The University of Law Launches New Bar Practice Course to Increase Accessibility for Aspiring Barristers

LONDON, Oct. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Law (ULaw) has announced that it will be launching a new Bar Practice Course (BPC) to replace the existing Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), subject to approval by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).

The replacement follows the BSB approval of a series of new training rules, in a bid to make the route to qualification as a barrister more flexible and affordable. The new course will be launched in the next 2020 recruitment cycle.

The BPC will be more tailored and flexible than the BPTC. With blended learning between online and classroom study, the course aims to cater to as many working styles as possible, while also fitting around any other commitments students may have.

Online study and the use of advanced technology, as well as new exclusive access to the learning and revision app Synap, means the course is more interactive and engaging than ever before. Regular weekly face-to-face sessions also allow for extra support from tutors, as well as creating a learning community and social opportunities between students.

Students can also study the LLM available with three pathways to success - Pro Bono experience and a Critical Reflective Review, writing a dissertation or studying additional optional modules.

The new course will continue to be supported by our excellent employability service that has led to 58% of our students securing pupillages within one year of successfully completing their course.

The introduction of three new locations also aims to tap into legal talent outside of London, with study options available at ULaw's campuses in London Bloomsbury, Birmingham, Nottingham, Bristol, Manchester and Leeds, Leeds will now also offer the course part-time.

The new course fee aims to be more accessible and affordable than the BPTC, at £13,000 in London and £11,750 outside of London, which includes the BPC fee and textbooks, unlike other BPC providers. There are also two start date routes: the usual September full-time and part-time start, as well as the introduction of a July full-time route, both of which are available from 2020.

Jacqueline Cheltenham, BPC National Programme & Student Affairs Director, said: "The new Bar Practice Course (BPC) at The University of Law combines exciting new aspects whilst retaining the best of what went before, to provide a more flexible and accessible approach to qualifying as a Barrister.

"Students will study in a supportive environment, with pathways tailored to suit their needs and fit around their life where required. This is all underpinned by the excellent wealth of expertise that exists within ULaw, as well as support from a community of learners and our innovative online platforms."

For more news from The University of Law, visit: https://www.law.ac.uk/.

About The University of Law (ULaw)

The University of Law is one of the longest-established specialist provider of legal education and training in the UK, with campuses in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, Leeds, Manchester and Nottingham, and international campuses at GISMA in Berlin and in Hong Kong. You can also study our courses at the University of East Anglia, The University of Exeter, The University of Reading, and The University of Liverpool.

The University of Law's market-leading Employability Service gives students access to work experience and pro bono opportunities and legal vacancies as soon as they accept their place. The result is excellent employability statistics: 97% of our full-time and accelerated UK/EEA LPC students graduating in summer 2017 secured employment, a training contract, or further study within nine months of successfully completing their course.

SOURCE The University of Law (ULaw)