Best BPTC / BTC / BPC provider?

Need opinions on the best provider to go to for my BPTC in 2020.

Need opinions on the best provider to go to for my BPTC in 2020.

There is no “best provider”, just a preference as to where you would want to study. If you prefer London and those prices, there are a number of providers. If you prefer up north, the same applies and so forth. There is no “prestige” associated with BTPC etc. providers

I went to the Nottingham Law School (part of Nottingham Trent). Their course, when it was the BVC, had a selective intake and paved the way for the modern BPTC.The course - although it was substantially more difficult - seemed to have that recognition attached when I went through the pupillage process myself. I can't say it's the same now, of course, but the candidates at my set who have been to Nottingham always seem to have just a little bit extra about them. The resources are good and the teaching staff, again in my day, were of a very high standard - either practising barristers or teachers who had very recently left the profession. The local sets, of which Ropewalk is the premier, seem to recruit almost exclusively from the Nottingham course.

The advice about scholarships is not a bad way to pick a provider. Most people flock to London on the basis that the networking opportunities are better etc and you are right next to the Inns of Court. Frankly, given the huge increase in living costs, it never seemed to make that much difference. The only actual advantage of a London provider, that was keenly felt by those outside London, was the access to FRU. Getting some FRU cases under your belt could often get you interviews for pupillage!

It's right to say that, broadly speaking, there is no particular prestige attached to specific courses. When I'm sifting pupillage applications my interest in the BPTC section begins and ends with the grade in the vast majority of cases. So it is really more about which course suits you, either from a location perspective or from the perspective of scholarships and such. Kessler's point about connections to the local Bar is a good one, and whilst it isn't a massive factor, it is one that can be relevant. Kessler's example was Nottingham, but I can say that the same applies to Manchester. I did the bar course at MMU, and it had more connections to sets in Manchester, with a good number of those who secured pupillage off my course subsequently practising in Manchester. It's not something that you should think is going to in some way compensate for you not being a good candidate, because you still need to be a good candidate, but it is a factor that goes hand in hand with the location element.

In terms of quality of the courses, the MMU course is one of the more established. It was a perfectly good course when I did it, but I really can't speak to the quality of any of the courses because I don't have any recent knowledge in that regard. It may be that certain courses have had issues, but I just wouldn't know.

Ultimately it's not a decision that will have a notable bearing on your chances of becoming a barrister, so you should make your choice based on other factors that have already been mentioned in this thread.

I went to the Nottingham Law School (part of Nottingham Trent). Their course, when it was the BVC, had a selective intake and paved the way for the modern BPTC.The course - although it was substantially more difficult - seemed to have that recognition attached when I went through the pupillage process myself. I can't say it's the same now, of course, but the candidates at my set who have been to Nottingham always seem to have just a little bit extra about them. The resources are good and the teaching staff, again in my day, were of a very high standard - either practising barristers or teachers who had very recently left the profession. The local sets, of which Ropewalk is the premier, seem to recruit almost exclusively from the Nottingham course.

The advice about scholarships is not a bad way to pick a provider. Most people flock to London on the basis that the networking opportunities are better etc and you are right next to the Inns of Court. Frankly, given the huge increase in living costs, it never seemed to make that much difference. The only actual advantage of a London provider, that was keenly felt by those outside London, was the access to FRU. Getting some FRU cases under your belt could often get you interviews for pupillage!

Need opinions on the best provider to go to for my BPTC in 2020.

Need opinions on the best provider to go to for my BPTC in 2020.