The first day
The morning of my first day of my placement was anything but simple. Nerves, fear, anxiety; pretty much the whole set of emotions had kicked in. As I entered the chambers I was stunned at the architecture of the building, it was nothing like how I imagined it to be. The contrast between the modern and elegant architecture of the main Matrix building pitted against the rustic, contemporary and quaint Gray’s Inn created an atmosphere of mystery and geared me up for a productive and exciting day ahead. The day starts with a brief yet informative induction from Lucy and Theo, who introduce us to the various teams we will be working with throughout our placement such as the LSS, Fees & Finances and Marketing Teams. Following on from this we received a tour from Idris, the IT & Facilities coordinator at Matrix, who put us at ease right away with his friendly nature and knowledge of the chambers. I soon learnt that Matrix is one of the biggest sets in Gray’s Inn and is renowned for its work in criminal and human-rights law with high-profile barristers such as Hugh Tomlinson KC.
After a rather enjoyable lunch break, we were introduced to David – a key member of the LSS team who explained to us the plethora of ways through which one could become a barrister, explaining the various courses we could take in university to eventually enter the legal industry. It was an eye-opening conversation that left me confident in what I wanted to do. We then completed a short task from the LSS team using Westlaw (a legal database platform) to understand the legislation involved in the fascinating Vardy vs Rooney case. The sheer number of reports, judgements and legislation involved in the case left me dumbstruck, yet eager to learn more. We were soon introduced to Sonder, a legal support assistant who recently secured pupillage and provided us with invaluable insight into the layout of a court room, mapping out the positioning and jobs of junior counsel, senior counsel, clerks and journalists.
The efforts of all the staff in the office created a warm, friendly atmosphere and put me at ease instantly. I had been wondering about the LNAT for quite a while and voiced my concerns about taking it to Iona who very kindly created an information sheet for me and discussed ways in which I could handle it. After a short break we then complete a task for Charlotte from the Marketing team who emphasizes the importance and subtle nuances of marketing in promoting a chamber. We were responsible for identifying aspects of the Matrix website which worked well and creating a comparison table between the websites of Matrix and other competing chambers. I quickly realized the effort and thought behind promoting Matrix was immense and incredibly important in generating business and attracting clients.
The final 3 days
The following two days were spent at the Royal Courts of Justice observing a deprivation of citizenship case against the home secretary in a sector of common and public law. The vibrant atmosphere of the court and the grandiose buildings was an enlightening experience and one I will never forget. Observing an actual court case being handled by barristers from Matrix was a unique opportunity and dispelled all rumors suggesting that it was anything like TV shows and movies. It truly made me appreciate all the background work done by clerks and junior counsel in order for a submission to be made in court; it showed me the procedure of being in a court itself, such as bowing to the judge upon entrance and exit of the courtroom. During our lunch break on the 3rd day, we met for coffee with Zoë Brereton – a trainee barrister who spent over an hour answering our endless questions about becoming a barrister. She explained the process of being ‘called to the bar’ and obtaining a pupillage and gave advice on how to pick between the solicitor and barrister legal route to law.
These past 4 days have been a truly informative experience and one that I will fondly remember. The exposure to different sectors of law and strong connections I have built with the Matrix team are long-lasting and I feel comfortable knowing that I am walking away from this experience with a newfound respect for the law. I highly recommend applying for the experience if you have a chance.