^^THIS^^
I've recently considered retraining as a barrister, despite having no legal education at all. It can be done - it's hard, but it can be done.

The first thing you should do is to look to the Inns of Court for funding. It's not massively generous, but it's probably enough. Inner Temple is the most valuable, but the others are not to be sniffed at.

Now - I've decided against applying, because at my age - I'm 32 - I think it's a bit late to be starting from scratch (and I only got my first job less than three years ago, so I'm not exactly loaded). But if you're now in your early 20s, the investment is, in a sense, much smaller.

As it happens, I work with a lot of barristers. It's true that many are stereotypical WASP types - but that's a generational thing. Of those who're my age, sex, race and culture don't seem to be nearly as big a factor (which stands to reason, really: an Inn will want the best people, and best doesn't mean whitest or most middle-class).
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Sat 4 Apr 2009, 12:15, Reply)