the art approaches to training and development.”
The new report follows the BVC Review in 2007-08: the third review, covering Continuing Professional Development, is now underway. Further information on the Pupillage Review is available at www.barstandardsboard.org.uk.
(See also Counsel’s Pupillage Focus – on the interview process and split pupillages – at pp 18-22 and 24-26 of this month’s issue.)
The Review recommends that the four core skills (conduct, advocacy, conferences and negotiations; and legal research and drafting) should continue to be the focus of training. However the Review proposes that defined standards and checklists for all areas must be used to verify that training has been satisfactorily completed. In addition, the standard of performance which a pupil’s work must achieve is defined as the standard at which the work (oral advocacy or written) is “capable of rendering a real and valuable service to the client”.
Other key proposals include raising the minimum amount of the pupillage award from £10,000 to £12,0000 pa; training for pupil supervisors to be strengthened, and overseen by the BSB. Supervisors must attend a course in order to be registered and attend a refresher course every five years; each Approved Training Organisation should appoint a director of pupil training to oversee pupillage; and all pupillage selection panels must include at least one member who has received formal equality and diversity training.
Welcoming the Pupillage Review, the Chair of the BSB, Baroness Deech DBE, said: “The Report makes a number of recommendations that the Board fully supports including the increase of the minimum funding for pupillages and that pupillages are properly established and overseen.
“Above all, the Board is keen to ensure that attaining pupillage is a fair and open process for all those who apply as well as a guarantee to everyone that someone who undertakes pupillage will be properly skilled at the end of it. Making sure that this happens is vitally important in the interests of consumers, for encouraging a strong and diverse profession and for the public interest. The Board will now move on to ensuring implementation of the report’s recommendations.”
Commenting on his Review, Derek Wood said: “It is essential that the Bar modernises its approach to pupillage. While there is a lot to be commended in the present system, it also presents challenges in the extent to which it meets modern expectations for a properly supervised system of vocational training and preparation for practice.
“The Bar has much to be proud of in the excellence and specialisation that it offers the legal services sector. However, it is of critical importance that its role in the market is reinforced by state of the art approaches to training and development.”
The new report follows the BVC Review in 2007-08: the third review, covering Continuing Professional Development, is now underway. Further information on the Pupillage Review is available at www.barstandardsboard.org.uk.
(See also Counsel’s Pupillage Focus – on the interview process and split pupillages – at pp 18-22 and 24-26 of this month’s issue.)
The Bar Standards Board (“BSB”) has published a major report reviewing pupillage training for the Bar, following its meeting on 17 May.
The report is the second in a three step review of all stages of education for practice at the Bar, led by Derek Wood CBE QC.
There are 95 conclusions and recommendations, covering all aspects of pupillage, which is still seen as the best and fairest way of preparation for the profession.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group
Modernising communication and collaboration at a leading Chancery set. A Zexi case study
How to build profile without compromising professional duties. By Naumaan Farooq, Co-Founder of Inked PR
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the role of cut-off levels, and the wider range of factors that must be considered when interpreting results for family court proceedings
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
The case against judge-only justice – and why efficiency is not enough. By Professor Leslie Thomas KC
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Seeing the full picture – Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Lauren Fullerton examines the how, what and why of setting up a second chambers base
