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Below is a summary of the main areas that each member of the team is responsible for to help you contact the relevant person.
The early role of the Inns of Court in the education and training of Barristers
Looking into reforms to legal education in the mid-19th century that introduced teaching, standards and assessments after several centuries lacking any meaningful support for prospective barristers.
The Education and Training Committee is responsible for education and training strategy, policy and support. It advises the Inn on all matters of educational policy that may affect student or barrister members of the Inn. It responds to consultations affecting the profession or the Inn. It liaises with the General Council of the Bar, the Bar Standards Board, and the other Inns of Court, particularly the Advocacy Training Council (ATC) in connection with any such matter of policy. It is responsible for the registration and training of approved pupil supervisors of the Inn.
One of the core purposes of the Inn is the education and training of students and barristers. This includes the promotion of the ethos of the Bar and the maintenance of the highest professional standards in the public interest. It also includes the provision of scholarships.
If you are not yet a member of the Inn and would like to apply for admission, please see the joining the Inn pages.
The Bar Standards Board is responsible for setting the education and training requirements for becoming a barrister. We are recruiting a Subject Lead External Examiner to ensure that the common assessment criteria for the vocational component of Bar training specified in our Curriculum and Assessment Strategy are met. Barristers play a vital role in the administration of justice. They must demonstrate a high standard of professional practice to justify the trust placed in them by the public and other professionals.
- 1 Subject Lead External Examiner in Legal Research and Opinion Writing
- 1 Subject Specialist External Examiner in Professional Ethics,
- 1 Subject Specialist External Examiner in Legal Research and Opinion Writing
- 1 Subject Specialist External Examiner in Conference Skills
Subject Specialist External Examiners act on behalf of the Bar Standards Board (“BSB”) in monitoring the consistency of standards of assessments set by the organisations that we authorise to provide the vocational component of Bar training (Authorised Education and Training Organisations or “AETOs”) in their specialist subject area. These are:
- Advocacy
- Professional Ethics
- Opinion Writing and Legal Research
- Drafting
- Conference Skills
Subject Lead External Examiners oversee and co-ordinate the work of the Subject Specialist External Examiners. They are responsible for taking an overview of assessments in their subject area across all AETOs to ensure consistency of assessment on behalf of the BSB.
They also report any urgent concerns as they arise.
A current list of AETOs is available on our website. External Examiners review assessments in their subject areas across a range of AETO locations but will not be required to visit them to do so. Our External Examiners are no longer be required to visit AETOs to assess student experience. Some travel may be required to attend Extenuating Circumstance and Final Boards, but these can be attended remotely.
Application Process
Applications should be made to EErecruitment@barstandardsboard.org.uk including:
- A full CV detailing your qualifications, employment, skills, and experience;
- A covering letter (of no more than three pages) stating why the position you are applying for interests you, how you meet the selection criteria detailed in this candidate brief;
If you wish to seek a reasonable adjustment to the recruitment process for any reason, please tell us when making your application.
Please note that we will retain your application information for a period of one year after receipt.
We aim to recruit talented candidates and value diversity in background, skills, and experience. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity for all applicants.
Timetable
Closing date for applications: 7 March 2025
Interviews: Week commencing 24 and 31 March 2025
Induction training: Week commencing 28 April 2025
Start date: on completion of induction training (by 2 May 2025)
Call to the Bar by an Inn of Court is the gateway to entitlement to practise. Further training and education must be undertaken throughout a barrister’s career, during which barristers are able to draw on their Inns’ resources.
Lying behind the formal training requirements is a very considerable degree of pastoral and educational support, which the Inns provide to pupils as well as new and established practitioners.
The Inn offers advocacy training to students, pupils and new practitioners
Students (who are studying or have completed the Bar Course) have the options of
On 1 April 2019, the BSB Handbook was amended and the new Bar qualification rules came into force. In addition, on 27 March 2019, the BSB signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Inns of Court, setting out the roles and responsibilities of the BSB and the Inns under the new rules.
Under these rules, Authorised Education & Training Organisations (AETOs) are now responsible for appointing suitable pupil supervisors for their pupillages.