BPTC course content and assessment
With its unique combination of face-to-face teaching and online training, the course structure has been designed to reflect the litigation process, including evidence and sentencing, that practising barristers encounter every day.
You’ll begin by studying the criminal practice course and the civil practice course, before progressing on to specialist options.
Advocacy skills
You will take part in regular advocacy sessions, with the College offering 34 hours worth, which is nearly three times more than required by the Bar Standards Board.
All classes have a maximum of 12 students, with advocacy taught in smaller groups ranging from six students to just two.
Professional ethics and conduct
As well as being a central theme running through your training, you’ll also study professional ethics and conduct as a discrete topic to understand the core professional values which underpin practice at the Bar. Encompassing more than the knowledge and formalities outlined in the Bar Council’s Professional Code of Conduct, we aim to instil the essential qualities needed for the ethical behaviour required as a barrister.
Knowledge areas
- Civil litigation
- Criminal litigation and sentencing
- Evidence
Core skills
These skills are fully integrated into the knowledge areas, so course learning can be applied in a practical context.
- Advocacy
- Conference skills
- Drafting
- Legal research skills
- Fact management
- Opinion writing
- Resolution of disputes out of court
Study options
In your final term, you’ll nned to choose to study two options from a list that includes:
- Advanced criminal litigation
- Alternative dispute resolution and mediation
- Chancery practice
- International commercial practice
- Employment
- Family
- Immigration and asylum
- Judicial review
- Personal injury and clinical negligence
Assessment
There are 12 assessments in total. Practice assessments are held for all subjects, which include advocacy, opinion writing, drafting, conference skills, resolution of disputes out of court, civil and criminal litigation, evidence and professional ethics.