How to become a barrister or advocate

CONTENTS

1. What is a barrister?

2. Becoming a barrister in the UK

3. How to become a barrister in England and Wales

4. How to become a barrister in Northern Ireland

5. How to become a barrister in Scotland

6. How long does it take to become a barrister?

7. What does a barrister do?

What is a barrister?

In the UK, lawyers fall into two main categories: solicitors and barristers. In England and Wales, you’ll also find lawyers called chartered legal executives or CILEX lawyers.

If you want to become a barrister, you may picture someone wearing a wig in court and using their rapier wit and skill to reveal gaps in witness testimony. In real life, wigs and gowns aren’t always worn, and as well as courtroom advocacy, barristers also offer legal advice.

The role of a barrister is to provide specific, specialist legal advice. They are called ‘barristers’ because they are ‘called to the bar’ – historically a wooden barrier that separated judges from the public, where only lawyers could approach.

Find out more about what barristers do.

What is the difference between a solicitor and a barrister?

Solicitors focus on private client work, which could be for individuals or companies.

A barrister provides specialist legal advice and uses their courtroom advocacy skills to present their client’s case – or defend them. A barrister normally provides one-off representation.

A barrister is often hired by a solicitor when a court appearance is necessary. The solicitor would brief the barrister and prepare legal documents.

But a client can also have direct access to ask a barrister to be their lawyer, meaning they don’t need to go through a solicitor. And solicitors can also represent clients in court.

How to become a barrister in England and Wales

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) regulates barristers in England and Wales. It decides what's needed to qualify as a barrister and practise.

You must first complete a law degree or law conversion course; you are likely to need at least a 2:1 to get a pupillage.

In England and Wales, you can find the following types of law degree:

• LLB Law degrees
• BA Law degrees
• MLaw Exempting (Bar Course) – which includes vocational Bar training.

Before you start your Bar training course, you must join one of the four Inns of Court in London. These legal societies are responsible for 'calling' student barristers to the Bar. They offer scholarships and grants, but competition for these is fierce.

Membership is for life, so choosing which Inn to join is an important decision. Each of the four (Lincoln’s Inn, Gray’s Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple) has its own character and offers professional and social networks for when you qualify.

Vocational stage: Bar training course

Once known as the Bar Professional Training Course or BPTC, this may also be called Bar vocational studies or Bar practice course. There are two main types of course:

• Single courses, which may be a postgraduate diploma or master’s (LLM).
• Two-part courses, one covering legal knowledge (often online) and the other legal skills (attendance in person). The advantage of this is that if you don’t progress from part 1, there is no obligation to pay for part 2.

Check that the training provider is an Authorised Education and Training Organisation (AETO). You can find courses on the BSB website. You can also find Bar training statistics by course provider, showing how well students do at each.

What does the Bar training course cover?

Legal knowledge focuses on civil and criminal litigation (legal action). It includes training on evidence, alternative dispute resolution and criminal sentencing. Legal knowledge is assessed through bar exams set by the BSB.

Legal skills include advocacy (representing clients within courts or tribunals) and conferencing. Modules also cover legal research, writing and drafting (legal opinions or binding legal texts). Legal skills are assessed by the provider, along with your understanding of professional ethics. Depending on the course, there may also be elective options or academic research.

Entry requirements and applications

You must start a course within five years of completing your law degree or postgraduate law conversion course. Your undergraduate degree must be at least a 2:2, but many providers ask for a 2:1 or above. You’ll need excellent written and spoken English language skills.

Apply directly to providers. You can apply to more than one, but you can only accept one place. You must also join an Inn before you begin the skills element of the Bar training course.

Since September 2022, Bar training students are no longer required to take the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) – this was a multiple-choice exam to test critical thinking.

How much does a Bar training course cost?

UK fees for 2026 entry range from:

• PG Dip – £13,550 to £19,550
• LLM – £15,500 to £21,620

Fees may be higher for international students.

You may be eligible for a postgraduate loan if you haven’t already used one: if you’re from England or Wales, you’ll need to take a master’s to qualify for loan funding.

Scholarships may be available from one of the Inns of Court; you don’t need to be a member before applying for a scholarship. They are normally awarded on merit. Course providers also offer scholarships – which will be competitive – and alumni discounts.

In-work training stage: Pupillage or work-based learning

You must complete 12–18 months of work-based training (usually called a pupillage) after you pass your Bar training course. You have five years in which to complete this. Despite changes to make more pupillages available, there are still many more applicants than vacancies.

In 2024/25, there were 683 vacancies and 3,912 applicants, according to the Pupillage Gateway report. Candidates with a first-class honours degree made up 32.4% of applicants but 54% of all those who received offers.

Your pupillage will be under the guidance of an experienced barrister called a pupil supervisor. It could be at a barristers’ chambers or an employer such as the Crown Prosecution Service.

The pupillage is in two parts.

• Six months shadowing (the first six), during which you work with your pupil supervisor.
• Six months' practice (the second six) where you can provide legal services and appear in court on behalf of a client, with your supervisor's permission.
• You’ll also need to attend compulsory courses and pass certain assessments.

