Bar Council Training Scheme (BCTS) for Chinese lawyers 2018

Opportunity for chambers to host a Chinese lawyer

The International Committee is pleased to run the seventh year of its training scheme for Chinese lawyers. The programme succeeds the Lord Chancellor’s Training Scheme which after twenty successful years ended in 2011. This year’s scheme will take place from 4 June to 20 July 2018 in London (chambers placements are 15 June - 20 July) and will focus on the training of young Chinese lawyerswho have practised commercial law for between 2 and 10 years, have excellent English and an interest in international practice. The programme will focus on international commercial law and will be delivered through a bespoke academic programme provided by BPP Law School and practical placements in chambers. This will be supplemented with a programme of specialist legal seminars and social events.

The programme aims to give the lawyers an understanding of the English legal system, the way barristers operate and how to instruct them whilst at the same time building the legal skills and knowledge required for international practice. The chambers selected to host the lawyers will gain a unique insight intothe Chinese legal market. In addition, useful business contacts will be established between lawyers of both jurisdictions.

The International Committee is seeking barristers’ chambers willing to host these Chinese lawyers for five weeks, from 15 June - 20 July 2018.Interested chambers must be in the commercial field, do dispute resolution and have an international element to their practice, and should be able to offer one or preferably two mentors to guide the Chinese lawyer through their placement. Placements are similar in substance to a mini pupillage and should include some of the following elements:

  • Visiting different types of court
  • An insight into case management
  • Discussion of ethics, code of conduct and some of the challenges of practice
  • Introduction to the operation of chambers
  • The opportunity to read and research and do written work
  • Participation in meetings, conferences and chambers social events

If you are interested in hosting a lawyer, please complete the below form and send it to Lesley Orero by 17:00 on Thursday 29 March 2018. If you have any queries regarding the programme, please contact Jessica Crofts-Lawrence at or on 0207 611 1357.

Chambers profile and requirements for hosting a visiting lawyer

General

Chambers name and address:
Contact person:
Contact email address:
Criterion / Brief summary of how chambers meets criterion(c.50 words per criterion)
  1. Be able to host one young Chinese lawyer for five consecutive weeks (Friday 15 June-Friday 20 July) during which you will provide high quality work experience and training in fields relevant to international commercial legal practice. (please list your main relevant practice areas).

  1. Have capacity to share legal skills such as advocacy techniques and negotiation and business skills such as chambers/law firm management and marketing.

  1. Have experience of working with Chinese clients or an interest in developing work with them.

  1. Have experience of hosting international lawyers.

  1. Have two barristers willing to mentor the lawyer during the placement; one principal mentor and an alternate willing to support this effort generally and more specifically to take over in case of the principal mentor being unavailable for any reason. These mentors will need to have an existing international practice in order to be effective for the purpose of this project.
  2. (please specify their names, email addresses and telephone)

  1. Be willing to consider running a one hour long evening seminar or workshop at your chambers for the whole group of ten Chinese lawyers, on topics such as:
  • The Bar: its history and the present
  • Barristers’ chambers – structure, operations and management
  • EU law
  • Civil litigation procedure, legal costs and ADR
  • Procedures and interim remedies in commercial disputes
  • Jurisdiction and conflict of laws, including cross-border enforcement
  • International arbitration
  • Specialist areas (1)
  • Shipping and aviation law
  • Banking, finance and insurance law
  • Intellectual Property law
  • Specialist areas (2)
  • Joint ventures: shareholders’ rights and disputes
  • Civil fraud and asset tracing
  • Property law
  • Company and insolvency law
(please specify any possible speakers for each of your proposals)
  1. If you have any other ideas for a seminar or workshop at your chambers, please list them.