Bar Vocational Course (BVC)

Bar Vocational Course

The Bar Vocational Course (BVC) is the vocational training course for those intending to practise as barristers. At BPP, we view the BVC as more than just a qualification. It is the foundation for your future career as a successful barrister. Our programme is rigorous and designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge necessary to prepare you for pupillage and practice as a barrister.

Our BVC is one of eight to be approved worldwide by the Bar Standards Board. Those who successfully complete the programme (and their Inn's qualifying sessions) will be eligible to be Called to the Bar of England and Wales.

The most consistently impressive aspect of the BVC at BPP is the high level of commitment towards individual students by the excellent teaching staff.

Oliver Renton
Full-time BVC, Leeds
Pupil, Charter Chambers

 

Preparing you for practice

BPP’s BVC is a challenging programme, providing you with the essential skills you need to practise as a barrister:

  • high-quality teaching from experienced tutors and practitioners who continue to practise at the Bar
  • exercises based on the real life case experiences of your tutors
  • high level of face-to-face tuition, in groups as small as six students for advocacy
  • regular practice of advocacy (more hours per week than any other leading provider), conference and negotiation skills in realistic mock court rooms, recorded to enable you to review and improve your performance
  • individual oral and written feedback from tutors
  • practising barristers and professional actors participate in mock and final assessments in advocacy, conference and negotiation skills to make assessments as true to life as possible
  • comprehensive range of books and materials included in the programme fees, so you can build your own practitioner library as soon as you start your training
  • annual mooting events judged by practitioners or members of the judiciary
  • Introduction to Pupillage lectures
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution workshops
  • court visits and practitioner evenings
  • opportunity to upgrade to an LLM in Professional Legal Practice

You can study the BVC full-time or part-time in our Law Schools in Leeds and London (Holborn) . For information on each individual study option please refer to the Essential Programme Guide.