LLM in Legal Practice at the Bar

Bar students are selected primarily on academic ability. To be considered for a place on the LLM in Legal Practice at the Bar you will need to satisfy one of the following criteria:

• You will have an LLB degree from an institution based in the UK/Republic of Ireland which included the seven foundation subjects (Contract Law, Tort, Criminal Law, EU Law, Public Law, Land Law and Equity and Trusts) with a minimum grade of 55% (2:2)
• You will have a non-law degree (with a minimum grade of 55%) from an institution based in the UK/Republic of Ireland and have successfully completed an eligible conversion course, which included the seven foundation subjects, at a UK/Republic of Ireland institution (such as the GDL) with a minimum grade of 55%

In exceptional circumstances, higher level qualifications such as a masters degree (with an overall grade of 55% or above) may be considered if your LLB or conversion course grade falls below the minimum requirement for this course.

All offers are subject to the condition that students successfully complete the academic stage of their training to the Bar Standards Board’s satisfaction and have enrolled as a student member of one of the four Inns of Court. For more information, requirements for the academic stage are set out in Part 2 of the Bar Qualification Manual.

You will need to apply to join one of the four Inns of Court (Gray’s Inn, Inner Temple, Lincoln’s Inn, Middle Temple) no later than 12 weeks prior to the start of this course.

Please note, the requirements for being called to the Bar by an Inn of Court will include an additional criminal records check.

International Students

If you have a degree from an institution outside of the UK/Republic of Ireland (with a grade equivalent to 55%), you must first apply to the Bar Standards Board for a Certificate of Academic Standing to recognise your prior qualifications before you apply for this course. See Part 2D of the Bar Qualification Manual for further details.

We also require international students to have a minimum score of 7.5 in each element of the IELTS test (or equivalent English Language Proficiency test). Please note, we will not accept an average score of 7.5 if the minimum requirement has not been met in each individual element.