In this exclusive interview, we have the privilege of speaking with Beverley Dawes, the esteemed Head of the Bar Practice Course (BPC) at the University of Law. With her wealth of experience and expertise, Beverley offers valuable insights into the journey of Mauritian students studying – and applying for – the BPC in the UK. From the challenges they face to the opportunities that await, this interview promises to shed light on the unique experiences and aspirations of Mauritian students navigating the legal landscape abroad. Join us as we delve into the world of legal education and discover the stories behind Mauritian students’ pursuit of excellence in the UK. Excerpts:
- Does the University of Law accept applications from international students?
Yes, we do. We have been welcoming applications from international students for a very long time. We have an extensive alumni network of students from countries all around the globe which we’re very proud of and we maintain very good links with and good connections with our alumni.
We’ve had students studying with us at the University of Law from over 120 different countries. Our alumni network is about 50000 students all around the world at the moment and we understand and appreciate the quality of applicants from not just Mauritius but from other countries as well, so we strongly welcome students applying from outside the UK to study with us in the UK.
- What is the application process for international students applying for the BPC at the University of Law?
Applications are made directly to the University of Law through our website. Full details can be found on our website which is law.ac.uk and applications from UK students and international students are made through that website.
In terms of support available for international applicants, in many of our countries around the world we have in-country representatives who represent the University of Law. So, for example, here in Mauritius we have our in-country representative for the University of Law and that means that international students applying for the BPC have a point of contact in their country that is able to support them and guide them through the application process and is available to answer any questions that they have during the application process.
The application process has two stages. The first stage is a written application and then the second stage is a live selection event process. The first stage is a written application which is an application form made up of personal details, qualifications, a personal statement, academic reference etc. Once that application form has been submitted it will be considered in the first stage of the written application and if the student is successful and they meet or are expected to meet the minimum entry requirements for the course, they will then be invited to stage two which is our live selection event recruitment process.
We call these BPC selection events. We are very proud of these at the University of Law. We have been running these for a very long time and we believe that they offer an excellent opportunity to applicants to see what the course is like and to gain some valuable practice and experience before the course begins. Our selection events take place throughout the year, regularly on several dates. If students get through the first stage of the written application, they are invited to book onto a selection event at a date and time that is convenient for them. These take place live, online, so international students can book a date or a time slot that is convenient, given the time differences with time zones all around the world. We offer these in the UK in the morning, the afternoon, and on weekends, so international students wherever they are in the world will be able to book a time and a date that’s convenient to them.
It gives the students the opportunity to conduct some advocacy as well as attend an interview. The advocacy exercise is great preparation for the BPC itself. So, we always say to students that this is a fantastic opportunity to have a go at some advocacy before the course even begins. And they’ll also attend a short interview during their selection event. The event is live so they’ll be able to meet people who work at the university as well as some current students who come to the selection event and will be able to answer any questions that applicants have about the course, the university, life in the UK or anything else that they want to ask us about.
There’s support services available as well throughout the application for international students including our visa team that provides information for applying for a visa, specific advice such as whether a student needs a CAS – which is a certificate of academic standing – and guide students throughout the visa application process.
- Tell us a bit about your alumni network.
We have an extensive alumni network of over 50,000 alumni across the world. Our alumni network is made up of alumni in several different countries. We have students from over 120 different countries who have come to the University of Law in the UK to study.
We have alumni networking opportunities. We regularly host alumni events in the UK, but also in countries all around the world giving alumni the opportunity to meet up again – not just law alumni but from our other discipline areas as well. We also have alumni social media networking channels and groups available, and we like to keep in touch with our alumni.
Our alumni are very proud that they’ve studied at the University of Law and a lot of them want to return and give something back to the future generation of lawyers or students, so we have very good connections with them. They regularly come back to our campuses or help us with online events or events in different countries when we visit countries around the world and many of them have gone home to have very successful careers which we are so pleased to see.
- Do you have any examples of students from Mauritius who have excelled in the legal community following completion of their BPC?
We have taught many Mauritian students on our BPC. The quality of Mauritian students is very high, they are exceptionally strong students, with very good academic grades, excellent English language skills and are very disciplined and very hard working – so we really welcome Mauritian students. Yes, we have Mauritian alumni, and not just those who have come back to practice in Mauritius, but those who practice in countries all across the world.
Some have decided to stay in the UK after they’ve completed their Bar course. Some have come back to Mauritius. Others are working abroad, in Canada and further beyond. Many of our Mauritius alumni are now in high-profile positions across the world, including, for example, representatives on the Bar Council here in Mauritius.
Some of our alumni have chosen to work in the legal education sector, teaching and wanting to give something back to the future generation of lawyers. So yes, we’re very proud of our Mauritian alumni.
- What support is available for international students applying for – and completing – a course at the University of Law?
Support services including our visa team, our finance team and all of our support services such as counselling, and wellbeing, will continue to be available for international students. We also have an accommodation team, so we have good connections with student accommodation providers in the UK. We are sometimes able to offer reduced rates or no deposit required or low deposit required for international students, which is helpful at the point of applying for the course. And then, during the course, they have access to all of the support facilities through their academic coach. There are subject lecturers, the employability team I mentioned earlier, available to students.
We also offer extracurricular activities which are open to all students, including our international students. We offer a wide range of extracurricular activities for students studying on the BPC. We have an award-winning pro bono service offering a variety of pro bono schemes and we encourage students to get involved with pro bono work during the BPC because it gives students a very good opportunity to put into practice the skills and the knowledge that they’re learning on the BPC and apply it to real cases, real clients who are experiencing real disputes or problems in their life and needing legal advice or legal representation or legal support. So, we have dedicated pro bono teams in our campuses and students can take part in pro bono schemes, perhaps legal advice clinics, delivering presentations through programmes such as street law. We also have a variety of advocacy tribunal projects around the country. They do vary from city to city. There are local pro bono schemes available, but whichever campus a student is studying at, there will be a wide range of pro bono schemes available. And all of that is available for international students.
Other extracurricular activities include things like mooting competitions, advocacy competitions, we have negotiation and other types of alternative dispute resolution competitions such as mediation competition, there’s law fairs, guest speaker events, networking opportunities, and a huge range of different CV enhancing support services available for students.
- Why should students consider completing their BPC in the UK?
We’ve been offering the BPC for a very long time at the University of Law. We invite students to come to the UK for the excellent training that they receive in practical skills on the course. At the University of Law, all of our lecturers are qualified lawyers themselves. We have many barristers on the course, we have solicitors on the course, and we even have judges who maybe currently sit part-time and teach part-time on the course. Hence, we invite students to come to the UK so they can receive that excellent tuition from practitioners who are very experienced in their areas. It also gives students exposure to different cultures, different legal systems, and it’s a great opportunity to network with high profile individuals but also students from across the world. So, to really broaden their horizons we do welcome students to come to the UK and to benefit from that mix, that diversity, that range of experience, and those different viewpoints that are available, as well as all of the services that I mentioned. That’s a real incentive for students to study in the UK because there are so many extra-curricular activities and opportunities available in the UK which are sometimes not available in smaller countries that don’t have as extensive a legal sector.
