PG Dip Bar Practice

The Postgraduate Diploma Bar Practice programme covers the vocational elements of training for a Barrister (previously the BPTC).  Its innovative design focuses on developing you to manage both a face to face and digital practice. The course is experiential with a focus on developing excellent personal and legal skills which are relevant for professional practice as a barrister or in any other professional career. As digital practice has become more prevalent across the professions, the programme incorporates this into delivery and provides you with a laptop with access to key resources as part of your tuition fees.

Why choose this course?

• Enhancing employability: Throughout the programme, you’ll develop professional connections through our extensive employability programme and participate in a range of co-curricular courses.
• Professional accreditation: A internationally recognised master’s degree incorporating the vocational requirements for qualification as a Barrister of England and Wales
• Work-related learning: Our award-winning Law Clinic covers a number of practice areas and pro bono opportunities which will enable you to put the skills you learn on the programme into practice in the community. The LLM component involves a compulsory Legal Research project based in the Law Clinic which provides you with practical, real-world, client-based experience.
• Advocacy: 40 hours of face-to-face advocacy training by experts including Judges, Barristers and Solicitors.  You will have the opportunity to work on authentic, real-life scenarios and practice your skills in our full-scale replica Crown Court.
• CV-enhancing activities: An extensive array of co-curricular activities including trial advocacy led by a former member of the judiciary, client interviewing, conferencing, debating, commercial awareness and mooting.
• Strong industry links: Hertfordshire Law School has close links with the Law Clinic and Careers Service providing you with the skills and support you need to make the most of your time on the programme and succeed in your chosen career.
• Fantastic facilities: We are one of the few providers of legal education in the country with a full-scale multi-million-pound replica Crown Courtroom which is fully equipped with the latest technology to enable you to perform your Advocacy skills and prepare you for practice.
• Teaching excellence: You’ll be taught by experienced practitioners in the legal field including Barristers, Solicitors and former Judges as well as academics, all of whom understand the context of the modules in practice.
• Exceptional student learning experience: 85% overall satisfaction score in Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey ranking 1st overall.
• Award-winning: Best Contribution by a Team of Students helping vulnerable people at risk of homelessness in Hertfordshire. (Law Works Student Pro Bono Awards, 2022).