This last academic year has seen the Education team run a combination of online and in-person events and training courses as we came out of Covid restrictions. As we look forward to the coming academic year, we are keen for our students to maximise the benefits that come with in person events, whilst also retaining the lessons learnt from the experience of the last two years. We will continue to offer some Qualifying Sessions online to assist those members who are less able to attend them in person. Livestreaming the Call ceremonies means that Callees’ friends and relatives, wherever they are in the world, can watch the special occasion.
Our newly developed programme of Qualifying Sessions has bedded in well. The Library team have run various training sessions including legal research training, case law research and legislation research. We have organised online workshops where practitioners have facilitated discussions with small groups of students on matters of ethics and equality, diversity and inclusion. New advocacy training workshops have been designed to give students an opportunity to practice advocacy in the form of bail applications, and these have been successfully run online and in person.
In October we are introducing another new QS format: Tough Topics. The purpose of these sessions is to assist in training barristers, in particular students and pupils, to focus on issues and see them in an objective and balanced way without allowing personal views to play any part. As a barrister, you may well be called upon to represent somebody whom you do not like, or to present an argument with which you do not agree. The ability to look at your own case (and your opponent’s) objectively is a key skill. Many of the cases with which barristers are involved involve people in a heightened emotional state. Some raise a large amount of public attention and, possibly, outcry. The barrister’s ability to remain calm and focussed on their task is vital in these circumstances. Each session will focus on a highly controversial issue or topic. The session will be chaired by an experienced lawyer. They will assist in facilitating the session and ensuring that the purpose of the session is preserved.
Education Days on Circuit are also in the process of being organised for those students studying outside of London. These will comprise of an advocacy workshop in the morning, an ethics workshop and a lecture in the afternoon and will count as three QS points.
Details of all the upcoming events and online booking is available on our website. The Inn is working on a new communications strategy to provide up to date and advance information about the various events and opportunities happening at the Inn. Keep an eye out for mailings from the Inn and follow us on social media. Make sure you’ve submitted your communication preferences on your account on the website to ensure that we send emails that are tailored to you.
Education team news
In February, Marion Kelly was a welcome addition to the team in a new role to oversee the increased requirements and administration required for Call to the Bar and is already proving to be invaluable. At the end of August, we said goodbye to Jonny Boyd who, after nearly three years at the Inn, has been bitten by the law bug and decided to do a Graduate Diploma in Law. Instrumental in organising and overseeing our QS programme, he will be missed but we wish him well for his future career. Alex Baguley, who previously ran our mooting competition and assisted with organising advocacy weekends and other courses, is taking over responsibility for the QS programme. We are delighted to have recently welcomed Geoff Brown to the team, who will now be looking after Advocacy Training.
