BPTC Application Questions

I am sorry but this comment angers me. If only that were the reality. The reality is from my experience (and my academics which not the best exceed a lot of bar hopefuls) I had to WORK unpaid for a year. And I mean work - i did something every day - FRU, NCDV, 2 seperate legal advice organisations, another charity losely related to law, an non legal organisation not to mention the minis, free clerking, moots etc etc. At the end of this, after exceeding 300 applications I landed a paralegal role on £13k. Living in london if i hadn't had a previous career and a lot of savings to cover my london mortgage this would not have been an option and certainly isn't for a lot of kids. I am now in a pseudo TC earning the minimum of around 18k. I would not be here is i hadn't WORKED FOR FREE and now accept less of a salary than i would have even CONSIDERED when I graduated the first time nearly 20 years ago, so please don't make such comments about not being expected to work for free when you are not in that position!

I don't think it's anything new that people aspiring to join a career of almost any description invest time and effort to gain experience of that world. Mini-pupillages are a necessary evil and have been for sometime now. I did them, as well as unpaid placements in solicitors' offices and the like, not to mention mooting and other worthy causes. I don't agree that this is working in the true sense of the word, it is gaining experience to get ahead and stand out in applications for training and work.

I agree that there should be a dose of reality regarding numbers. It would be wrong to reduce too much, for example it would make no sense to recruit only 500 students annually. The buyers (chambers) will always require a wider pool of sellers from which to select. If 500 people are available for 450 pupillages, chambers will recruit fewer pupils and things will become worse overall.

Cross-qualification is not as gloomy as it looked to be. Originally, the SRA were going to require BPTC graduates to complete the LPC. This was soon relaxed to just sitting the exams, and this is being whittled down further to hopefully only relate to exams that the BPTC did not suitably equip would be solicitors for e.g. some aspects of client interviewing etc. I don't envisage the position to be vastly different from now in years to come. It is worthy of note that it was the providers (along with the Inns) that took this fight to the BSB, prompting the negotiations with the SRA.

Fees - London will always be more expensive. Commercial providers (i.e. non universities) will always be the most expensive. Amongst the university providers, their overall structure and size will determine the fee level.

I just joined TSR, and being a bit shy about opening a new thread, I thought I'd post in this old one as it's to the point. I have a few queries, and any advice is most welcome.

A little background: I read law as a BA and graduated 5 and a half years ago. I had always intended eventually to train as a criminal barrister, but unfortunately i didn't have the luxury of family money and I pretty much had to go straight into paid work upon graduation to pay off my debts. I trained in management consultancy, and started my own business with a partner which, while not as lucrative as it may sound, nevertheless has given me a decent enough income to be in a position now to train.

I just discovered my QLD has become 'stale' by a matter of months, and i'm anxious to start the BPTC as soon as possible. I was under the mistaken impression that it was 6 or 7 years, having looked a few years ago while it was still the BVC. It seems I have to fork out something like 250 quid to reactivate my QLD (which seems extortionate) and I have missed the deadline for first round applications.

But I am willing to do all that. I am 100% committed to the career and yet, on account of my career choices, i'm having trouble demonstrating this. My CV is not littered with the relevant legal experience which appears to be a pre-requisite. I have a decent degree (a 2.1 from cambridge) and am currently sending my CV out to chambers in the hope of securing a few mini-pupillages. But as it stands I am finding it hard to present myself as committed to a career at the Bar in my application.

I'm obviously not talking about pupillages yet, but for the BPTC would something like this count strongly against me? I actually think that I will make a much better barrister now, with some professional experience, than when I had just graduated.

I've heard some people say the BPTC is easy to get onto, and others say it is intensely competitive! Given that I have missed the first round, do i still have a fair chance of being accepted? I can take free time where i want until september for any work experience, and i have dusted off my old notes and sought out recent developments with which i ought to be familiar. But at this very moment on paper it doesn't look like i am a strong candidate. I shadowed a QC in my summer holidays and volunteered for 6 months at a legal aid organisation in africa, but that was over 5 years ago now.

If anyone can help answer my queries or offer their opinions I'd be most grateful. Mini-pupillages seem to take at least 6 months to materialise, and so any other relevant work experience suggestions which i could secure in the near future would be very welcome. Even so, I feel a bit pressed to submit my application, and while i'm sure i could be 'creative' with it, i'd prefer to be open and honest and argue my corner. I'm just worried that they may take one look at my application and think 'there is no evidence this guy wants to be a barrister.'

Thanks for taking the time to read