My experience at Matrix Chambers has provided me with an invaluable insight into the intersection between barristers, solicitors and clients, reinforcing my motivation for pursuing a legal career.
My first day commenced with an introduction to the other members of the work experience group in reception, followed by an induction session with Theo where we discussed what our career aspirations were, as well as learning about the glossary of Matrix terms ensuring modernity over traditional labels, for example referring to ‘Pupil’ as ‘Trainee’.
Afterwards, we were given an in-depth tour of the Chambers, consisting of two buildings, as well as around Gray’s Inn Square and South Square Gardens. While on the tour, we simultaneously learnt how the barristers’ work lives operate, notably how they can rent their own office or share with others and that the Chambers are open 24 hours so they can come to work at any time, consequently it can be very quiet or busy at any point. Additionally, it was intriguing to gain an understanding of how different sections of the Chambers work together and interact, particularly how IT operates in the Chambers to align with the Barristers’ busy schedule, in which it speeds up the process by coming face to face with them to solve issues rather than via email.
Following on from the tour, we were placed in the Team X admin room and seated at our practice desks. During this induction, the role of the Practice Managers (Matrix’s term for ‘Clerks’) was demonstrated to us in detail, where we were taught about the thread of interaction between Solicitors and Barristers, as well as the administrative tasks the practice team complete on a day-to-day basis, such as managing events and fees on behalf of the Barristers’ to enable them to focus purely on legal matters, highlighting the efficiency of the Chambers.
We were then given a task to complete which we split up among us, with the goal of researching a list of attendees at a law drinks event the following day, where we were tasked with formatting and summarizing their job title, background information, and photo into a table. Furthermore, we briefly read about the court hearing we were planning to attend on Wednesday titled ‘Wales and Western Utilities vs CMA’.
After lunch, we discussed how fees are handled in the Chambers with the fees team, who explained how the client and solicitor have a separate contract compared to the Solicitor and Barrister’s contract, therefore if a client has trouble paying it is the Solicitor’s responsibility to handle, not the Barrister’s. We also learnt about different types of funding such as legal aid, pro bono, and CFA. To conclude this discussion, we were given a fees assignment based on what we had learnt about the different aid categories and any additional research we could discover on gov.uk.
To wrap up the day, we read through the skeleton argument in support of an injunction application for a defamation case titled we planned to attend on Tuesday. We finished off by researching the Legal Cheek and Legal 500 websites to gain a broader understanding of Matrix’s strengths and achievements.
Our second day began with a morning visit to the Royal Courts of Justice to observe the defamation case. To sit in the High Court for the first time was a truly valuable experience. We were seated on the side of the claimant, with Matrix Barrister Guy Vassall-Adams representing. An element of the hearing I found particularly interesting was the claimant team’s use of post-it notes to communicate efficiently and discreetly between each other. It was also eye-opening to witness the communicative interaction between the Barrister, Judge and Defendant.
Once lunch was over, we returned to the office and spent the subsequent 45 minutes preparing an answer to a debate-style inquiry for the Future Lawyer’s interview.
After preparing for the interview, we had coffee with the trainees, who provided us with beneficial advice regarding university applications, the difference between the lifestyle of a Solicitor and Barrister, and other various tips about the Bar and SQE.
Upon returning to the Chambers, I was up first to complete my interview. After presenting my national security vs privacy proposition for 5 minutes, I answered a series of questions regarding my strengths, weaknesses, and motivations for pursuing a legal career. The interview ended with some advantageous advice about how to put myself out there for legal work experience opportunities effectively.
Our third day was centered around a full morning and afternoon in the High Courts of Justice, observing the ‘Wales and Western Utilities vs CMA’, case we researched on day one.
On top of this, we also briefly checked in at a hearing related to property litigation. I found observing this case distinctly informative because it included a witness stand, which we had not come across in the previous two cases. During our time here, we managed to observe a cross-examination which was much more intense than before, providing me with an in-person encounter of a Barrister’s ability to press for certain responses.
For our final day we headed to the Court of Appeal, where we observed the appeal case from the High Court of Justice, ‘Al-Haq and Secretary of State for Business and Trade’.
The second case we viewed was the sentence appeal of a murder conviction.
After reflecting on the exceptional week I had at Matrix, I strongly recommend this work experience placement to those navigating a legal career or even simply considering it. The team and barristers were extremely welcoming and happy to share their knowledge on the many questions I had to ask, which has significantly transformed my knowledge on how Chambers are run and all the various elements behind the scenes that put in work to maximize efficiency. Ultimately, this experience has catalyzed my motivation for my future career aspirations and opened potential new avenues I hadn’t been informed on beforehand.