My week at Olliers as an intern – Eleanor Hirst

Last week’s intern at Olliers, Eleanor Hirst, reflects on her week with Olliers

I was introduced to the opportunity to undertake a criminal defence Internship with Olliers through my careers advisor at university. I immediately completed the application, as I was aware that Olliers was an outstanding and reputable firm. I was delighted to be accepted as an intern. It was a golden opportunity to further develop my understanding of criminal defence work. I undertook a number of different tasks each day of the internship which gave me an overview of the way the firm runs.

Magistrates Court

On my first day, I was introduced to David Philpott, who is one of a number of solicitors at Olliers who deal with most of the firm’s criminal work at this court. We arrived at court with two planned cases, both of which were being dealt with in the Youth Court. However, as the morning progressed, we were called upon to deal with three other cases, when clients in the cells requested the help of Olliers.

David explained how the legal aid system works and how a client would qualify for it. Three of the cases were before the bench of Magistrates, the other two remaining cases were dealt with by District Judges. It was interesting to see the difference in how the two work.

David took instructions from each client in a calm and understanding manner. I was able to observe his methods of communication in the cells, as well as in the interview rooms outside the Court rooms. He maintained a high standard of professionalism. I observed him managing the expectations of the clients in respect of the potential outcomes. I enjoyed listening to the questions he would ask the clients, to gain an insight into their lives and the crimes they have allegedly committed, and how he would present these instructions in court.

I noted that the Youth Court has a much more informal environment. Here the defendant does not stand inside the dock and the magistrates spoke directly to the youth (engagement), as well as getting a statement of character from the accompanying parent.

My time in the Magistrates’ Court provided a clear insight into how quickly things can change, the flexibility required and the fast pace of this court.

Police Station

On my second day, I shadowed Isobel Phillipson at North Manchester Police Station, who represented a man who had been arrested for controlling and coercive behaviour, harassment and a Public Order Act offence. Upon our arrival, he was further arrested for possession of a bladed article. Olliers were not the duty solicitor on call at the police station this day, this client came through a recommendation from a previous client.

I engaged in the initial disclosure of evidence in the pre-interview briefing with the police, the client interview and the police interview. Although, on the advice of the solicitor to go ‘no comment’, it was fascinating to see the police officer persist in the questioning. It was a privilege to have experienced the police station representations, as I have never had the opportunity to experience the first dealings with a client before. It has been useful to see the different stages of a client’s case, how different their emotions are at each encounter and the flexibility of the communication skills required.

Client Conferences

Across the week, I sat in on a number of client conferences with the solicitors dealing with a variety of matters. In one case, I observed Martha Odysseos taking instructions from a client, for their trial in the Youth Court, for theft of a motor vehicle. This was an in-person conference in the office. Here, Martha questioned the client about his whereabouts and his actions on the day of and the days following the alleged theft, trying to piece together his case with dates, times and locations. She asked for any evidence he may have, such as text messages or appointment reminders, to support his instructions. We then watched the arresting officer’s body-worn footage, where the client was cautioned and arrested and how the police officers examined the evidence. The final stage to the conference was to explain the trial procedure and how the prosecution may make a bad character application (as he had a number of similar previous convictions on his record).

I was also able to observe a number of online conferences dealing with fare evasion, proceeds of crime proceedings and Companies House prosecutions. I thoroughly enjoyed observing the different interactions with clients dependent on the offence they had been charged with and how the solicitors would elicit the details of the offence and the information required to properly represent them.

Legal Training

I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to attend two important and informative training sessions with Martha Whitehead. The first one was regarding ‘Safer Lives’. I was also invited to 18 St John’s Street chambers, with Martha and other colleagues, for a seminar on forensic evidence. Not only was this an exciting networking opportunity, but it was also extremely detailed and informative to hear the information imparted and how it could be used in the defence of a client.

It was encouraging to see that solicitors are given regular opportunities to expand their expertise and maintain their professional development by attending these sessions.