Bar Course Survival Guide: 5 Things to Do Before Day One
Starting the Bar Course is exciting. You've secured your place, you've probably told all your family and friends, and you're looking forward to taking the next step towards becoming a barrister.
Before long, though, the reality kicks in.
The workload builds quickly. You'll be preparing advocacy exercises, drafting written work, attending qualifying sessions with your Inn of Court and, before you know it, you'll also be thinking about pupillage applications.
Looking back, there are a few things I wish I'd done before the course started. None of them require hours of work, but together they'll make those first few weeks much easier.
1. Start Practising Advocacy Again
If it's been a while since you've stood up and made submissions or taken part in a moot, now is the time to start again.
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bar Course is that you'll arrive and suddenly become a confident advocate. The reality is that confidence comes through practice.
The more comfortable you are speaking on your feet before the course starts, the more you'll get out of your advocacy sessions.
You don't need a courtroom. Practise with a friend. Record yourself speaking. Read a short case and explain the facts aloud. The aim isn't perfection, it's simply getting used to standing up and speaking with confidence.
One thing I've noticed over the years is that many students arrive with excellent academic knowledge but very little practical advocacy experience. Those who have already started developing those skills often settle into the course much more quickly.
That's one of the reasons we launched the Legal Skills Academy. It gives aspiring barristers and solicitors the opportunity to practise advocacy regularly in a supportive environment, so they're building confidence long before they're assessed.
2. Get Familiar with Your Practitioner Texts
When your practitioner books arrive, don't leave them in the box until your first lecture.
Whether it's the White Book, Blackstone's or any of the other texts you'll use throughout the year, spend some time getting familiar with how they're organised.
You don't need to memorise them. Instead, just learn how to navigate them efficiently:
Know where the index is.
Understand how the contents pages work.
Practise finding rules quickly.
Your open-book assessments aren't testing whether you've memorised every rule. They're testing whether you know where to find the answer.
A few hours spent becoming familiar with your books before term starts will save you a great deal of time later in the year.
3. Start Building Your Commercial Awareness
Commercial awareness isn't just something chambers ask about at interview. It's part of becoming a well-rounded lawyer.
Get into the habit of reading the news each morning. It doesn't need to take an hour. Ten or fifteen minutes is enough.
As you read, ask yourself:
How could this affect someone's legal position?
Whether it's changes in the economy, developments in employment law or a high-profile criminal case, try to think beyond the headline.
Barristers advise real people facing real problems. Understanding what's happening outside the courtroom helps you become a better advocate inside it.
4. Accept That Feedback Is Part of the Process
One of the biggest adjustments on the Bar Course is receiving regular feedback on your advocacy.
Sometimes you'll walk out of an exercise feeling like you've done brilliantly. Other times you'll receive pages of feedback and wonder whether you're cut out for the Bar. That's completely normal.
Every barrister has had hearings they were proud of and hearings they'd rather forget. The students who make the biggest improvements aren't necessarily the most naturally talented. They're the ones who listen to feedback, make small improvements and keep turning up.
Don't aim to be perfect. Aim to be a little better each week than you were the week before.
5. Sort the Practical Things Before Term Starts
This isn't the most exciting advice, but it's probably the easiest win.
Before the course starts, spend a day getting organised.
Work out your commute.
Set up folders on your laptop.
Make sure your printer works.
Back up your files.
Buy the stationery you'll need.
Book your qualifying sessions with your Inn of Court where possible.
These are all small jobs, but they're the sort of things that become surprisingly stressful when you're trying to finish an opinion or prepare for an advocacy assessment.
Future you will be grateful that you sorted them early.
Final Thoughts
The Bar Course is demanding, but it's also one of the most enjoyable parts of your legal education.
For many students, it's the first time they stop simply studying the law and start developing the practical skills they'll use throughout their careers.
If you arrive organised, prepared to work hard and willing to learn from feedback, you'll give yourself the best possible start.
And remember, advocacy is a skill.
Nobody walks into their first advocacy exercise as a polished barrister. Every confident advocate you see today started exactly where you are now.
Good luck with the Bar Course, and enjoy it.
Ready to Start Practising?
Reading about advocacy is one thing. Developing it is another.
If you're about to start the Bar Course, one of the best investments you can make is gaining practical experience before your assessments begin.
That's exactly why we created theLegal Skills Academy.
Each month, members take part in live advocacy and legal skills sessions led by experienced practitioners. You'll receive professionally prepared case bundles in advance, practise realistic exercises with fellow aspiring lawyers, receive practical guidance and have access to recordings if you can't attend live.
Membership also includes a growing library of online courses covering advocacy, public speaking, mooting, witness handling, commercial awareness and much more.
Whether you're preparing for the Bar Course, pupillage applications or simply want to become a more confident advocate, we'd love to help you get there.
Find out more about the Legal Skills Academy here:
https://speedmooting.com/legal-skills-academy
