I’ve heard the saying that barristers are actors and the court is their centre stage. Today I was able to see trials that were reminiscent of several episodes of Law and Order mixed in with a dash of CSI. The characters that one encounters in the court room are needless to say, simply overwhelming.

One lady arrived at her trial completely intoxicated, wearing a cowboy hat, singing and shouting. She was unable to stand up straight, let alone recite her name to the judge. Suffice it to say that due to her intoxication the trial was postponed (for the second time might I add).  And as I glanced over I felt the greatest of empathy for her lawyer who was quite clearly frustrated with her client, and at the same time was forced to remain calm, and courteous in front of the judge. It is perhaps moments like this where I might consider a career as a barrister, due to the challenge of representing a difficult client and the unexpected twists and turns that each day presents. It’s this challenge that keeps the job interesting and no day is ever the same. You work one-on-one with clients and have the opportunity to really make a difference in someone’s life.

However after the morning’s frivolities and drunk Spanish lady, I return to my desk to find paperwork files for a rape case and a racial assault which I will be hearing in the afternoon. Suddenly it all becomes dark and gloomy as I read over the sordid details I find myself wondering how the defence lawyer could possible represent the (alleged) rapist. Then again, I do believe in “innocent until proven guilty” and surely everyone should have the chance to be represented and to have a fair trial no matter what they have been charged with?

That afternoon I hear the entire case and I leave the courtroom feeling that I am ready to throw up. Some of the things that I heard were simply too vile to ever be repeated. It suddenly dawns on me the horrific reality of specialising in criminal law. I think I am more suited to corporate law, dealing with commercial and business activity as opposed to rapists and murderers. I have the greatest respect for criminal barristers, but it’s a personal choice for me that I will be applying to train with a City firm. It has been a great experience working for the CPS, and I’m glad I have completed a mini-pupillage to allow my choices to be firmly made. I think you can’t knock it till you’ve tried it, and I strongly recommend engaging in as many different types of legal internships as possible to keep your options open. In the current economic climate it is becoming increasingly hard to market yourself without extensive and varied legal work experience. Excellent academic results are a given, you really have to push yourself out there and build up your CV.

Week one: Being on the right side of the law

I arrived at the CPS for my Summer Vacation placement, based at The Cooperage in London Bridge. I expected a long day of criminal casework and an office full of serious criminal lawyers.

Quite to the contrary, I soon met a friendly charismatic lawyer in the reception who struck a conversation about my work placement and was really helpful giving me lots of advice and hints. She told me about the procedure for reviewing evidence and how one minute detail can make all the difference in deciding whether to prosecute.

She also reinforced that being a barrister can be just as competitive as being a solicitor and that I must excel in everything I do. I was very impressed by her and just before being escorted to the office I quickly asked if we could swap contact details, to which she agreed. I then found out she was a Senior Crown Prosecutor and she has offered to mentor me today and tomorrow! My motto was reinforced at this point. “Network stringently and heed advice from others whohaveworked in the field before you”.When you accept a legal vacation placement it is important to be friendly to everyone you meet at all levels and to be confident and engaging. You never know who you might meet in the reception!

Arriving at my desk my eyes gaze around the department and I inquisitively look around to get to grips with what everybody is working on. I am met by lots of friendly faces, and there are several chocolate trays on the corners of the desk. So these lawyers seem pretty normal so far. I am then taken for a quick tour around the office and introduced to all the prosecutors.

My first task is to review criminal evidence for a case and decide whether or not there was enough evidence to bring a prosecution. I had to dissect the story piece by piece and review all the fine details, including police reports with various strange codes I was unfamiliar with. I was then handed a file by another department and asked to ensure the evidence correlated to the Forensic Science Centre reports. At first I was slightly bemused by all frequent case terminology, but I quickly picked up on phrases such as “CND” (Clearly not disclosable) and “EAB” (Evidence Actions Book) so by the end of the afternoon I was feeling fairly confident with understanding the terms in the case folders.

Overall this has been a highly positive and thought-provoking start to the week, and I am really looking forward to attending the Inner Crown Court tomorrow, and the Magistrates Court on Thursday. Hopefully I will not be expected to wear a wig.

Till my next blog.