Common law sets, law firms and government bodies show interest in new pathway
Barrister apprentices may finally arrive at the bar as early as 2026, according to the chair of the group tasked with bringing them into existence.
Tim Coulson, chair of the Barrister Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group and chief executive of Cornwall Street Barristers, told Legal Cheek that while the first barrister apprentices had originally been expected to start this year, the launch now looks more likely to take place in 2026.
Readers will recall our earlier coverage of the proposed scheme, which has been bubbling away for several years. The framework was signed off in December last year, with the Bar Standards Board (BSB) approving a model developed alongside the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE). But question marks remain, including over the BSB’s role as end point assessor and the potential costs involved.
So, which chambers are showing an interest the apprenticeship route? Coulson says two groups are leading the way:
“The interest has come from two main areas — smaller common law sets and larger employers, such as government bodies and law firms. For smaller sets, barrister apprenticeships are an excellent response to the need to be close to the markets they seek to serve. The ability for young people to see both the possibility in the first instance and the opportunity to ‘learn and earn’ in the second is key to the programme’s success… I’m not sure it will — or needs to — attract specialist sets with £100k pupillages.”
Funding, however, could prove a major stumbling block after the government announced in January that it would withdraw support for those aged 22 and over. The communication surrounding this decision was, according to Coulson, “unfortunate to say the least”.
“From the outset, the primary intent of the barrister apprenticeship was to create opportunity for school leavers, who would otherwise have to personally fund one of the other routes to the profession,” Coulson continued. “It’s not even about ensuring widening access for one particular group or another; it has to be for all. No labels, just raw talent which deserves to be nurtured.”
Coulson admits the scheme still faces resistance. “I think there is a massive job to be done within the profession, and indeed those who report on it. Initiatives like this take time to bring to fruition because it’s viewed as an easy target in the battle against change.”
Pointing to the success of the solicitor apprenticeship route, launched in 2016 and now embraced even by elite City outfits, Coulson issues a challenge to the bar: “I would merely challenge the bar to ask their professional clients what they think of apprenticeships and their success elsewhere in the legal ecosystem before they draw a conclusion.”
Curious about life at the bar? Join us at our Virtual Pupillage Fair on Thursday 9 October to hear first-hand from pupils and tenants representing chambers across the country. It’s your chance to ask questions, gain insider insights, and make valuable connections. Register now to secure your place.
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