What is the Paris Bar Exchange?

The Paris Bar Exchange is an exchange programme for barristers of all four Inns of Court who have been in practice at the Bar of England and Wales for up to 7 years. It offers the opportunity to spend the month of September doing undertaking a placement in Paris. Avocat members of the Paris Bar of similar seniority spend the month of July in London.

 

The Bar of Paris with the Paris Bar School (EFB) offers the following stage to up to four Barristers:

• An introductory seminar and other activities at the EFB
• A stage in an Avocat’s offices, preferably specialising in the Barrister’s field of practice
• Attendance at hearings of both interlocutory injunction applications and criminal proceedings
• Visits to the Palais de Justice, an administrative tribunal or the Conseil d’Etat with some marshalling
• Meeting between young Avocats and Barristers and a reception
• Conducting a mock trial in the Palais de Justice before French judges

While candidates will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation, a grant of £2000 will be payable by the Pegasus Trust.

Though it is not necessary for candidates to have studied French law, they will need to have a sufficient command of French to understand and contribute to discussions of legal subjects, read complex legal texts, and follow court hearings in French: comparable to level C1 on the Common European Framework of Languages. Successful candidates whose French is recently unpractised may wish to take a refresher course in French over the summer ahead of their programme, financial assistance is available from the Trust for this subject to individual requirements.