You are required to attend 12 qualifying sessions before you can be Called to the Bar. This is laid down in the Bar Training Regulations. (Please note that attendance at the Call Ceremony and Dinner counts as the 12th qualifying session.)  Every student who is being Called to the Bar (with the exception of those being Called in absence) must dine on their Call Night.  Any student who does not comply with this requirement may have their Call revoked.

(a) Dining

(i) Qualifying Sessions
For the most part they take the form of dining in Hall, and are usually preceded or followed by an educational event such as a moot, debate or Inn competition, which you are actively encouraged to participate in. As part of the educational programme, talks are given in Hall before dinner on ordinary nights and all students who have booked to dine on these evenings are expected to be present for the talk. You will not be credited if you arrive after the talk has started.

On all dining occasions, attendance will only be counted if a student is present when the opening and closing Grace is said. A student arriving late is required to submit an immediate written application to the Under Treasurer setting out reasons for lateness. This is granted in very exceptional circumstances.

Students are required to sign the signature sheets to record their attendance at dinner. Your name, plus student number must be given. Failure to sign will mean that the occasion will not count as a qualifying session. It is not permitted to sign on behalf of another student. Any disregard for this rule will result in disciplinary action being taken.

There are five dining periods, which vary from 9-14 days duration. Two dining periods in Hilary one each in Easter, Trinity and Michaelmas. Dining dates for 20010/11 are listed in the diary of events.

(ii) Booking Dinners
The Dining Officer is available to take bookings and answer enquiries between 10.00am - 12.30pm and 1.00pm - 3.30pm Monday to Friday only.

London based students are encouraged to collect booking forms from the Treasury Office, which are made available approximately ten days before the commencement of each dining period/term and to subsequently book in person on the date indicated on the booking form. The student admission card must be produced when booking. The dates when forms are available for collection are listed in the diary of events.

Accounts may be paid by cash or cheque or, if in excess of £5.00, by credit card.

Acceptable credit cards are Debit, Switch, Mastercard, Access and Visa but NOT American Express or Diners. Students may settle accounts for dining charges in person at Reception. No bookings are taken by telephone.

For those students attending a BPTC Provider outside of London, booking forms can either be sent through the post, upon request or obtained from their Lincolns Inn Representative.  Please note that forms will be sent out three weeks in advance of the date on which tickets go on sale at the Treasury Office.  London based students who wish to book by post may do so, but booking forms will only be sent out two to three days before tickets are generally made available at the Treasury Office.  Booking forms may also be downloaded at the link on the Students' Dining Postal Booking page.

If you would like to book dining by post, please send a stamped self addressed envelope to the Dining Officer and the details will be forwarded to you when they become available.  Completed booking forms must be sent back by post, together with the correct payment by cheque or postal order and a Stamped Addressed Envelope (SAE).  If the payment is incorrect places will be reserved but not confirmed until the correct payment is received.  Please note, if you do not send an SAE then your tickets will be left in the Treasury Office for collection during the office hours Mon-Fri 10.00am-5.00pm.  Postal booking forms will not be accepted over the counter.

Students must complete the booking form in their own name to obtain a dining ticket, and that dining ticket must have been issued in the student's name to enable the student to dine.  All dining tickets must be purchased through the Dining Officer.  Students are not allowed to sell their dining tickets to other students.

The dining ticket must be produced upon entering Hall. Students will not be allowed to dine without a ticket. If a student wishes to cancel a booking, notice must be given by 3.30pm on the previous working day. Failure to do so will mean that the occasion will not count as a qualifying session and no refunds will be given. In order for a refund to be issued cancelled tickets must be returned to the Dining Office within the dining term of the event. Cancellations will be accepted via telephone 020 7405 1393 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it If absence is due to illness, a Doctor’s certificate must be produced within one week of the dinner in order for the occasion to be credited.
 
(iii) Guest Nights
On Guest Nights it is preferable that students bring one guest; on Family Guest Nights and for Sunday Lunch, two guests may be invited. The guest(s) will sit next to the student. Students will wear gowns which are provided. Dress for guests is informal, but gentlemen should wear a jacket, shirt and tie. Guests do not wear gowns.

