The idea of becoming a lawyer has always served as my utmost motivation throughout my education. This inspiration led me to apply for the placement here at Matrix where I was exposed to the different areas of law that the barristers and clerks here are involved in.
Matrix Chambers, nestled in the heart of legal London, is an environment of professionalism and first-class service. My apprehension of this place being a daunting environment completely subsided upon my arrival where I was greeted with a genuine welcome from the lovely receptionist Theo. I was then met with the two other students who were undertaking the work experience with me as well as Lindsay Clarke who gave me an insightful introduction to Matrix followed by the specific terminology used at the chambers. We were then shown around the office, where I was able to gain a better understanding of the different areas of law that the chamber covers. Following this, we were introduced to the Fees and Financing team who talked us through their role at Matrix and then we were set a task to research different funding sources ranging from Legal Aid, Conditional Fee Agreements to Public and Private funding. From researching this, I learnt how barristers’ fees are managed and under what circumstances funding would be eligible to those who would like support with legal advice. After the break we were introduced to the Legal Support System team who also explained their role at Matrix and assigned us a task to examine the Defamation Act 2013 and how it applied to the Vardy v Rooney case. In essence, the case began in 2019 where Rooney accused Vardy of spreading confidential information however, Vardy ended up suing Rooney for defamation. This case taught me the importance of understanding the intricacies of defamation law and its impact on public figures. Before the day ended, we were given a tour of the chambers by Idris which allowed us to see the dichotomy of the environments that the barristers at Matrix work in. Overall, I can say that the first day was an informative introduction to Matrix and I became more familiar with the staff and different departments by the second day.
Tuesday was also spent in the office the entire day. During this period, I worked on my blog and finished off any tasks that were incomplete from the previous day. Then we were introduced to the Marketing team where we learnt about their role at Matrix and were then assigned some tasks where we had to research marketing strategies that the company could implement for their future events. After the break we had 45 minutes to prepare for interviews where we had five minutes to talk about our chosen topic – my one was on why universities should be free for all. Then we were followed up with questions about our presentation as well as a Future Lawyer’s scheme interview. Despite it being a bit nerve wracking, the interview was a great way for me to express my research and honing my skills of thinking under pressure and outside the box as well as time management.
The following day we were fortunate enough to attend the Competition Appeal Tribunal with barrister Nicholas Gibson in action and this case was concerned with a cartel that has been involved in deep sea fishing. I found this quite beneficial as Competition Law is an area of law that I did not have much expertise in, so this observation allowed me to gain an insight into the field and decide if it would be of interest to qualify in in the future. However, as the case went on, I became more and more intrigued. At the end of the case, we had the chance to speak to Nicholas Gibson, which I found really invaluable as his answers to our queries were quite informative and I could sense his genuine passion for guiding us through his journey of becoming a barrister. Some of the repeated terminology used during the case were a bit intimidating, for example terms like the OEN, however Nicholas Gibson was kind enough to explain it to us in detail.
Thursday brought my work experience at Matrix to a close. The day consisted of going to court again continuing the case from the day before. Going back to court and listening to the barristers made me realise the skills that are vital in order to make a successful barrister. I noticed how the barristers adopt skills such as the ability to think under pressure, being able to handle criticism, time management as well as expertise of the case. Over the two days spent at court, a key message takeaway I learnt was to bow to the Judge and rise as they leave and enter. This second visit not only deepened my understanding of competition law but also reinforced my admiration for the legal professionals who navigate these complex issues daily.
As a student wanting to study Law at university, this opportunity has given me an incentive to pursue the career with even more passion and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in pursuing a career in Law. I would also like to thank and acknowledge the staff who made this experience truly exceptional through their hospitable and supportive caliber and I am beyond grateful to have seized such an opportunity!