Having never done legal work experience before, coming to Matrix was extremely daunting. However, from day one I have felt very welcomed and fascinated by the work done here.

Day One consisted of meeting various teams that make up Matrix. We were greeted by Abbie and Olivia, who are front of house and familiarised us with the setting and everyone here. We first went to Marketing with Charlotte, who explained to us how the chambers worked and why marketing is integral to barristers making connections and furthering their careers. We completed our first task which was to compare the Matrix website to that of its competitors, what could be improved and what was engaging as of now. We shared our thoughts before moving onto the Fees and Finance team, where we met Elaine, who explained how the billing system for Barristers works and how they get paid. We then met Dan in LSS (Legal support staff), who are specific to Matrix, aiding in legal research. Alongside this we met the practice desks, each desk having a different section of law to focus on. For example, Team X, who focus on Commercial Law, Competition and EU, Tax and all areas relating to Public Law, Civil Liberties and Human Rights. We then finished the day reading the skeleton argument of the trial we would be observing the next day.

Day 2 and 3 were both spent in the Royal Courts of Justice, and we had the very exciting opportunity of seeing 2 barristers in action. It was fascinating to see the overall process, and we were lucky enough to see a 2-day trial, meaning we could follow the full length of proceedings from start to finish. It provided us with a realistic representation of what the court process looks like, and we were able to learn so much. I learnt how the barristers provide their statements and just how much legal knowledge is referenced throughout proceedings. The case was a civil case concerning the legislation and regulations for GMOs. The barristers were fascinating to watch as they referred to pieces of law with such precision and had a meticulous structure and methodology to their arguments. However, it also contrastingly felt like a conversation between the judge and the barristers, which was such an interesting dynamic to observe.

Day four started off with meeting Donella in LSS, who answered any questions we had and helped us gain so much valuable insight about the chambers and any questions we had in general and also about any legal questions we had. We then went back to marketing and completed another task, followed by an LSS task. We then had coffee with two of the trainees at Matrix, which was so helpful and insightful, and they gave us very honest and detailed answers about what it is truly like to work as a barrister, both the good. Through our conversation with them I was able to understand how the profession itself worked and the intricacies of it, like how the pupillage process works and the realities of things like discrimination and prejudice within the legal sector. We then finished the day with the future lawyer’s interview.

Overall, this week was so incredibly eye opening and allowed me to see what working in a chambers is truly like, not only from a barrister’s perspective but also the various other roles that are essential to this area of work, many of which I did not even know existed before this placement. Anyone interested in a career in law should look into opportunities like these to further their personal understanding of what a career like this entails.