Northumbria’s approach to Bar training replicates professional practice more closely than ever.

You will study:

• Civil Litigation (incorporating evidence and Alternative Dispute Resolution)
• Criminal Litigation (incorporating evidence and sentencing)
• Advocacy
• Conferencing
• Drafting
• Opinion Writing
• Legal Research
• Professional Ethics

The Bar Course LLM will apply your knowledge and skills to practice in a broad range of briefs focused upon the foundational areas of pupillage and early practice - family, civil and criminal law. You will develop your skills in Advocacy, Conferencing, Drafting and Opinion Writing within the simulated context of these briefs, and this invaluable, practical experience will equip you to be immediately effective in pupillage.

A Masters in Law offers you the opportunity to enhance your profile and experience by gaining an internationally recognised LLM qualification in addition to your Bar Course. At Northumbria we offer Bar students two possible routes to the LLM Project qualification: a traditional dissertation focusing on the in-depth critical examination of a substantive area of law of your choosing of between 10,000 – 15,000 words; or a combination of clinical experience gained in the Student Law Office, together with and extended piece of written work of between 8,000 and 10,000 words (SLO Bar Project).

Through your LLM Project you will develop professional skills necessary for practice, expanding on your legal knowledge, your legal application and your ability to critically analyse and reflect on law, practice and policy. In an increasingly competitive market, this offers you an additional pathway to differentiate your qualification and to enhance your future employability.

Northumbria’s Bar Course LLM is led by a team of highly experienced barristers, and supported by our well-established network of guest speakers including members of the Bar, Judges, and other relevant professionals, including forensic scientists.

You will benefit from generous contact hours throughout the course – including dedicated exam-focused teaching sessions – in which the teaching team will share their expertise to support you in preparing for the Bar Standards Board (BSB) centralised assessments.

You may also gain, at no further cost and additional qualification in mediation.

Northumbria delivers many opportunities to develop distinctive knowledge and skills through:

• Vulnerable witness training
• Practitioner advocacy masterclasses
• Advocacy training involving non-civilian witnesses and expert witnesses, for example Crime Scene Investigators, Police Officers and Social Workers (please note, the range of witnesses may change year on year).
• Teaching in respect of forensic science and forensic statistics
• Participation in international mooting competitions
• A mentoring scheme in conjunction with the Bar

Together these opportunities will allow you to distinguish yourself in a competitive environment and ultimately thrive in this prestigious profession.

Our flexible suite of Bar Courses offers you the opportunity to learn in the way that suits you best, with part-time, PGDip and separate Bar Knowledge and Bar Skills options available.

At Northumbria, we aim to ensure that you are prepared in every way for pupillage selection and life as a barrister. The course will build on your existing legal knowledge and equip you with the knowledge, skills and attributes set out in the Professional Statement for Barristers and necessary for practice as an effective and successful legal professional.

The addition of a Masters in Law further offers you the opportunity to enhance your profile and experience by gaining an internationally recognised LLM qualification in addition to your Bar Course.

Northumbria Law School is internationally-recognised as delivering excellence in training for the Bar, and we are an integral part of the local legal community. Local firms and practitioners often sponsor prizes celebrating student success on the programme – evidence of the high esteem in which our graduates are held and a remarkable opportunity for you to gain recognition.

Previous graduates have gone on to positions as barristers in Newcastle and all over England and Wales, as well as in Commonwealth jurisdictions across the globe.