Stage 1: Applications Portal

Complete the application questionnaire and submit this before midday on 7 January 2022.

We are not looking for the “finished article” but rather a student with the individual qualities to develop and succeed on the ICCA Bar Course and into the profession. To this end, we have detailed below an outline of the questions that will be asked and the criteria which will be applied:

Motivation

Your reasons for wishing to qualify as a Barrister. Please include an experience you have had within a legal or non-legal environment which has influenced and informed your decision to train for the Bar and why. Please also include here why you feel the ICCA Bar Course model (comprising online learning in Part One and face-to-face teaching in Part Two) would suit your individual learning style, including the ability to work independently with limited tutor support on Part One.

Criteria:

• Reasons for wishing to qualify as a Barrister are considered and well thought out
• Justifies how the decision to train for the Bar has been influenced and informed.
• Has a good understanding of the ICCA two-part Bar Course model and provides considered reasons why it would suit their individual learning preference, including the ability to work independently, with limited tutor support (Part One).
• Is motivated by studying on the ICCA Bar Course.

You must answer this question using a maximum of 2100 characters, including spaces. This equates to approximately 300 words.

Oral Communication Skills

Experience of public speaking where you have sought to persuade an audience to agree with the argument you were advancing. Please provide an example of public speaking to an audience and how you were able or not able to persuade your audience to your point of view. How were you able to use your oral communication skills to connect effectively with your audience?

Your example can be in a legal or non-legal field and could include (but is not limited to) a work-based presentation or an event at school or university where you have communicated with an audience individually or as part of a group on any subject, or taken part in a debate, mock trial or a moot. Please note that losing an argument is not in itself a negative indicator in our assessment of this part.

Criteria:

• Experience of public speaking to an audience.
• Logical and considered explanation of how audience was persuaded (or not) to their point of view. NB Losing an argument does not in itself detract from the mark awarded.
• Uses oral communication skills to connect effectively with an audience.

You must answer this question using a maximum of 1400 characters, including spaces. This equates to approximately 200 words.

Written Communication Skills

A well written, clearly structured, succinct and grammatically correct application. Please provide an example of where you have impressed someone/a group with a piece of written work (which does not have to be legal). Your example could include, but is not limited to, persuading someone to your point of view, settling a dispute or gaining a prize in a competition.

Criteria:

An application which is:

• Well written
• Clearly structured
• Succinct
• Grammatically correct
• Ability to impress audience with a piece of written work.

You must answer this question using a maximum of 1,400 characters, including spaces. This equates to approximately 200 words.

Interpersonal Skills

Your experience of building productive working relationships with individuals. Treating others with courtesy, respect and consideration regardless of who they are. Please provide an example of a time when there was a problem in your working relationship with another individual and you took steps to resolve it. This can be in a legal or non-legal context. What was the problem/issue? What approach did you take? What was the outcome? What did you learn from that experience?

Criteria:

• Builds productive working relationships out of personal conflict.
• Treats others with courtesy, respect and consideration regardless of who they are.
• Ability to understand and empathise with another’s point of view to achieve a solution.

You must answer this question using a maximum of 1,400 characters, including spaces. This equates to approximately 200 words.

Takes Responsibility

Please give an example of where you have taken responsibility for a task to ensure it is completed to a high standard. What did you achieve? What did you learn from the experience? This could be, for example, in a work environment, a sporting environment, a voluntary organisation, or a society.

Criteria:

• Accepts responsibility for own actions and decisions.
• Willingness to be accountable for completion of a task to a high standard and how it is completed.
• Able to reflect on and evaluate own performance to explore opportunities for improvement.

You must answer this question using a maximum of 1,400 characters, including spaces. This equates to approximately 200 words.

Initiative and Determination

Please give one example of when you have shown initiative and determination to achieve a goal which required you to work round a problem or obstacle. This could be in a legal or non-legal context and could include, but is not limited to, overcoming a hurdle to achieve a desired outcome within a work, university, sporting or personal context.

Criteria:

• Demonstrates determination to pursue a goal.
• Ability to work round a problem or obstacle.
• Willing to take the initiative to achieve an outcome.

You must answer this question using a maximum of 1,400 characters, including spaces. This equates to approximately 200 words.

Stage 2: Shortlisting

All applications will be assessed by our trained team of admissions assessors. Successful applicants will be invited to an online selection day.

Stage 3: Selection Days

Selection Days will take place from Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 March 2022 inclusive.

Invitations will be sent to your registered email address and will contain full details on the format of the day. All candidates will be assessed in the same way and against the same selection criteria, as follows:

Motivation
Criteria:

• Demonstrates motivation and commitment to qualifying as a barrister.
• Able to explain how the decision to train for the Bar has been influenced and informed.
• Has a good understanding of the profession.
• Identifies a personal key skill or attribute and why this would be useful in practice at the Bar.

Analysis
Criteria:

• Effectively assimilates written or spoken information.
• Quickly distinguishes between relevant facts and irrelevant information so as to identify the real issues.
• Provides justification for views or arguments advanced without making unwarranted assumptions.
• Ability to identify and focus on achieving a solution to a given problem.

Effective Communication
Criteria:

• Is clear and understandable.
• Structures communication to aid understanding.
• Presents complex points simply and accurately.
• Builds strong, logical arguments.
• Adapts style and language to the needs of the audience.
• Delivers arguments or views with confidence and impact.

Interpersonal Skills
Criteria:

• Builds effective working relationships.
• Treats others with courtesy and respect, regardless of who they are.
• Listens and demonstrates empathy and sensitivity.
• Inspires trust and confidence.

All 4 competencies above are assessed at interview and only Analysis and Effective Communication are assessed during the advocacy exercise. Details of the advocacy exercise will be sent to all candidates at least 24 hours in advance.

Stage 4: Offers

The best performing candidates in line with our selection criteria will receive an offer to attend the ICCA Bar Course. Offers must be accepted by the specified deadline, failing which the offer will be deemed to have been withdrawn.

Due to a high demand for places, the ICCA may notify candidates that they have been placed on a reserve list, in which case they will receive an offer if a place becomes available.

If additional places become available due to student deferrals or for other reasons, the ICCA may hold an additional application cycle in 2022.