Pupillages may be in specific areas of law or in mixed practice. Before applying, you should decide which area suits you best. Work experience and a mini-pupillage can help with this.

Since the second six months are the 'practising six', you must be called to the Bar first. And before you can be called to the Bar, you must have completed ten qualifying sessions of training with your Inn.

During pupillage, you apply for a tenancy to practise from a set of chambers. As with pupillage, securing a tenancy can be challenging.

When you finish your pupillage, you must apply for a full practising certificate to start practising as a barrister. You'll then appear on the Barristers' Register.

Pupillage places are advertised on the Pupillage Gateway from the end of November. You can submit your application in January, and places are offered in May. Vacancies may be advertised up to 18 months in advance and can be scarce and highly sought after.

You can apply for a pupillage before you complete your Bar training course, but you must be confident that you’ll have passed the course before the pupillage starts.

How to become a barrister in Northern Ireland

Barristers in Northern Ireland are regulated by the Bar of Northern Ireland. Professional training for barristers and solicitors is overseen by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) at Queen’s University Belfast.

You must first complete a law degree or law conversion course. If your degree did not include the ‘Law of Evidence’, you can take this as a separate exam.

The IPLS website lists recognised law degrees in its Information Booklet for Applicants. It includes degrees from England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland – but not the LLB in Scots Law.

Vocational stage: Bar Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies

Barristers and solicitors both take the one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies. The course is slightly different for trainee barristers. The barrister course runs full-time from September to June the following year and includes compulsory work experience. You can apply to the IPLS to study the course part-time.

What does the Bar Postgraduate Diploma cover?

You gain knowledge of practice and procedure in a broad range of areas. This includes Bar advocacy and skills, family law and procedure, accounts and insolvency.

Litigation processes include civil and criminal, conveyancing and property, public and client, plus company law. Trainee barristers receive training in practical evidence and the full trial programme.

In areas of joint training, separate tutorials or practical exercises may be given to solicitors and barristers. Other areas are taught separately.

Entry requirements and applications

Entry requirements are a 2:1 in a recognised law degree or a non-law degree followed by a law conversion or graduate law degree. International students must prove their English language skills. You can apply online from September to mid-November for entry the following year.

You’ll have to sit an admissions test. Only 20 Bar students are admitted each year, and places are awarded based on your degree award and test score.

After receiving an offer of a place and before starting the course, you must be admitted to the Inn of Court as a student. Before the course starts, you must also find a ‘master’ with whom you’ll serve your pupillage – the IPLS will supply a list to help.

How much does the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies cost?

For 2025/26, UK fees are £10,800. You may be eligible for a postgraduate loan, and scholarships may be available from universities.

In-work training stage: Pupillage

After the barrister course, you begin a 12-month pupillage with an experienced barrister. You generally can’t accept work on your own account until the second six months of your pupillage.

The pupillage is in two parts.

• Six months shadowing (the non-practising six) where you shadow your pupil-master and attend training.
• Six months' practice (the second six) where you can undertake various cases involving court appearances or providing advice.

You won’t be paid during your pupillage. The Bar of Northern Ireland offers support with costs.

Barristers in Northern Ireland must be registered with the Bar of Northern Ireland, the country’s regulating authority for the profession.

How to become a barrister in Scotland

In Scotland, barristers are called advocates. Scots law is completely different to the legal system in England and Wales – and in Scotland, all lawyers become a solicitor first before training to become an advocate. When you become an advocate, you are removed from the roll of solicitors.

The Court of Session regulates all legal professionals in Scotland, and the criteria for advocate training is set by the Faculty of Advocates (the Bar in Scotland). The vocational qualification is set by the Law Society of Scotland, the solicitors’ regulator. More training is then needed to become an advocate.

Before you begin, you must complete a degree in Scots law (LLB in Scots Law) at an accredited provider. Accelerated courses are available for non-law graduates.

As with other UK nations, vocational training is highly competitive. In 2024/25, 800 spaces were available, with over 1,100 applicants. Around 760 work-based traineeships are available each year.

Vocational qualification: Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP)

The one-year Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP) is offered by six universities in Scotland.

What does the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice cover?

The DPLP is practical in focus, involving skills-based teaching, much of it delivered by qualified solicitors.

Courses vary by provider, but all cover business, financial and practice awareness, private client work, litigation (i.e., taking legal action), conveyancing and tax. Core outcomes include professional communication, ethics and standards. Elective modules allow you to specialise.

Assessments are run by the university. They may include exams, written assignments, online multiple-choice tests, or client interview scenarios using actors.

Entry requirements and applications

Entry is via the LLB in Scots Law, with at least a 2:2.

• You must pass subjects required by the Law Society for entrance to the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. You’ll be assessed on the grades from your first exam sitting in these subjects.
• It also helps to pass subjects set by the Faculty of Advocates, as this will exempt you from further exams later.

If you’re an international student, you must be proficient in the English language.

Applications open in March and close in May. You can apply to two universities. The exact requirements vary by provider, so refer to each university's website.

How much does the DPLP cost? Is funding available?

