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The Guernsey Bar continues to see a steady number of students interested in undertaking law as their chosen career path.
According to Careers Guernsey records, last year 10 students graduated with a law degree three of whom went on to post graduate level. Over the past five years nine students have returned to the island to work in the legal profession either as paralegals or a legal assistant.
The Guernsey Bar was one of over 70 employers and learning providers at the EY Careers and Skills Show earlier this year. Representatives from a number of the island’s local law firms manned the stand providing guidance to students interested in pursuing a career in law as well as highlighting other career options available within the legal industry such as human resources, paralegal, conveyancing clerks and administrative positions.
Firms found that many students were keen to find out about the importance of their A-Levels choices and the variety of routes that could be followed to become a lawyer.
The ‘Have a go’ activity on The Guernsey Bar stand featured four past legal case studies, including a local sexual discrimination case. Around 100 students entered the prize draw, but the winner was a year 9 student from St Sampson’s High School who came away with an iPad Air 2.
Bâtonnier, Clare Tee (head of The Guernsey Bar Council), said: “The Careers and Skills Show is a great opportunity to showcase the legal profession – potentially our next generation of lawyers in the island.
“As The Guernsey Bar is the body that represents the legal profession on the island it gives us a chance to demonstrate all the roles within the sector and opportunities for young people as well as show the level of professional development that’s also available along the way.”
Advocate Tee explained that there are two distinct paths to follow before being called to The Guernsey Bar: “Once you have completed your A-Levels, your next step is to decide which degree you would like to study at university. You don’t necessarily need to do a law or combined law degree, alternatively you can also take the Graduate Diploma in Law once you’ve gained a degree.”
The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) is a one year law conversion course, which is a first step into law after a non-law undergraduate degree.
“Once you’ve completed your degree (and conversion if necessary), the next step is to decide which role is more suited to you: barrister or solicitor, as there are different training courses for each role.”
The Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) is the vocational stage of becoming a barrister, designed to reflect the modern working Bar. The Legal Practice Course (LPC) is the vocational stage for becoming a solicitor, designed to provide a bridge between academic study and training in a law firm. These are English qualifications, which are a necessary step to becoming a Guernsey advocate.
On qualifying as an English barrister or solicitor the next steps to becoming a Guernsey advocate are to undertake a period of training, known as pupillage, with a firm in Guernsey, pass the Guernsey Bar exams and complete three months studying Norman law in France. You can be called to the Guernsey Bar and practice law in Guernsey.
