Day 1- 09/02/26
Our first day at Matrix Chambers began with warm welcomes from the front of house member, Jennifer Rose, who gave us a short induction into Matrix, the different teams within it and how Matrix differentiates itself from other chambers through its more modernised approach as it does not use terms such as ‘pupillage’ but instead refers to them as ‘trainees’. After this we were welcomed by the different staff teams briefly before undertaking a tour by facilities team member Idris Mohamed, who took us around the different areas within the chambers ranging from the more refurbished/modern main building, where support teams/ staff do their work and places where meetings take place, to the more dated buildings, in which the barristers conduct most of their work. Idris informed us of the differences between ‘KCs’ and junior barristers as we were shown their rooms and the board showing all 100+ members of Matrix. After the tour, we were introduced to the Legal Support team. We first had a short conversation with Donella Torcassi, who we learned was working her way to becoming a barrister so were able to question her as to the steps she’s taken and will take in order to achieve her goal. She taught us that unlike solicitors, barristers in chambers are self-employed but share facilities, which gave me a greater insight as to how chambers operate as a legal environment.
After the conversation with the LSS team, were given a number of small research tasks to complete along with learning about the cases that we would be watching the next day. The team helped support us with any questions that we had about legal issues and summarising relevant case law as we had to identify key legal principles and present data in an unbiased way. This task, along with the team’s support, taught me how important efficient legal research is in preparing case for barristers. We were told that we would be viewing a case on the Freemasons in court the next day, so we conducted our own research and thought of questions we had for the barrister involved in the case.
After lunch, we were introduced to the Fees and Finance team, where we talked with Eric, who offered us an interesting and enjoyable insight into the daily operations of his team and walked us through the different funding types that barristers have which include Legal Aid and Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs). Eric’s upbeat attitude made learning from him much easier. He then gave us a short task to do. We also had a short conversation with Chris Smith from the Practice Team, who told us how solicitors or clients directly come to his team with cases and how the practice team must direct their cases to any barristers available through a diary, and expertly answered any questions that we had for him.
Overall, the day was very helpful as it allowed me to have a better understanding of the structure of Matrix and how each team works to make sure the whole thing runs without issue. Meeting the diverse personalities at Matrix made the experience much more delightful.
Day 2- 10/02/26
On our second day, we were attended a judicial review case at the Royal Courts of Justice, which intrigued me as a politics student as I was able to learn how public law works in practice.
I was able to observe how barristers present their arguments and ways they responded to the judge’s questions, making it clear that barristers need strong advocacy skills which comes through careful preparation of documents, confidence, and the ability to think rationally under pressure. I noticed how the judge carefully examined any legal reasoning presented and was quick to question any legal uncertainties they had, and watching the case made me realise the importance of judicial review in holding public bodies to account.
Ultimately, watching the case develop in real time offered me a greater understanding of our constitution and the crucial role of the judiciary. The case ran for the whole day, and getting to watch all the proceedings happen in person was an amazing opportunity.
Day 3- 11/02/26
On Wednesday, we were accompanied by Annika Weis from the LSS team to view another judicial review case brought by the Freemasons against the MET. This was entertaining as I learnt the ways that institutions can invade people’s rights by violating rights in the 1998 Human Rights Act such as privacy. This case further reinforced my appreciation to the amount of effort put in by barristers and the teams that help them in compiling evidence for cases. After lunch, we made our way back to Matrix and were given the opportunity to complete any tasks that we had left, and finish of the blog we had been writing, where I am able to compile my thoughts throughout the day. We then ended the day with the LSS team, who asked us questions regarding the tasks and showed us how files are prepared for barristers when they go to court.
Day 4- 12/12/26
We started the fourth day conducting some new legal research tasks as well as a diversity and inclusion task which required us to think of innovative ways for Matrix to make the profession more accessible to people underrepresented at the Bar. After we had completed the tasks, we had an amazing chat with previous and current trainees, Zoe and Florence, who taught us the steps they took to become trainees and experiences they have had thus far that helped them achieve their goal. This conversation helped clear any gaps in our knowledge as they answered questions we were curious about and what they would recommend our next steps to be. Overall, it was very beneficial and they taught us that it is okay to not rush into a career.
After Lunch, I spent 45 minutes preparing for my interview for the Future Lawyers mentoring programme by selecting a topic. I had to made arguments For and Against, which I felt to be strong. I was then taken to the interview, which was done by Elaine Cheung and Donella, where I spent 5 minutes presenting my argument and the next 5 being questioned about it. and we then moved on to 5 new general questions. I have to say the experience was fun even though I do not feel that I did my best.
My week at Matrix Chambers was extremely insightful and valuable in developing my understanding of the Bar and barristers’ work. Throughout the week, I gained practical exposure to the various areas of public law by observing judicial review cases involving the MET police as well as completing several legal tasks and speaking to trainees about their career journey. This experience has developed my interest in a legal career and strengthened my understanding of the skills required to be a successful barrister (such as strong communication and attention to detail). I am increasingly grateful for the opportunity and the knowledge it has provided me with along with meeting the team members, who made the experience even more pleasant.