To become a barrister in England and Wales, you complete three stages of training regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB): an academic stage (a law degree, or a non-law degree plus a law conversion course), a vocational stage (a Bar course, taken after joining one of the four Inns of Court), and a pupillage, a period of supervised work-based training, usually in barristers’ chambers, that typically lasts around a year. After completing the vocational stage, you’re “called to the Bar” by your Inn, and after pupillage you can practise independently. Most barristers are self-employed, working from chambers and specialising in advocacy and expert legal advice, while others are employed by organisations such as the Crown Prosecution Service, government departments or companies. Pupillage is highly competitive, so successful candidates usually combine strong academic results with advocacy experience, mini-pupillages and clear evidence of commitment.
This guide is for students, graduates and career changers considering the Bar. It explains what barristers do, each stage of qualification, how to win pupillage, life in chambers, how barristers are paid and the realities of the career. Rules and requirements change, so check the BSB’s current guidance before making decisions.
What barristers do
Barristers are specialist advocates and advisers. Their work typically includes:
| Task | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Advocacy | Presenting cases in courts and tribunals, examining witnesses and making legal arguments |
| Written advice | Opinions on the strength of a case or the law in a particular area |
| Drafting | Statements of case, skeleton arguments and other court documents |
| Conferences | Meeting clients and solicitors to discuss strategy and evidence |
| Negotiation | Settlement discussions and mediations |
| Preparation | Reading case papers, researching law and preparing for hearings |
Barristers are usually instructed by solicitors, who manage the client relationship and day-to-day case work. Under the public access scheme, suitably trained barristers can also accept instructions directly from members of the public in some types of work. Our guide to solicitors vs barristers explains how the two professions differ.
Main areas of practice
- Criminal: prosecuting or defending in the magistrates’ courts and Crown Court.
- Family: children cases, divorce finances and domestic abuse proceedings.
- Commercial and chancery: business disputes, contracts, trusts, insolvency and property.
- Employment: tribunal claims for employers and employees.
- Public law: judicial review, human rights and regulatory challenges.
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: compensation claims.
- Immigration: appeals and challenges to immigration decisions.
- Specialist areas: tax, intellectual property, construction, planning, media and sports law.
Chambers usually specialise, so choosing an area affects which chambers you apply to for pupillage.
The route to becoming a barrister
1. The academic stage
You need either a qualifying law degree or a non-law degree followed by a postgraduate law conversion course. Grades matter: chambers often look closely at academic performance, and many successful candidates have strong degree results.
2. Joining an Inn of Court
Before starting the vocational stage, you must join one of the four Inns of Court: Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple or Gray’s Inn. The Inns provide education, mentoring, advocacy training and networking events. They also offer scholarships, which can help significantly with the cost of the Bar course.
3. The vocational stage (Bar course)
Several providers offer Bar courses, covering practical skills such as advocacy, drafting, opinion writing and conference skills, plus civil and criminal procedure, evidence and professional ethics. Courses vary in structure, length and cost, so compare options carefully. After completing the vocational stage and meeting the Inn’s requirements, you’re called to the Bar.
4. Pupillage
Pupillage is the final, work-based stage, usually lasting around 12 months. Pupils work under the supervision of an experienced barrister (a pupil supervisor). In the first part, pupils observe and assist; in the later part, they can take on their own cases with supervision. Pupils receive a minimum pupillage award set by the BSB. After successfully completing pupillage, barristers are eligible to practise, and many apply for tenancy (a permanent place) at their chambers.
How to win pupillage
Pupillage is the biggest hurdle for aspiring barristers, because there are far fewer pupillages than Bar course graduates each year. Strong applicants usually show:
| What chambers look for | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Intellectual ability | Strong academic results, scholarships, research or writing |
| Advocacy potential | Mooting, debating, mock trials, public speaking |
| Commitment to the Bar | Mini-pupillages, marshalling, Inn activities, relevant volunteering |
| Interest in the practice area | Experience and reading relevant to the chambers’ work |
| Communication and judgement | Clear written applications and composed interviews |
| Resilience and work ethic | Demanding jobs, sports or responsibilities alongside study |
Practical steps
- Do several mini-pupillages in your target practice areas. They show commitment and help you choose chambers.
- Moot and debate regularly, through your university and your Inn.
- Marshal with a judge, if possible, to see advocacy from the bench’s perspective.
- Get relevant work experience, such as volunteering at advice organisations, legal clinics or working as a paralegal.
- Apply strategically: research chambers’ practice areas, size, culture and pupillage arrangements.
- Prepare thoroughly for interviews, which often include advocacy exercises, legal problems and ethical scenarios.
Many pupillages are advertised through a central online application system, though some chambers recruit directly. Application timings are often concentrated at particular times of year, so check deadlines early.
If you don’t secure pupillage immediately
Many successful barristers needed more than one application cycle. In the meantime, candidates often work as paralegals, legal assistants, judicial assistants or in policy roles, build further advocacy experience and refine their applications. Some decide that a different legal career, such as qualifying as a solicitor and becoming a solicitor-advocate, better suits them. Our guide to becoming a solicitor explains that route.
Life in chambers
Most practising barristers are self-employed members of chambers. Chambers are groups of barristers who share premises, administrative staff and clerks, while each barrister runs their own practice.
- Clerks manage barristers’ diaries, negotiate fees and help bring in work from solicitors.
- Rent and expenses: barristers usually pay a share of their income or fixed contributions toward chambers’ costs.
- Tenancy: after pupillage, chambers decide whether to offer the pupil a permanent place.
- Independence: barristers choose which cases to accept, subject to professional rules, and build their reputations individually.
The self-employed model offers independence and the potential for high earnings, but income can be irregular, especially early on, and barristers must manage their own finances, tax and pensions.
