The Higher Rights of Audience accreditation allows you to represent your clients in civil or criminal cases in the Crown Court or High Court in England and Wales. To excel in the new single-assessor format, introduced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in 2025, you will need knowledge and superior advocacy skills, honed by the best in the business.
BARBRI provides the focused training you need to confidently pass the assessment and distinguish yourself in court. You will be working with a team of experts: all our trainers are experienced HRA assessors and Higher Court advocates.
When it comes to your career progression, you choose the provider with a proven track record of success. BARBRI is the world leader in legal education and exam preparation. We bring that same expertise, personalised support and innovative approach to our HRA training, which our team have been delivering and assessing for over 20 years.
Complete Preparation, The BARBRI Way
Our HRA training is designed to build your confidence and competence in the various essential aspects of Higher Courts preparation and advocacy and specifically prepares you for the SRA assessment format, focusing on the written and practical skills that matter most.
Comprehensive Written + Practical Training
Our HRA course is designed for busy professionals seeking the most effective preparation available. Three days of intensive, scheduled live online training on written and practical advocacy skills, plus up to 10 hours of on-demand online learning, will give you all the knowledge and practice you need to succeed in the SRA assessment.
Live Online Training + Flexible Scheduling
We understand the demands of your career. Our course is delivered through engaging, live online sessions, offering you the flexibility to learn from anywhere with real-time instruction. Our flexible scheduling includes on-demand pre-learning and 3 live sessions delivered over a 3-week period to minimise time away from practise.
Expert Tutors + Personalised Feedback
Learn from the best. Our trainers are all seasoned solicitors or barristers – and Higher Court Advocates themselves – bringing real-world courtroom experience directly to you. We keep trainer-to-delegate ratios low to maximise one-to-one contact.
Practical Advocacy Skill Workshops
Move beyond theory. Participate in interactive workshops covering essential aspects of advocacy, from procedure to persuasive speech. You will practise and refine the skills under the guidance of our experts, who have also been HRA assessors and are ideally placed to coach and advise you on any areas for improvement.
Simulated Mock Assessments and Feedback
Practice makes perfect. Engage in realistic mock scenarios under timed conditions to help build your confidence in performing under pressure. Our mock assessments simulate the SRA assessment format and will be marked against the SRA assessment criteria by an experienced HRA assessor.
Maximum Retention
Training dates are scheduled ahead of each assessment sitting window to ensure maximum retention of knowledge and skills when undertaking the SRA assessments.
Who is the HRA Course Suitable For?
The Higher Rights of Audience qualification is available to any solicitor involved in advocacy work. In particular, this course is suitable for you if you:
- Already have advocacy experience and would like to be accredited as a solicitor advocate
- Would like to enhance your capabilities as a dispute resolution practitioner – without needing to undertake the SRA assessment
- Are a trainee solicitor or other legal professional qualifying as a solicitor:
- Taking HRA training as your PSC elective option, or
- Wishing to take HRA training to develop your advocacy skills,
And you want to sit the HRA assessment post-qualification.
Please note: Only qualified solicitors are eligible to sit the assessments.
The course comprises 24 hours+ of training, including:
- Pre-study: 6 hours+ of online, on-demand written and video content to be studied ahead of the live training to underpin the live online training sessions.
- Scheduled live training: 18 hours of live online written and practical training in advocacy skills, led by an experienced HRA practitioner in a safe environment, scheduled for 3 separate days over 3 weeks, plus additional online reading and preparation.
Written Training
Our written training programme is designed to prepare you to be assessed against the knowledge-based and document-based SRA Standards. Specifically, it covers:
- Evidence – hearsay, bad character, disclosure, experts etc.
- Dealing with vulnerable witnesses
- Ethics and diversity
- Code of Conduct issues
- Preparation and critique of written documentation such as indictments, particulars of claim etc.
- Practice-specific elements, for example ADR and Pre-action Protocols for civil and PTPHs and sentencing for criminal proceedings
Practical Training
Our practical training is extremely hands-on and allows you the opportunity to practise your advocacy skills in a safe environment and get detailed feedback from the trainer.
The programme covers:
- Trial analysis and planning, including formulating a trial strategy plan
- Preparing and conducting an interim application
- Planning and carrying out an examination-in-chief
- Preparing for and conducting an effective cross-examination
- Preparing and delivering a closing speech
Do I Need Training?
Although there is no requirement to undertake training before attempting the SRA assessment, in our experience, training greatly helps candidates make the transition from lower to Higher Court advocacy. In addition, the SRA’s Standards are far-reaching and you could be assessed against any of them. We therefore strongly recommend that you undergo training to give yourself the best possible chance of passing the assessment on the first attempt.
The course fee is the same for both the civil and criminal pathway and include written and practical training.
£999 (ex VAT)
Our HRA Written and Practical Mocks provide you with an opportunity to be assessed in a simulated exam environment that replicates the format of the SRA assessments.
Please note: Only qualified solicitors are eligible to sit the SRA assessments.
Mock Assessments Structure, Format and Price:
Written Mock: £200
Our Written Mock (for both Civil and Criminal HRA) is an assessment-level paper available to purchase, and complete online, ahead of your SRA assessment. The Written Mock is 2.5 hours long and covers questions on evidence, ethics, advocacy issues, and equality and diversity. The Written Mock is designed to replicate the format and standard of the SRA written assessment. It includes a realistic case study, a series of short-answer questions as well as exercises to assess your ability to critically review case documentation.
Your answers will be marked by an experienced HRA assessor who will provide individual feedback within 3 working days. It is important to schedule your Written Mock in good time ahead of your SRA assessment to ensure you can action any feedback ahead of your SRA assessment.
Practical Mock: £350
Our Practical Mock (for both Civil and Criminal HRA) is an assessment-level practical exam available to purchase, and complete live with an experienced HRA assessor, ahead of your SRA assessment. It is 1.5 hours long and provides opportunity to practice your advocacy skills in a live simulated assessment format. The Practical Mock is designed to replicate the format and standard of the SRA practical assessment.
It includes arguing an interim application and conducting a mini trial based on the details provided in a trial bundle. In advance of the live mock assessment, you will be required to draft and submit a skeleton argument and a trial strategy plan. You will receive the trial bundle in advance of the live mock assessment. We recommend you dedicate a day of preparation to your Practical Mock assessment.
The Practical Mock will be conducted live with an experienced HRA assessor. You will be required to apply for, or defend, an interim application, deliver an examination in chief as well as cross-examine a witness, and deliver a closing speech.
Following the Practical Mock, your assessor will provide oral feedback on your performance and share any suggestions for improvement ahead of your SRA practical assessment. It is important to schedule your Practical Mock in good time ahead of your SRA assessment to ensure you can action any feedback ahead of your SRA assessment.
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