Bar Vocational Studies (BVS) LLM/PGDip/PGDip with Electives

• Advocacy: Cross Examination (10 credits)

  This core module provides you with systematic and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the techniques commonly used by advocates when conducting cross-examination of witnesses in courts or other tribunals.
  
  It will help you to develop a conceptual understanding of the role of an advocate and to use the techniques of advocacy in an effective and practical way.

• Advocacy: Examination in Chief (10 credits)

  This core module provides you with systematic and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the techniques commonly used by advocates when conducting examination-in-chief of witnesses in courts or other tribunals. It will help you to develop a conceptual understanding of the role of an advocate and use the techniques of advocacy in an effective and practical way.

• Advocacy: Submissions (10 credits)

  This compulsory module equips aspiring barristers with essential advocacy skills, including systematic case and evidential analysis, procedural rule application, and crafting persuasive submissions and skeleton arguments. It focusses on practical, realistic exercises to prepare students for effective court performance during pupillage and early practice.

• Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution (20 credits)

  This core module aims to provide a systematic understanding of civil litigation, evidence, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). It focuses on applying Civil Procedure Rules and ADR techniques in practice, enhancing skills in client representation, advising, and ethical considerations within the legal profession.

• Conference Skills (10 credits)

  The core module aims to provide comprehensive knowledge of conducting conferences, emphasising client care, professional ethics, and effective communication. It prepares you to understand conference objectives, follow structured agendas, integrate evidence and procedural rules, and advise clients appropriately, through practical exercises modelled on criminal cases.

• Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing (15 credits)

  This core module teaches principles of Criminal Litigation, Evidence, and Sentencing, focusing on practical application to advance client interests. It aims to build systematic understanding, up-to-date knowledge, and independent research skills, supporting advocacy and conference skills through integrated learning and professional practice insights.

• Drafting Skills (15 credits)

  This core module aims to equip students with comprehensive drafting skills essential for legal practice at the Bar. It covers the preparation of clear, grammatically correct statements of case and other legal documents, ensuring adherence to procedural rules and professional standards.
  
  Training involves practical exercises across various legal areas, emphasising fluency, precision, and logical structure in drafting.

• Professional Ethics (10 credits)

  This module is designed to impart detailed knowledge and understanding of the ethical and regulatory requirements set by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). It aims to instil core professional values and ethical behaviour essential for practice at the Bar of England and Wales, preparing students for pupillage or work-based learning by focusing on professional ethics, including the Code of Conduct and Core Duties.

• Opinion Writing (15 credits)

  This core module aims to equip students with skills essential for writing concise and well-structured legal opinions across various practice areas. It focuses on practical approaches to meet client objectives, emphasising clear, reliable advice based on thorough legal analysis and effective communication with instructing solicitors and clients.

• Legal Research (5 credits)

  This core module focuses on equipping you with essential legal research skills crucial for effective legal practice. It covers diverse areas such as contract breaches, negligence, and damages quantification. The module aims to teach accurate legal analysis, efficient resource usage, and clear presentation of research findings, critical for advising clients and preparing legal arguments.

• Advanced Criminal Advocacy (15 credits)

  This elective module aims to enhance advocacy skills in advanced criminal practice through realistic court exercises resembling early career scenarios. It focuses on deepening knowledge of substantive law and criminal procedure, preparing students for effective case preparation, courtroom management, and advocacy in criminal trials, including handling witnesses and ethical considerations.

• Advanced Civil Advocacy (15 credits)

  This elective module aims to enhance advocacy skills gained in core modules, focussing on advanced civil practice. It prepares you for early legal practice through realistic exercises like drafting Instructions to Counsel and handling court hearings typical in civil law. Emphasis is on substantive law, civil procedure, case analysis, and effective oral and written advocacy skills.

• Company and Insolvency (15 credits)

  This elective module aims to equip barristers-in-training with essential skills and knowledge in commercial and chancery practice. It covers substantive law such as company formation, governance, director duties, shareholder rights, and insolvency procedures, emphasising practical application through case analysis, drafting, advocacy, and ethical compliance.

• Employment Law and Practice (15 credits)

  This elective module is designed to allow you to develop your knowledge of substantive law and to apply transferable professional legal skills which you will have developed on the modules in the Vocational Component. You will be expected to draw on all you have learned on the programme.

• Family Law (15 credits)

  This elective module aims to prepare junior barristers for practical aspects of family practice. It covers topics like domestic violence protection, financial provision, disputes over children, and local authorities' roles. Emphasis is on developing advisory, drafting, and advocacy skills, along with a solid grasp of ethical and procedural standards in family law.

• Fraud and Economic Crime (15 credits)

  This elective module aims to enhance professional legal skills through practical exercises in drafting, opinion writing, advocacy, and conferences. It focuses on applying substantive law and procedure in complex scenarios, preparing barristers for early practice in areas such as fraud, money laundering, bribery, and corruption.

• International Commercial Trade (15 credits)

  This elective module aims to equip students with expertise in commercial sales of goods and international carriage by sea. It covers Sale of Goods Act 1979, Hague-Visby Rules, Marine Insurance Act 1906, and Insurance Act 2015.
  
  Practical skills in legal research, case analysis, drafting, advocacy, and client advice are developed through simulated scenarios.

• Judicial Review (15 credits)

  This elective module is designed to allow you to develop your knowledge of the substantive law in the context of Judicial Review and to apply transferable professional legal skills which you will have developed in the core modules.
  
  The law of Judicial Review will be examined in a practical context using realistic scenarios and mock Briefs and Instructions to Counsel. The module will examine judicial review claims in areas that arise in practice such as homelessness and/or social care, public procurement and penal law.

To enter legal practice as a barrister, you must complete the Vocational Component, which is the vocational stage of training. This forms the compulsory component of this programme. The programme also allows you to further develop your legal skills and enhance your employability by choosing the LLM route, which, in addition to the core modules, requires the completion of two electives and either an Article or the Clinical Legal Education module.

• Article (30 credits)

  The article module aims to allow you to build on your experience in studying the modules on the Vocational Component by developing, in greater depth, your skills of research, analysis, synthesis, written presentation and evaluation in relation to a selected research project. This will support you in achieving a high standard on entry to the legal profession, and in developing your career.

• Clinical Legal Education (30 credits)

  This module provides an opportunity to do real clinical legal work with one of our partner organisations and complete a reflective portfolio relating to that work. This will include representing and/or advising clients, legal research, undertaking appropriate training, and producing a reflective report of your work. (Only available to full-time students).