Our Melbourne-based sources inform us that prospective barristers have been eagerly awaiting news of changes to the requirements for admission to the Victorian Bar Readers’ Course. It is understood that the current protocol is for a would-be barrister to pay a deposit of approximately $1000 to be placed on a wait-list for the next vacancy on one of the twice-yearly, 3-month courses. The trouble is, people on the wait-list are rumoured to currently endure an agonising 3-year queue for the next vacancy.
Accordingly, we’re informed that Vicbar has for the last year been considering changes to the current regime to dispense with the overinflated wait-list of readers. We understand that the system to be adopted will move closer to the barristerial qualification requirements of the NSW Bar.
In NSW, to qualify as a barrister a solicitor must among other things:
- pass three qualifying Bar exams (costing $200 each);
- attend a month-long course known as the Bar Practice Course (costing $3000); and
- spend 12 months’ reading period with one or more barristers (tutors) of not less than seven years’ standing. The 12 months includes the period of the Bar Practice Course.
We received the following intel in relation to changes to the Victorian Bar Readers’ Course from a person appropriately identifying themselves as “Young Barrister” on the weekend:
Previously there was a list for a place in the bar reader’s course, this list has now evaporated with the introduction of a 3 hour closed book ‘entrance exam’, a with passmark of 75%. There are no hints or sample questions beyond one very flimsy sample question there is nothing to use as a guide, the exam structure has not been finalised and the exams haven’t been written yet.
Passing the entrance exam will now give supposedly automatic entrance to the bar reader’s course. Except this will be subject to availability, except for the first two exams. There will be a fee for the exam but those on the list already will not have to pay for either of the first two exams. These are the only concessions for those who’re on the list currently.
Supposedly the reason for the exam is that the quality of previous reader’s knowledge of ethics and procedure is so poor that there needs to be a standard set for admission. The current readers (march) and previous readers (september) didn’t have to do any exams. Apparently the structure of the course will change and will be made shorter (ie they will teaching less) but details are still hazy of just how little will be taught.
But it is clear that new readers are not going to be taught ethics and procedure by the new course. Wouldn’t it be sensible to place more emphasis on teaching these things in the course rather than having an exam?
The same “Young Barrister” offered the following critique of the changes:
There has been no consultation with barristers, many practicing barristers only heard of the new changes through last week’s ‘in brief’ which coincided with a presentation to prospective readers last wednesday in the mcphee room at owen dixon chambers. Attended by a pretty much packed house of wannabe barros.
…Here’s the most audacious part: the fees for the reader’s course are going to be increased! At the presentation they said they hadn’t costed it yet but that it probably wouldn’t be more than a few hundred dollars…wtf?
I feel like i am disadvantaged by waiting on the list, i’m going to have prepare for and complete a challenging (undefined) exam, then given substandard value from the abridged reader’s course. I feel as though the goalposts have been moved seriously late.
Ps no one is talking about this because the bar council have kept it under wraps. I’ve considered taking this further but i’m concerned that it would jeapardise my place in the course and my career.
Please help!
We’re not sure how much help we can offer. In the first place, it looks like the new suite of requirements are less of an inconvenience than those in NSW (ie – one exam vs three exams). We doubt that the “passmark of 75%” (if that is truly the figure) necessarily means that only 25% of people taking the exam will pass it. We suspect marking will be like a traditional university bell-curve, though we could be (and often are) wrong.
In terms of help, we would direct Young Barrister and other to the Bar Association of Qld barrister qualification requirements (available here). Tip: you’re probably already qualified to don the wig there.
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Dear Firmspy,
I do sympathise with ‘Young Barrister’ to a small extent, but I’m afraid I couldn’t agree less.
The process of admission to the Victorian Bar was in serious need of a re-vamp and, notwithstanding the likely teething problems in any change of this kind, I believe it’s a step in the right direction.
1) (As you rightly point out), it’s harder to become a barrister in NSW, so it’s not like Victoria has suddenly become the Third Reich of the Australian Bar.
2) Having a decent working knowledge of procedure, evidence and ethics if you are a professional advocate specialising in court work seems like a reasonably good idea to me (or am I missing something?).
3) What better way to achieve a decent working knowledge of something than being made to actually do some work and study it for an exam?
