© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WECS · WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM · WVOF
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

U.S. Teen Is Youngest Ever To Pass Britain's Bar Exams

At 18, Gabrielle Turnquest is the youngest person in the history of the English legal system to be admitted to the bar.
Neil Hall
/
Courtesy The University of Law
At 18, Gabrielle Turnquest is the youngest person in the history of the English legal system to be admitted to the bar.

At 18 years old, Gabrielle Turnquest has become the youngest person to pass Britain's bar exams.

The Florida native told NPR's Jackie Lyden her family influenced her decision to study law in the United Kingdom. Her mother had studied in the U.K. and she joined an older sister who was also studying law.

She graduated from college early, too — at 16, she was the youngest person to ever get a psychology degree from Liberty University in Virginia.

Turnquest plans to return to America to sit for the U.S. multistate bar exam and hopes ultimately to work in the fashion industry.

"I've always been interested in it," she said, "Because, honestly, I don't see how you can't be. We all wear clothes. It's around us all the time."

The average age to take the British bar is 27. To practice law in the U.K. Turnquest would need to undergo a year's training, known as a pupillage, before she could be certified to work as a barrister.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content