My work experience placement at Matrix Chambers strengthened my desire to pursue a career as a barrister.
I arrived both excited and nervous on my first day and was immediately greeted by Lindsay Clarke, Matrix’s exceptionally welcoming HR manager and introduced to the team, all of whom were incredibly warm and approachable. We then met David Ion, with the Legal Support Service, the team that would be looking after us that week, and he explained to us what we would be doing, as well as answering any questions we had about the path to becoming a barrister and the various routes available. He then gave us a task on the infamous Rooney v Vardy, or “Wagatha Christie” case, to introduce us to legal research. I was able to learn how to navigate Westlaw, an online legal research service, and explore what legislation and case files look like, as well as learning specific vocabulary used in media and defamation law. After a great lunch at Leather Lane right around the corner from Matrix, we were introduced to Charlotte Binning in Marketing who gave us a marketing task where we reviewed Matrix’s website and gave a competitor analysis. We were then each given a case that Matrix had worked on that related to LGBTQ+ rights, which allowed us to explore human rights law, a practice area Matrix is highly recognised for and a key reason as to why I was initially drawn to Matrix.
Our second day started at the Royal Courts of Justice where we attended a hearing for an extradition case. We were accompanied by Sonder Li, with the Legal Support Service. It was my first time watching a court case and I found it fascinating. Seeing the barrister of appeal present her argument, referring to legislation such as the Extradition Act and previous cases, was incredibly engaging. In the afternoon, we met for coffee with Zoë Brereton, a trainee at Matrix, with whom we chatted for an hour. She explained her academic journey and her motivations, and was happy to answer any question we might have about studying and practicing law. Her clear passion for law and overall friendliness made the talk both enjoyable and informative. When we got back to the Chambers, we looked through bundles on an environmental law case and it was fascinating to see what kind of cases and legislation lawyers can use to argue a point. Sonder then kindly made a Kahoot on the extradition case we had watched to solidify our understanding of the case in a fun and interactive way, which was a great end to the day!
Our third day was spent at the Employment Appeal Tribunal watching a disability discrimination case with barrister Darryl Hutcheon. What I found particularly interesting were the differences between the hearing from the day before and that hearing. For instance, in this one, there was a lot of back and forth between the barristers and the judge rather than there being a long speech by one and then by the other.
On the fourth and final day, we stayed at the Chambers, working on various tasks. We worked on our work experience blog and were then introduced to the Fees & Finance team who explained how barristers are paid and how legal aid works and gave us a task on different funding types. It was interesting to see that side of a Chambers that I had never explored before. At the end of the day, I had a mock interview with David and Iona, both of whom were very friendly, and genuinely helpful, especially as it was my first interview experience.
Matrix introduced me to what life in a barrister’s chambers looks like, to practice areas I had never learned about before and to the legal profession in a truly engaging and enjoyable way. As a student interested in studying law at university, this week was extremely beneficial and genuinely fascinating. Thank you to Matrix and its incredible team for this wonderful opportunity!