The Legal Cheek View
Described as “a cyclist’s dream”, Bristol is known for its west country charm and hilly cityscape. It happens to have a budding legal sector, but until recently aspiring barristers have had to go out of town to study the BPTC at UWE. Since its introduction this year, the BPTC course at BPP’s Bristol Study Centre has bought with it fresh winds of competition to the city. BPP’s BPTCers are now the new kids on the block.
At £15,680, BPP is the pricier alternative to UWE’s BPTC. To some, handing over £15k might feel like a lot. Indeed, one BPTC graduate we heard from thinks that “a pretentious wine bar is a far better investment”. Another adds: “So is a pint to be honest”. But although it is expensive, another BPTCer tells us that BPP “helped me get pupillage – so I’d say it’s excellent value”.
You’ll also be paying for BPP’s central location. Students cheer that the campus is “only five minutes away from the next Wetherspoon’s”. It’s also a ten-minute walk from the historic Temple Meads train station. The Bristol Bar Society, where you can find out which chambers offer mini-pupillages, is just down the road.
While it’s not the fanciest building, the BPP Bristol campus is small, so “you won’t feel like a tiny fish in a big pond”. The comparatively lower student to teacher ratio ensures BPP students get “a lot of individual attention”. Recent graduates say that it’s “easy to get to know everyone”, and that the campus has a more relaxed feel than its London counterpart. It’s also worth noting that the BPP BPTC does have its fair spread of optional modules, which range from company law and international trade, to public, advanced criminal litigation, asylum and family law.
It may be relaxed, but that’s not to say that it’s quiet. Bristol does attract party animals to its unique nightlife, where trainers are widely accepted as appropriate footwear. Motion, a warehouse-style club on the city’s outskirts, has made it to the list of top 20 nightclubs in the world. Bristol isn’t short of cultural perks either, and is often the backdrop for movies and TV series. One BPP student says that “if you aren’t careful, you could walk straight into a film set on your morning commute!”
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.