The first barrister apprenticeships in England and Wales are set to open for applications as soon as 2026, following final preparations by regulators and legal educators. 

Speaking at the Westminster Legal Policy Forum on legal education and training, Tim Coulson, chief executive of Cornwall Street Barristers and chair of the barrister apprenticeship trailblazer group, confirmed that the framework was now in place. 

“We’re just finalising the end-point assessment and hopefully they will be open to candidates in the not too distant future,” he said. 

Barrister apprenticeships were formally approved last year by both the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Coulson described the new route as a “huge opportunity” and one of the “key tools for unlocking quality and widening participation” at the Bar. 

1. Age Restrictions Raise Concerns 

However, the government's recent decision to cap funding for Level 7 apprenticeships, which include the barrister pathway, to those aged 16 to 21 has raised accessibility concerns. Critics argue the move risks excluding older candidates, particularly those from non-traditional or career-changing backgrounds. 

2. Is imposter syndrome real? 

Coulson also used the forum to challenge the increasingly common reference to “imposter syndrome” among junior legal professionals. 

“I have a real problem with people coming into my office suffering from impostor syndrome,” he said.  

“It doesn’t exist. It’s a myth. You’re just having confidence issues. It’s almost become a social construct.” 

He added that legal workplaces needed to become “more empathetic” and said his own chambers had increased investment in career development to better support early-career professionals. 

3. Diverging Views from the City 

Patrick McCann, Chief executive of the City of London Law Society and co-chair of City Century, an initiative to expand solicitor apprenticeships, offered a contrasting perspective.  

“I do believe in impostor syndrome,” McCann said, describing his own approach as ‘inpostor syndrome’, a technique that involves reflecting on past successes to build confidence for future challenges. 

Speaking later to a group of 130 solicitor apprentices, McCann urged them to serve as role models within their communities:  

“Role models need to look like the people who are looking at them, or someone they know, in order for that to work.” 

4. Will Gen Z values hold? 

Looking ahead, McCann said younger generations could be a powerful force for change, if they remain committed to their stated values of social purpose, work-life balance and community engagement. 

However, he cautioned that economic pressures and the threat of automation may ultimately shift priorities. 

“If AI takes a number of jobs away, which it might do, who knows what it might change? Then maybe the scrabble to get a job might be such that people change their viewpoints on things. I hope not, but I can see that it might happen.”