Comment on Barrister apprentices could be here as early as next year, says trailblazer chair by Alasdair from HK

Common law sets, law firms and government bodies show interest in new pathwayBarrister apprentices may finally arrive at the bar as early as 2026, according to the chair of the group tasked with bringing them into existence. Tim Coulson, chair of the Barrister Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group and chief executive of Cornwall Street Barristers, told Legal Cheek that while the first barrister apprentices had originally been expected to start this year, the launch now looks more likely to take place in 2026. Coulson says two groups are leading the way:“The interest has come from two main areas — smaller common law sets and larger employers, such as government bodies and law firms. For smaller sets, barrister apprenticeships are an excellent response to the need to be close to the markets they seek to serve. “From the outset, the primary intent of the barrister apprenticeship was to create opportunity for school leavers, who would otherwise have to personally fund one of the other routes to the profession,” Coulson continued.