In 2025/26, UK fees are from £8,500 to £11,943. Part-time fees are pro rata.

You may be eligible for a postgraduate loan, and scholarships may be available from universities.

In-work training: Traineeship

You must begin your traineeship by 31 December five years after completing your DPLP diploma. Before you start your traineeship, you must apply for an entrance certificate.

In the traineeship, you apply the skills and values learnt on the DPLP in a solicitors' practice. Would-be advocates must complete the traineeship for at least 21 months; solicitors must complete two full years.

• Some firms will recruit trainees during their undergraduate degree. So, if you’re completing an LLB, you may apply during the final year of your degree before starting the DPLP.
• Other traineeships may become available while you are on the DPLP.

The Law Society recommends that solicitor trainees are paid £24,840 in their first year of training and £28,850 in their second.

Advocate exams and pupillage

After the solicitor’s traineeship, trainee advocates must apply to the Faculty of Advocates to become an Intrant. This part of your training will take around two years to complete.

• You must sit Faculty exams in Evidence, Practice and Procedure, plus other subjects. If your law degree covered these subjects, you can apply for exemption.
• You must also complete a nine-month unpaid pupillage known as 'devilling'. This includes on-the-job experience under the guidance of a ‘devilmaster’ (an experienced advocate). You’ll also complete advocacy skills courses and assessments.

The training is free of charge, and scholarships are offered by the Faculty of Advocates to help with living expenses.

After completing all elements of your training, you're admitted to membership of the Faculty of Advocates and by court to the public office of advocate.

How long does it take to become a barrister?

It will take at least five years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. But often it will take longer to become a barrister because getting a pupillage may take some time. In Scotland, becoming an advocate takes ten years or more.

England and Wales

• Law degree (LLB): at least five years (three-year degree, one-year Bar course and 12-month pupillage).
• Law degree (MLaw exempting): at least five years (four-year degree and 12-month pupillage).
• Non-law degree: at least six years (three-year degree plus one-year law conversion course, one-year Bar course, and 12-month pupillage).

Northern Ireland

• Law degree (LLB): at least five years (three-year degree, one-year Bar course and one-year pupillage).
• Non-law degree: at least seven years (three-year degree plus two-year graduate law degree, one year Bar course, and one-year pupillage).

Scotland

• Law degree (LLB): at least nine years (four-year degree, one-year vocational course, two-year solicitor traineeship, two years of advocate exams and pupillage).
• Non-law degree: at least eleven years (four-year degree plus two-year graduate law degree, one-year vocational course, two-year solicitor traineeship, and finally two years of advocate exams and pupillage).

What does a barrister do?

Most barristers are self-employed, working with other barristers in offices referred to as chambers (or ‘stables’ in Scotland). Experienced barristers may become sole practitioners.

In England and Wales, barristers also work for government departments in the Government Legal Profession or agencies like the Crown Prosecution Service. An increasing number of barristers are employed in-house by companies or charities or even employed by solicitors’ firms.

Types of barrister

Barristers normally specialise in one area such as criminal law, commercial or common law (divorce, housing and personal injuries). Other fields include chancery (dealing with estates and trusts) or entertainment and sports law.

• Criminal barristers spend a lot of time in court.
• Family law barristers are more involved in mediation.
• Commercial and chancery law can involve advisory work and drafting legal documents.

The day-to-day life of a barrister

Depending on your specialist area of legal practice, you may:

• Meet clients to advise them on their case.
• Conduct legal research and keep up with changes in the law.
• Prepare legal arguments to present in court.
• Advocate in court, and examine or cross-examine witnesses.
• Draft legal documents.
• Negotiate settlements.
• Meet with solicitors and other professionals.

If you’re looking to become a barrister or advocate, expect to work long and unsocial hours. Court sits during the day, but there’s a lot of preparation involved and tight deadlines. You’ll also be expected to follow strict dress codes.

How much does a barrister earn?

Many people assume a barrister’s salary is high – but as most are self-employed, finding  estimates of barrister pay isn’t straightforward. Also, self-employed barristers must cover the cost of their chambers, insurance, professional fees and work-related expenses. This can cost as much as 20–40% of their fee income.

In England and Wales, the Bar Standards Board minimum payment for pupillage trainees was set at £24,203 in London and £22,019 elsewhere (2025). Most chambers will pay more, with up to £100,000 offered at the top chambers.

But a criminal barrister's salary in the UK is much lower, as legal aid fees have stayed the same for over 20 years (although now due to rise). The Criminal Bar Association has reports of junior barristers earning below £20,000 per year. Experienced criminal barristers can earn up to £200,000, but the average income is nearer £100,000.

Compare this with barristers in commercial law or chancery, where income may be upwards of £500,000. After 10 years, incomes may be more than £1,000,000 for some, though the average is nearer £450,000.

If you ‘take the silk’ to become a King’s Counsel, incomes can be over £1,000,000. To become a KC, you’ll need at least 15 years’ experience and must show excellence in your practice.

Employed barristers such as Crown Prosecutors working for the Crown Prosecution Service could have salaries of around £57,000 per year. Senior Crown Prosecutors could earn up to £73,500 in London.