The Legal Cheek View
Though not quite on the same scale, Birmingham is not dissimilar to London – large, busy and plenty to do. As one BPP student puts it: “Those of you familiar with the environment of Canary Wharf (in London) will be able to relate” to the atmosphere in the city centre, where BPP has its campus and has been running the BPTC there since 2015. It is of course a few thousand pounds cheaper to do the BPTC at the Birmingham campus than it is at BPP’s London Holborn centre.
The lecturers at BPP Birmingham are “knowledgeable and engaging”. They’re generally “laid back, focused and motivating people who clearly wan us to reach our full potential,” reports one student. The smaller cohort could have something to do with it, as it allows for closer tutor support and a collegiate atmosphere. Tutors are experienced practitioners, typically drawn from the local bar, which is strong in the West Midlands and includes top sets such as No5 and St Philips Chambers: “We do not need to look far for advice on vocations and work experience, how to manage our workload or generally for someone who can relate to what we are going through,” says a Birmingham student. Indeed, tutors “know everyone by name”.
The downside of the smaller size of BPP’s Birmingham BPTC is that there is sometimes not enough interest to put on certain electives. Though the choice is broad, not all BPTC electives were available last year. The law school is flexible to the extent that they offer BPTCers the opportunity to “go to an alternative BPP centre for their options if they wished”. But that’s not always practical.
The “useful” careers service is said to be as good as in the capital. Recently, in one of its regular BPTC monitoring visits, the Bar Standard Board noted meeting several students who said they “have obtained mini pupillages as a result of BPP’s organised events”. The careers team actively put on law fairs, panel and networking events, and workshops in association with local chambers. In future, the careers service plans to organise talks from former Brum BPTCers who have bagged pupillage, presumably to talk tactics.
Note that BPP Birmingham BPTCers are expected to do at least five hours of pro bono work in the year. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you start the intensive course your diary might say otherwise. Students say the pro bono opportunities at the Birmingham campus are “eye opening and enriching”.
But what’s work without play. There’s a possibility for a social life if you look out for it. The Birmingham campus does organise socials such as a fresher’s night out, go-karting, paint balling and a Christmas dinner.
Scholarships
Key Info
In addition to course fees, a registration charge of £550 is payable to the Bar Standards Board to commence the BPTC. Entry onto the BPTC is subject to candidates passing the Bar Aptitude Test.