Our first day began with an induction from Lindsay, who made us feel very welcome and introduced us to the different teams at Matrix. We learnt about Matrix’s modern approach to legal work, for example through its use of terms like trainee and student placements instead of pupil and mini pupillage.
After this, we were introduced to Annika and Donella from the Legal Support Services team (LSS), whose role is to conduct legal research for the barristers, and we were lucky enough to be able to ask them questions about their work and their prior experience in law. I found our discussion about the changing role of AI and the importance of human skills particularly interesting, and I really appreciated their advice about applications and the different pathways into law. We then completed a task in which we researched defamation law and how this law is applied.
After lunch, we had a marketing induction with Charlotte, during which we analysed the Matrix website and completed a competitor analysis in order to assess what Matrix is doing well and what it should work on. It was really interesting to compare the approaches that different chambers had to their websites, for example the different methods of emphasising their message and what they stand for as well as the layouts of the websites and the impressions these created for us.
Next, we were fortunate enough to enjoy a coffee with trainee barrister Florence, who told us about her journey from being a solicitor to being a barrister and gave us the opportunity to ask her any questions we had. Florence gave us insights into the pathways people take to become a barrister, and she also gave incredibly useful advice about applications to university and traineeships.
Our final session of the day was with the fees and finance team, where we learnt about the different ways of funding a case and the ways in which barristers are paid.
Day 2 – Tuesday 2nd December
In the morning, we spoke to Lloyd from Team T about his role as a Practice Manager, or clerk as it is traditionally known. Lloyd spoke about his role supporting a team of around 35 barristers, and I really enjoyed hearing about his wide range of experience across the country and the routes to becoming a clerk.
The next part of the morning involved a Future Lawyers Scheme interview preparation task and interview, as well as two marketing tasks. As part of the interview preparation task, I formulated a five-minute presentation in response to the statement “National security is more important than privacy”. The interview experience was extremely valuable because I was able to practise speaking coherently, defending my arguments and answering other questions related to law and my future career.
In the afternoon, we completed an HR task and then had coffee with trainee barrister Mannat, who told us about her journey into law and gave great advice about studying in the UK and the US. I really appreciated her advice about choosing whether to become a solicitor or a barrister and how to get more experience in law as a student.
Finally, we read the skeleton argument for the extradition case that we will be observing on Wednesday and Thursday.
Day 3 – Wednesday 3rd December
On Wednesday, we spent the day observing an extradition case at court, where Matrix member James Stansfeld was representing the requested person. Firstly, two witnesses gave evidence, and at the end of the day we heard James and the requesting state’s representative’s arguments. Afterwards, we spoke to James about the case, which was really interesting and helped clarify some of the details and the process.
Day 4 – Thursday 4th December
Our final day at Matrix began at court, where we observed the second day of the extradition case. This involved hearing evidence from another witness and hearing more legal arguments. Afterwards, we spoke to James again about the case and then returned to Matrix Chambers to round off what has been a brilliant work experience programme.
During my week at Matrix Chambers, I have learnt so much about the law, and I’ve really enjoyed the huge variety of experiences, both in the Matrix office and in court, that have given me an unforgettable insight into legal careers. I am so grateful to everyone at Matrix who supported us this week and took the time to talk to us about their careers, and I would especially like to thank James for allowing us to observe his court case, which was such a valuable experience. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Matrix, and I highly recommend it to anyone considering a career as a barrister. I can confidently say that I now have an even stronger interest in becoming a barrister, and I would be honoured to join Matrix if I were successfully called to the bar!