4) The old system of the waiting list was out of hand. The wait was out to something like late 2014 for a guaranteed place in the Readers’ Course when, in reality, the list could often contract quickly, catching people off guard as Vicbar often need to contact 100+ people to get the required 46 or so for the next intake – due to people deferring and dropping off, etc. It was an unpredictable beast that needed to be tamed.
5) Shortening the course means that ‘baby barristers’ will be able to go out and start making an income 3-4 weeks earlier. It doesn’t sound like much, but every dollar counts when you consider the current readers are not earning an income for 12 weeks and there will be an unavoidable lag in translating their first briefs into dollars in the bank. How many lawyers do you know that could go without a pay cheque for a month – or more?
6) Like any group of professionals, there are some duds at the Bar. That’s fine but there’s nothing wrong with trying to raise the standards is there? I heard on the grape vine that one Einstein in the current Readers’ Course put up their hand a few weeks ago and asked what pleadings were! Enough said.
7) So the pass mark is 75%. Oh dear Lord, how Draconian. What insufferable academic snobbery. Give me a break. A barrister is a legal specialist and as such, should know more about certain aspects of the law than solicitors. Surgeons have to do extra study and work beyond their bare medical degree, why the hell shouldn’t barristers have to do likewise?
Best of luck to all.
Chester
@ chester porter
I agree that barristers are specialists, and that it is dissappointing that someone in the reader’s course isn’t aware of the fundamentals.
Unlike the nsw exams there are no sample questions or past papers available and vicbar has indicated it is not there intention to make them available in the future.
Unlike nsw this is a closed book exam.
Unlike nsw we’ve had a list and We’ve had to pay a deposit to be on that
list. In the past readers have put down a deposit and waited, in the future readers will have to do a three hour closed book exam and not wait. We have to pay a deposit, wait on the list and then do the exam.
I agree that young barristers need to be educated in ethics and procedure but i don’t agree that an entrance exam will give any substantial understanding of those areas.
Yes, 3-4 weeks extra briefs would be welcomed by many young barristers, but it is a huge reduction in the course, don’t forget vicbar are increasing the fees, i’m feeling shortchanged.
I feel like you’re shortchanged by the defective Shift key on your keyboard.
@ Young Barrister
I agree with you that it’s a little rich to shorten the length of the course and increase the fees, although details on how much the increase will be are still sketchy.
It appears that most of your concerns have to do with the transitional realities of the changes. I guess those heading to the Bar in September or March are just going to have to grin an bear it. There’s no doubt that the transition may well throw up some difficulties in terms of who has priority. It seems there are more questions than answers about that at this stage.
As for the deposit, wasn’t there a choice between getting your deposit back or electing for Vicbar to simply keep it to reduce the eventual outstanding balance on the course fee?
Regarding the exam (and trying to be positive here), isn’t a closed book exam better? Although the very thought of it strikes fear into the heart of any law student, the reality is that it prevents you from focussing your attention on preparing notes that are dripping with black letter law. It forces you to actually UNDERSTAND the principles and be able to apply them. I also have my suspicions that, although the exam probably won’t be a cakewalk, it will be marked pretty fairly and consideration given to the fact it’s closed book.
In my view, if you have the garish pin-striped suit, the fat barrister arse, preferably greasy slicked back hair and the appropriate young-lib smugness you shouldn’t have to do the course, nor participate in the wait-list!
Minus five votes (with me voting for myself twice!) Is it the fat arsed barristers or the smug-libs that object to my last comment? Maybe it’s the grease-balls in their pin stripes?
Jesus people, lighten up with the minuses!
I haven’t seen so much negativity since I suggested to Mrs Cyril that she wasn’t ironing my nacho-rag properly!
We all know that young barristers take themselves, and their calling, waaaaay to seriously. If they didn’t have greasy hair, bad dress sense and fat arses there wouldn’t be a law insisting they wear wigs and robe up!
Hi all,
I am a current bar reader in this group and I must say I am glad I am not sitting that exam! No one has asked what is a pleading? No one is that stupid honestly!
I Feel sorry for the new people having to sit the exam and I wish them well. I believe obtaining 75% is ridiculous to say the lest. The new course is going to very hard and with it being shorter it will be nothing more than a complete flogging!
Blame Ian Freckleton his the one that demanded the goal post be moved and the Bar
become an elitist place.