As someone who has never undertaken barrister work experience, I was extremely excited for this opportunity at Matrix. I have been unsure whether to go into the solicitor route into law or whether to become a barrister, and therefore, this work experience will provide me with the invaluable chance to learn more about this career and understand about the day to day work of some of the professionals in this field.
On our first day, I arrived at 10am and was greeted by the receptionist before being introduced to other work experience students. We were welcomed and given a quick induction by Theo Lyons. After this, we were taken for a tour of the building, the teams and the building adjacent to ours. It was interesting to hear about the history of the building as well as the function of each room and office. Additionally, being introduced to some of the employees allowed me to gain greater insight into the various jobs inside Matrix.
Next, we began to look into the Wales and West Utilities vs CMA case. This was about a dispute concerning the cost of capital allowances used in determining price controls for gas distribution networks, which I found intriguing to read into.
After this, we spoke to Eric Ofori-Darko, the assistant fees manager, which I found the most interesting part of the day as we had the chance to investigate the actual wages received by real barristers based on experience as well as complexity of cases.
Lastly, we read through the skeleton argument in support of an injunctions application.
Our second day started by reading through different types of law, such as civil and criminal, and comparing them. We also looked at the structure of the English legal system, which starts with magistrates’ courts and ends with the Supreme Court. Following this, we were led by a barrister to the Court of Justice to view the case we read through yesterday. I was surprised at the level of security needed to enter the court as they had trays for us to put our bags into as well as body scanners. However, I was extremely in awe of the gorgeous architecture of the building and enjoyed walking through it to the courtroom. We spent three hours in the courtroom, watching the judge move through the main arguments from each side.
After lunch, we were given the privilege of having a conversation with two Matrix Trainees who had a wealth of knowledge between them about university and the process of becoming a Barrister. They answered our myriad of questions without complaint, and I left with an enriched understanding of this career path.
Lastly, we were given some time to prepare for our future lawyers’ interview where I prepared an argument for why ‘Universities should be free.’ I enjoyed curating this speech and am excited for what is to come tomorrow.
On our third day, we were back in the Courts of Justice once again. This time, however, it was to watch the WWU vs CMA trial. This courtroom was significantly more packed with each seat taken up by trainees or solicitors all taking notes on the events in the courtroom. The few hours in court were taken up by the judge challenging the arguments from the WWU barrister who was forced to explain why the actions of CMA was wrong.
In the afternoon, the court was far more packed, leaving us with no seats. Instead, we walked around the court until we found a case available to observe. We managed to find a housing litigation trial which most likely involved unlawful occupation.
These cases are arguably the highlight of my work experience at Matrix as they offer me a rare opportunity to observe court proceedings and structures as well as advocacy in action. Additionally, I am able to gain some insight into different sectors of law with each trial.
Our last day was filled with court trials. We began by viewing the Al-Haq and Secretary of State for business and trade.
Similar to yesterday, the court was quite packed with trainees and multiple barristers. I massively enjoyed this case as it highlighted how legal arguments can directly engage with urgent international issues and humanitarian concerns. The barristers’ submissions were particularly compelling and persuasive.
After lunch, we managed to find a separate criminal case involving an appeal of a murder conviction.
Overall, this experience has been extremely insightful and will provide me with a solid foundation and understanding for my future career path. The people are extremely open and approachable, and I would encourage anyone who aspires to a future career in law to apply here.