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Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) 


Image: Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) COURSE INFORMATION (2010 ENTRY)

1 year full-time

School of Law
Law and NBS Building, City Campus East

Northumbria University Law School's Bar Vocational Course (BVC) is approved by the Bar Council, and is the vocational stage of training for students who intend to become barristers. On successful completion of this programme students are required to enter pupillage.

The BVC is completed over 1 year and comprises knowledge areas and legal skills. The legal knowledge areas of the programme are Criminal Litigation, Civil Litigations and Evidence. These areas are taught individually over the year and also on an integrated basis with the legal skills areas.

The emphasis of the programme is on developing the five main skills used by the practising barristers: advocacy, drafting, opinion writing, negotiation, and conference skills. These skills are taught within a practical context using simulated briefs to counsel. Students will also choose two specialist options which are studied in terms two and three.

What you will study

Students develop a range of essential skills, including the five areas of:

Advocacy
Drafting
Opinion Writing
Conference Skills
Negotiation

The main legal knowledge areas of evidence, criminal litigation and civil litigation are taught over the year on an integrated basis with the five skill areas.

In addition, students choose two specialist options:

Family Practice
Landlord and Tenant
Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury Practice
Advanced Crime
Student Law Office
Employment Practice
Advanced Civil
Commercial Practice

LLM Advanced Legal Practice/ MA Legal Practice and Policy

Students are given a unique opportunity to gain an LLM in Advanced Legal Practice or an MA in Legal Practice and Policy while completing the BVC or LPC at Northumbria University. The LLM and MA are available at a discounted rate when studied alongside the LPC or BVC and both programmes can be completed in 12-18 months.

For both the LLM and MA programmes, students are required to submit a project of between 20,000 and 25,000 words. Students can choose their own project title. Since the project requires in-depth research it may be closely related to the student's area of practice. This is subject to the requirement that the topic chosen is suitable for supervision within the Law School and will satisfactorily meet the programme learning outcomes.

Completion of the LPC, BVC, Law Society Finals or equivalent entitles students to 120 points advanced standing. Any student who enrols upon the LPC or BVC at the same time as the LLM or the MA must satisfactorily complete their LPC or BVC before they can be awarded the LLM or the MA.

N.B. This information applies to 2010 entry - if you are interested in 2011 entry, please contact us

FUNDING

Funding for the 1-year Bar Vocational Course may be obtained from some Local Education Authorities. However, such funding is discretionary, and therefore applications are decided on a case-by- case basis. At the time of writing, very few LEAs are willing to provide such funding.
An alternative source of finance is the Inns of Court, which provide various scholarships.
Additional information may be obtained direct from each of the Inns.

OTHER INFO

The fee shown in the fees calculator for this programme includes the professional/registration fee.

Applications are made on-line www.bvconline.co.uk

Further information may be obtained from:
The General Council of the Bar
2/3 Cursitor Street
London EC4A 1NE
Telephone No. 020 7440 4000.

COURSE MODULES


Year 1


 

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Northumbria University has taken reasonable care to ensure that the information published is accurate at the time of publication. However, the University gives no warranty or representation as to the quality, accuracy or completeness of the information.



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