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Only 23% of black and ethnic minority Bar school graduates from the UK and EU got a pupillage last year, according to figures released by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
That figure was up by 2.5% on the previous year, but showed a marked disparity with their white counterparts who were more than twice as likely to get a pupillage, with almost 50% successful.
Among the UK/EU-domiciled BPTC graduates, 50% of pupillages were awarded to women, up from 48% last year.
The statistics revealed that the overall chance of getting a pupillage is slim, with less than 43% of those who enrolled on the course from 2012/13-2015/16 having started one. That figure dropped to around 41% when including 2016/17 graduates as they have had less time in which to obtain pupillage.
The BSB figures also showed that 815 (57%) of the 1,424 students enrolled on the BPTC in 2016/17 passed and 13% achieved the highest grade, ‘outstanding’ (those figures may rise once retakes are taken into account).
The performance rates do not appear to have affected the number of students applying to take the course, which can cost up to £20,000. The BSB report showed that the number of applications for the BPTC for 2016/17 was 2,917, seven more than in 2015/16.
The BSB is looking at proposals to change the course, while the Bar Council has backed plans for the Inns of Court College of Advocacy to deliver a new two-part BPTC for about half the cost.
Ewen Macleod, BSB Director of Strategy and Policy, said: ‘We hope that this latest set of statistics will help students to gauge their chances of success within the current qualification model.’
Only 23% of black and ethnic minority Bar school graduates from the UK and EU got a pupillage last year, according to figures released by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
That figure was up by 2.5% on the previous year, but showed a marked disparity with their white counterparts who were more than twice as likely to get a pupillage, with almost 50% successful.
Among the UK/EU-domiciled BPTC graduates, 50% of pupillages were awarded to women, up from 48% last year.
The statistics revealed that the overall chance of getting a pupillage is slim, with less than 43% of those who enrolled on the course from 2012/13-2015/16 having started one. That figure dropped to around 41% when including 2016/17 graduates as they have had less time in which to obtain pupillage.
The BSB figures also showed that 815 (57%) of the 1,424 students enrolled on the BPTC in 2016/17 passed and 13% achieved the highest grade, ‘outstanding’ (those figures may rise once retakes are taken into account).
The performance rates do not appear to have affected the number of students applying to take the course, which can cost up to £20,000. The BSB report showed that the number of applications for the BPTC for 2016/17 was 2,917, seven more than in 2015/16.
The BSB is looking at proposals to change the course, while the Bar Council has backed plans for the Inns of Court College of Advocacy to deliver a new two-part BPTC for about half the cost.
Ewen Macleod, BSB Director of Strategy and Policy, said: ‘We hope that this latest set of statistics will help students to gauge their chances of success within the current qualification model.’
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Born from a grievance, their research project grew into a book and is now challenging the status quo. Emma Price and Emma-Louise Fenelon reveal the key findings – and the critical next steps
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
