Coming into Matrix this Monday, I had no idea what to expect from a barrister’s chambers, luckily, that was exactly what I was here to determine! As soon as I entered the premises in Griffin Building, located within the heart of the legal world, my worries were immediately assuaged by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere and the lovely members of the various practice teams who all seemed genuinely delighted to be working there. My week at Matrix has proven to be an extremely insightful experience, one which has exposed me to the multi-faceted experience of what it means to work in a chamber.
On our first day, we were given a brief induction by the friendly HR Manager Lindsay Clarke, who also introduced us to the legal terminology used here at Matrix, which was extremely useful. We then met the LSS team and talked with David who explained his own legal journey and what their department did as well as giving us an invaluable talk on the multitude of pathways into the legal profession. We then had the opportunity to carry out some legal research tasks, this was an extremely illuminating experience, which taught me about the intricacies involved within the law. Taking a look at Rooney v Vardy, gave me an insight into defamation law, an area which I had never known much about before and I was able to glean some fascinating information on the exacting nature of wording within the law as well as how narrow the scope of an appeal can be, with the preliminary issue in this case dealing with the Chase level of the words posted by the defendant and their natural and ordinary meaning. Carrying out this research was an extremely compelling task as we were able to discuss the crux of each case with David, including the importance of timelines within cases. After lunch, we were able to talk with the Charlotte in the Marketing team who gave us insight on what it meant to work within marketing, talking about SEO optimization and we were afforded the opportunity to carry out some marketing tasks and it was fascinating to see how this applied to a barrister’s chamber like Matrix.
The next day, we were given the opportunity to go to the Royal Courts of Justice with Sonder, another member of the LSS team, who told us about their fascinating legal journey, studying in Hong Kong and then coming into Matrix, first as a student placement and then as a member of the LSS team. We observed a fascinating hearing of an extradition case, Jirik v Czech Republic, a fabulous opportunity to examine how EU law applied within the context of Brexit and the issue of precedence and Sonder was able to explain how different barristers often approached cases with different styles of advocacy, and also explained how bundles were used in court and referred to by the barrister. Walking into the Royal Courts of Justice was an amazing opportunity, being able to observe the barrister’s in their horsehair wigs, an extremely new sight for me. Talking with Lucy afterwards, I was told of the many peculiarities of the barrister’s dress code, extending to regulations around dark socks!
After going to court, we were given to opportunity to have coffee with Zoe Brereton, a trainee doing her seats at Matrix, who was extremely friendly and passionate about her career and this allowed me to ask many questions about the legal profession and what it could entail, including the journey to pupillage and the difficulties that can arise with the profession as well as its many highlights. Listening to her amazing journey, qualifying in Australia and then coming to London really highlighted to me the sheer versatility of the legal profession and underscored my excitement about embarking upon my own legal career in the future. Moreover, she shared with us the importance of legal profession in being able to help others, drawing on her own experiences within community legal centers in Australia and this expressed to me the many benefits of working within the legal profession.
On our 3rd day, we were given a quick glimpse into the fickle nature of the legal world, we observed Daryll Hutcheon advocating in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. We went to the Rolls Building where Daryll was kind enough to give us some quick context surrounding the case which was extremely fascinating. While waiting for the hearing to start, we were able to also introduced to the opposing counsel and other legal professionals within the building and this really made clear to me the friendliness and integrity of the legal profession, a far cry from what is portrayed within pop culture. In court, we were able to observe the varying advocacy styles of each of the barristers and able to observe how barristers had to be able to structure their submissions and respond with clarity to any questions the judge had, highlighting the need for adaptive thinking within the legal profession. This was an extremely fascinating experience which deepened my admiration for the legal profession and also allowed me to observe a different area of law, employment law. It was exceedingly interesting to observe the difference between the two cases we had observed and the different approaches that different areas of law required.
Our final day at Matrix consisted of working on our blogs, an opportunity which I appreciate for letting us reflect on our experiences here at Matrix and meeting with one of the most crucial teams here at Matrix – the Fees and Finance Team. Christine and Lauren gave us a fascinating insight into how a chamber such as Matrix is run and the complex process of legal fees and how a barrister is paid. We also learnt more about the different types of funding available to finance legal cases and the different eligibility criteria for them. This was something which was greatly informative as one does not often consider fees as part of a legal experience and so it was lovely to learn more about Legal Aid and the options available when financing legal matters. The day concluded with some invaluable experience with a mock interview which was extremely illuminating for me as one of my first experiences in an interview.
Ultimately, my time at Matrix has been a deeply fascinating experience which has enabled me to gain a true appreciation of the varying roles within the legal profession as well as a myriad of legal concepts. It has really accentuated the versatility of the legal world, and it was fascinating to observe the diverse span of practice areas carried out by Matrix. I was extremely grateful to meet the warm and welcoming staff at Matrix, who displayed a deep passion and appreciation for what they do and whom have inspired me to be more assured of my decision to approach a legal career and I am extremely pleased to have been afforded this invaluable opportunity!