I honestly can’t believe how fast the week went by! Overall, it was such a great experience to be able to talk to and learn from the wide variety of professionals who create the full picture of what it means to work as a barrister with Matrix Chambers. I am now all the more confident that the barrister career route is what I would like to pursue going forwards in my legal studies.
Day 1: First, we were introduced more generally to the different teams that work behind the scenes at Matrix Chambers with a focus on the Fees and Finance section and the Legal Research team, both of which gave us tasks to help us better understand what they are all about. During this, we were able to talk to two aspiring barristers who had just passed the bar and this was incredibly useful to hear about the post-university experience in trying to become a barrister.
Day 2: The day started with a really exciting trip to court with two Matrix Chambers’ barristers (Emma Foublster and Edward Craven) for a hearing on a high-profile public law case. Following this, we were then given a “Becoming a Barrister” research prompt task that helped us use the practical knowledge we had just gained to see how it fit in with the picture that arose from our research.
Day 3: This next day, we were introduced to Team M and the outdoor clerk where we had the opportunity to get answers to more specific questions about what barrister work/life entails in terms of how barristers get work and the process of printing and transferring bundles to court. We also learnt about Matrix Chambers’ commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the various schemes and infrastructure in place to promote this at all levels.
Day 4: On Thursday, we headed back to the Royal Courts of Justice to sit in on another case with the Rt Hon Lord Justice Dingemans that focused specifically on the issue of joint enterprise. The impressive display of advocacy strongly inspired me to engage in more advocacy myself in the future to build up my articulation and fluency skills when making an argument.
Day 5: Lastly, we spent the morning preparing and doing an interview for the Matrix Chambers Future Lawyers Scheme which was an enjoyable experience and helped to shine a light on the types of questions that could possibly come up more generally in a law-related interview.
Looking back on how quickly the week progressed, I can wholeheartedly say that the experience has been one that has helped to shape what I want out of my future legal career. Thanks to the outstanding staff and barristers at Matrix Chambers, I thoroughly enjoyed turning up to the work experience every day and I couldn’t recommend it enough.