The employed Bar
Some barristers work as employees for organisations such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the Government Legal Department, local authorities, regulators, law firms and companies. Employed barristers receive salaries and benefits, and their work may focus on advocacy, advice or both.
How barristers are paid
Self-employed barristers are paid fees for their work rather than salaries. Fees depend on the type of work, the barrister’s seniority and reputation, and who is paying.
- Privately funded work (for example commercial disputes) can pay well, with fees negotiated by clerks.
- Publicly funded work (legal aid in criminal and family cases) is paid at set rates, which practitioners have long argued are low relative to the work involved.
- Early years: junior barristers’ incomes can be modest and irregular while they build a practice, particularly in publicly funded areas.
- Senior barristers in high-value commercial work can earn very high incomes.
Because of this variation, average figures can be misleading. When considering a practice area, look at how work is funded and talk to junior barristers about the realities of their first few years.
Career progression at the Bar
| Stage | Typical work |
|---|---|
| Pupil | Shadowing, drafting, then supervised cases |
| Junior barrister (early years) | Smaller hearings, applications, advice, building a practice |
| Established junior | More complex cases, appearing against senior opponents, leading juniors in some matters |
| King’s Counsel (KC) | Senior advocates appointed for excellence, typically leading the most complex and high-value cases |
| Judicial roles | Some barristers become part-time and later full-time judges |
Appointment as King’s Counsel, often called “taking silk”, is a mark of distinction awarded through a competitive application process. Many barristers also take part-time judicial roles, such as recorder positions, alongside practice.
Skills barristers need
- Advocacy: presenting arguments persuasively and responding to questions from the bench.
- Legal analysis: quickly identifying the key issues in complex case papers.
- Written skills: clear, concise opinions and skeleton arguments.
- Preparation: mastering facts and law, often at short notice.
- Judgement: advising realistically on prospects and strategy.
- Interpersonal skills: building trust with clients, solicitors and clerks.
- Resilience: coping with pressure, unpredictable workloads and difficult cases.
- Business sense: managing a self-employed practice, finances and reputation.
Costs and funding
Training for the Bar can be expensive. Costs include tuition for a law degree or conversion course, Bar course fees, Inn membership and living costs while studying. Ways to reduce the financial burden:
- Inn scholarships, which are substantial and available for the Bar course and other stages.
- Choosing a Bar course with a structure and cost that suits your circumstances.
- Working alongside study, if the course allows.
- Pupillage awards, which provide income during pupillage and sometimes include drawdowns of future awards to help with Bar course costs.
Compare the full cost against your chances of securing pupillage before committing, and research which chambers recruit in your target area.
Pros and cons of a career at the Bar
Pros
- Intellectually demanding advocacy and advisory work.
- Independence and control over your practice as a self-employed barrister.
- Potential for high earnings in some practice areas.
- The chance to shape important cases and the law.
- Collegiate environment in chambers and Inns.
Cons
- Fierce competition for pupillage and tenancy.
- Irregular income, especially early in your career.
- Unpredictable hours and last-minute instructions.
- Stress from courtroom work and high-stakes cases.
- Significant upfront training costs.
A day in the life (hypothetical)
Here’s an illustrative day for a junior criminal barrister in their third year of practice:
- 7:30 Reads the papers for today’s hearing, a contested trial in the magistrates’ court, received from the clerks late yesterday evening.
- 9:00 Arrives at court, meets the client in a conference room, explains the process and takes final instructions.
- 10:00 Speaks with the prosecutor about the evidence and any agreed facts.
- 10:30–15:00 Conducts the trial: cross-examining prosecution witnesses, presenting the defence case and making closing submissions.
- 15:30 Receives the verdict, explains the outcome and next steps to the client, and writes a short note for the instructing solicitor.
- 16:30 Travels back to chambers, where the clerks have a new brief for a sentencing hearing tomorrow in a different court.
- 18:00 Prepares for tomorrow, reading the pre-sentence report and drafting brief mitigation notes.
A commercial junior’s day might look very different, with more time spent drafting written advice and skeleton arguments for hearings weeks away. In both cases, workloads are often unpredictable, and clerks play a central role in managing diaries and new instructions.
Common mistakes aspiring barristers make
- Applying without enough advocacy experience, such as mooting or debating.
- Too few mini-pupillages, or none in the target practice area.
- Generic applications that don’t explain why a particular chambers or area appeals.
- Underestimating costs and the possibility of several pupillage cycles.
- Neglecting academic results, which chambers often weigh heavily.
- Not using Inn resources, including scholarships, mentoring and advocacy training.
FAQ
How long does it take to become a barrister?
Commonly around five to six years after school: a three-year law degree (or a degree plus conversion course), the vocational Bar course and about a year of pupillage. It can take longer if securing pupillage takes several attempts.
Do I need a law degree to become a barrister?
No. Non-law graduates can take a law conversion course before the Bar course.
What is a mini-pupillage?
A short work experience placement in chambers, usually a few days, where you shadow barristers, read papers and sometimes complete an assessment.
Can barristers work directly for clients?
Under the public access scheme, suitably trained barristers can accept instructions directly from members of the public in some types of work.
Are all barristers self-employed?
No. Many are employed by organisations such as the Crown Prosecution Service, government departments and companies.
Takeaway
Becoming a barrister requires an academic stage, membership of an Inn of Court, a vocational Bar course and pupillage. The career offers independence, intellectual challenge and the chance to argue cases that matter, but competition is intense and early income can be uncertain. Build academic strength, advocacy experience and mini-pupillages, use your Inn’s support and scholarships, and research practice areas and chambers carefully. For a broader view of legal careers, see our legal career guide.
