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Law: Jargon buster

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  7. Jargon buster

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Case studies

  • BPTC - Bar Professional Training Course, which replaced the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) in September 2010.
  • BSB - Bar Standards Board - the regulatory professional body of the bar.
  • Call to the bar - formal ceremony following successful completion of the BPTC during which title of barrister is given.
  • Certificate in Professional Legal Studies - professional training course followed by intending barristers and solicitors in Northern Ireland after completion of a qualifying degree.
  • CPE/GDL - Common Professional Examination/Graduate Diploma in Law. One-year conversion course in England and Wales, covering core law subjects for non-law graduates.
  • Devilling - period spent as a trainee advocate in Scotland.
  • Diploma in Legal Practice - professional training course followed by both intending advocates and intending solicitors in Scotland after completion of an LLB.
  • Inns of Court - the four recognised legal societies for the bar. Students must become a member of an Inn before commencing their postgraduate legal studies.
  • JLD - Junior Lawyers Division. Law Society Group for trainee solicitors, young lawyers and legal students.
  • LPC - Legal Practice Course. Vocational course for intending solicitors in England and Wales.
  • LPQ - Legal Professional Qualification. Foundation certificate in paralegal practice to teach law graduates practical skills to become paralegals.
  • Mini-pupillage - short period spent observing a barrister’s chambers at work prior to completing your degree (often assessed).
  • Pupillage - one year of supervised work undertaken by trainee barristers in England and Wales.
  • Pupillage Gateway - the Bar's online pupillage application system. Allows you to apply to up to 12 Pupillage Gateway online system chambers as well as make one 'clearing' application. You can personalise your application to each of your target pupillage providers.
  • RTQ - the route to qualification introduced by the Institute of Paralegals to become a qualified paralegal. The four stages include affiliate, associate, certified and qualified.
  • PSC - Professional Skills Course, completed by trainee solicitors during their training contract.
  • Seats - three to four-month periods spent as part of the training contract in different areas of legal practice.
  • Set of chambers - where self-employed barristers work.
  • Silk - a senior barrister who has attained the rank of Queen's Counsel.
  • Sixes - the term used for the two periods of six months spent as a pupil barrister. During the first six, a pupil cannot earn fees. During the second six, a pupil can start to earn fees and appear on behalf of clients.
  • Solicitor advocate - a qualified solicitor who has gained further accreditation to represent clients as an advocate in the higher courts of England, Wales or Scotland.
  • SRA - the Solicitors Regulatory Authority of England and Wales.
  • Stable - administrative grouping of advocates in Scotland.
  • Tenant - acceptance into chambers following pupillage.
  • Training contract/traineeship - two-year period of supervised work with a firm of solicitors or other authorised organisation, which is required for qualification as a solicitor.
  • WBL - Work Based Learning programme. A two year pilot scheme introduced by the SRA as an alternative assessment-based programme to the vocational training contract.
 
 
 
AGCAS
Written by Kate Bassett, BPP Law School
Date: 
August 2011
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