Barristers provide specialist advice on matters of the law and attend tribunals, court sessions and public enquiries. They may specialise in a particular aspect of law, and the amount of court time attended by a person in this role depends on the area of specialisation. Principal legal specialities include criminal law, civil law, family law and chancery law
This extremely competitive field demands a law degree at 2:2 or higher, although non-law degree holders can gain entry by sitting either the CPE or GDL exams. Vocational training consists of a one-year Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) and 12 months’ training, known as pupillage, which is made up of six months’ supervised practice and six months of shadowing an experienced barrister.
Those employed in private practice work in chambers (shared offices) with other barristers. Working hours are usually long, particularly for those just starting out in the profession. Minimum salaries during training are around £10,000 per annum, but often significantly higher. Once qualified, earnings reflect each individual barrister’s specialism and reputation, and can range from £25,000 up to £200,000.