I’ve always been intrigued by the way our society is progressing and managed with laws and regulations. To develop a deeper understanding and build more knowledge on LAW and the position of a barrister, Matrix Chambers was a great platform for me to experience and explore with such excitement from the moment I walked in the building.
I started my week on a Monday, as I entered the building I was greeted warmly by a very polite receptionist who guided me into a room for my induction with the HR manager Alice. I sat down with Alice, to discuss; the terms and conditions, company policies, risk assessments and a brief view of the staff names and their departments at Matrix Chambers. Soon, I was taken to the office area on the second floor, where I met up with the teams and got to know their positions and responsibilities at Matrix Chamber, everyone was were friendly and welcoming which made me feel at ease and safe. It was easy to get around the office on my own without any guidance, my desk was located in the ‘fee department’ which had three members in there, all very hospitable and welcoming too. After getting introduced, I was given Legal Support Services (LSS) task.
The following day on Tuesday, I came in and went straight upstairs to my desk, over there I was greeted by Eric, who explained the daily task to me. I was told that I will be going to the court with a barrister called Laura Prince at 1pm, meanwhile I got to finish my LSS task. After lunch, I was escorted to the Central London Tribunal by one of the staff members from the fee department who I got to know very well on a professional level. At my arrival to the court, I was taken to the respondent room, where I met Laura and spoke to her about the case, as well as discussing her journey to becoming a barrister and it is like to be one. Straight after that, I went to two public hearing, one after another. Attending these hearings, gave me an insight on how the barristers present cases in front of higher authorities such as; judges etc.
On Wednesday, I checked in with the department I was with, they introduced me to an office and outdoor assistant called Richard. He escorted me to Royal Courts of Justice for a morning session with the barristers that were presenting a case in front of the judge, Richard wheeled hefty lots of paper on a trolley to the court. This gave me an opportunity to conversate with him and ask him questions about his duties and responsibility as an office and outdoor assistant at Matrix Chambers. One of my biggest accomplishments were at Matrix Chambers when I visited the Royal Court of Justice. As the afternoon session came to to an end, I had time to explore the court on my own for a while and I truly cherish this experience.
On Friday, the staff arranged a meeting with the trainees at Matrix Chambers. We walked to the coffee shop down the street, to ask any questions I had for them or the journey to becoming a barrister.
I really enjoyed my week with Matrix Chambers, as the atmosphere is very positive and friendly. I would definitely recommend others to do their work experience at this firm.