(iv) Domus Dinners
There are a number of Domus Dinners during the year. On these nights, Bench, Bar and Student Barristers dine mixed together. Every Student should try to dine on at least one Domus Night.

(v) Sponsorship Nights
There is at least one Sponsorship Night in each of the Dining Terms, except during the Third Dining Term. On these evenings you will dine at the Bar table with your Sponsor and also meet other members of the Bar. A Treasurer's Wine Party is held in the Benchers Rooms at 6.30pm before each Sponsorship Dinner. Dates are published in the Treasury Office and in the diary of events. There is also limited Sponsorship dining on ordinary dining nights. Arrangements should be made with the Dining Officer after consultation with your Sponsor.

(vi) Students with Special Dietary Requirements
You must indicate on the booking form whether you have a special diet i.e. vegan meal, or if you have special requirements.  If you have any allergies you must provide the Inn with a full comprehensive list of these at the time of your first booking.  You must show your tickets on entry and place them in view on the table in front of you so staff can see what options, if any, have been selected. Any student failing to bring their ticket will have to ask the butler for a replacement to display.  The Butlers will have a list of the students who have booked and their chosen options, so failure to produce a ticket will not achieve a change of option. Kosher meals are not provided, but students are permitted to bring their own Kosher meal into Hall during dining term.  Please note, that Halal meat is served on certain evenings, these dates will be identified on the booking form.

Other Qualifying Sessions

In addition to dining the Inn organises other education-focused activities, such as advocacy workshops and residential weekends.

Residential Weekends

The Inn organises four residential weekends a year, at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, in October and June, and at West Dean College, Chichester, in November and January.  Students are only allowed to attend one of these weekends.  Due to the popularity of the weekends, only students currently on the BPTC can attend and selection is by ballot.  Students must register for the ballots by the closing dates.  The dates of the 2010/11 weekends are:

Students can register for the ballot by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Registration sheets are also available at the Treasury Office.  Notices will be put up at the In and sent to the Student Representatives at each of the BPTC Providers giving the dates when the ballot is open for each  weekend.

The cost of each residential weekend is £60 which covers accommodation, meals and coach travel from the Inn.  The programme at each weekend consists of talks, advocacy exercises and pupillage advice sessions.  Benchers, Barristers and guests also attend the weekend and, as such, the weekends provide students with an excellent opportunity to meet other members of the Inn in an informal and congenial way.  Each weekend counts as three qualifying sessions.

Each year, the Inn organises Advocacy Workshops, held at the Inn for London-based BPTC students and also at each of the Providers outside London.  Civil and criminal exercises are provided and it is a good opportunity for students to get on their feet in front of a senior barrister or judge.  The workshops count as one qualifying session.

The London workshops are held in Hilary Term and are advertised in January.  Student Representatives at the Providers outside London are asked to liaise with their Link Bencher regarding the organisation of their events.

Education Days

These days are for students studying at BPTC Providers outside London only.  Students are strongly encouraged to attend both the Education Days, which will be held on 21 February and 21 March 2011.  The topics will be 'Which area of law is for you?' on 21 February and 'The Future of the Bar' on 21 March.

A buffet luncheon will be available from 1-2.15 pm, free of charge.  The programme of talks in the Great Hall will start promptly at 2.30 pm and will be followed by a reception and a Domus dinner in hall.  Full details of the programme will be published nearer the time and sent to the Student Representatives at each provider.  All those wishing to attend each Education Day and dinner must book through the Dining Officer by post or person or online (as for normal dining) with payment.  Education Days count as two qualifying sessions each.  Please note that students attending part-time courses can attend only two Education Days in the duration of their course.

Local Qualifying Sessions

In addition to the Advocacy Workshops which are held locally for students studying at BPTC Providers outside London, students at these providers can also gain qualifying sessions for attending their Provider's annual dinner.  It is also possible to arrange additional local qualifying sessions.  These are organised by the Inn's Student Representatives and need prior approval from the Inn.

                                                                                                     
Download Student's Dining Booking Form

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