My week at Olliers as an intern – Sonia Dias Lourenco

Last week’s intern at Olliers, Sonia Dias Lourenco, reflects on her week with Olliers

Day one:

After a brief induction by Stacey, I was immediately put on a police interview with Jack. I was able to observe the roles the solicitor and the police play in the interviewing process. The defendant was accused of common assault and sending racially aggravated threats to their support staff. The approach taken by the police officers, the interview process by Jack and the overall atmosphere of a police interview were all elements I have never encountered before, and I was extremely enlightened by it all.

After lunch, I was given the opportunity to work in the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) department. It was my understanding that the DBS department helps those who are at risk of being put on the barred list. This means that any individual on the barred list cannot work with children and/or vulnerable adults. The team are such a great team, and everyone was willing to show me the ropes and teach me the basics of a representation application.

I was also able to attend an application for bail, at the Magistrates’ Court with David, who is one of the solicitors at Olliers. The defendant was charged with a burglary offence. During this hearing, I was able to gain a bit more insight into the process of a bail application and what factors could be taken into account for the bail to be denied. I was also able to understand about the ‘three-striker’ which only applies to burglary, and on their third offence, it is treated more seriously.

Day two:

On the second day, I spent the morning with Ellie, a paralegal from the DBS department. This time, I was given a chance to draft representations for one of Ellie’s clients. It was alleged that they had sexually harassed a colleague in the workplace. Reading the paperwork, it appeared initially that the evidence was strong. However, after sitting in on the meeting between the client and Ellie, it wasn’t as clear cut. Every story has more than one side, and it should only be fair that the client is able to share their side of the story. This simply sums up criminal defence as a whole – the defendant should always have the right to be able to defend themselves and share their side of the story.

I spent the afternoon at Minshull Crown Court for the start of a trial. The plan was to observe the process of selecting a jury. However, the defendant chose not to leave his cell. After deliberations between the barristers and the Judge, it was decided that the jury could not be selected, as the defendant was not present. There was the possibility of using a video link and/or his picture to enable the jury to be selected. However, the Judge wasn’t in favour of these methods. He then rescheduled the jury selection until the next morning. This afternoon has shown things can happen unexpectedly and this sums up the court system. If you like structure, criminal law is definitely not for you.

Day three:

On the third day, I spent the day at the Magistrates’ Court observing court duty. I accompanied David, once again. Throughout the day, we moved from courtroom to courtroom, observing a range of different driving offences, I had the opportunity to sit in with various conversations with clients and the duty solicitor. I was able to ask questions about the different offences, and the different outcomes each defendant could possibly receive. I was also able to have a conversation with one of the ushers. This court experience was insightful – I gained a deeper understanding of how the Magistrates work and the role of a duty solicitor and legal aid.

Day four:

Thursday was a quiet day compared to the rest. I was able to assist Martha on a prison video call. Martha’s client was arrested and charged in relation to Class A drugs. The aim of the call was to check on their general well-being and answer any questions the defendant had in relation to their sentencing and probation. I learnt more about the sentencing guidelines, and the extent of how some factors can contribute to lessen or strengthen the defendant’s sentencing, such as the admission of guilt, any sign of remorse and any previous convictions.

I was then able to sit in on another client meeting with Ellie. In this case, the client was at risk of being barred from the Children’s Barred list. I was able to understand further the process of representations, and what tends to happen before the deadline of the submissions. The client plays a big role in providing any possible documentation that helps their case, including character references, their CV, any possible and relevant medical reports, and a reflective statement stating that the behaviour was a mistake, and why it would never happen again.

In the afternoon, I read over a few cases that Olliers have been involved in. In one case, the defendant was charged with multiple counts of possession of Class A and Class C drugs, as well as being in possession of criminal property. In another case, multiple defendants were involved in a knife and firearms attack, in which multiple defendants were also victims. Reading through these cases has shown Olliers have a huge diversity in legal matters and experience.

Day five:

On the last day, I was able to sit in the sentencing of a high-profile case, one which involved multiple defendants. I began the morning reading upon the case, and familiarising myself with the defendants, as well as any other key evidence.

I was very lucky enough to visit the defendant in the cells, with Hannah, one of the solicitors at Olliers and the Barrister. This was a chance to attend to the defendant and go through the procedure of it all. Between the cell visit and the sentencing, I was able to have a conversation with the Barrister, in which he provided me with extra background knowledge to the case. Considering the circumstances, the defendant received a good outcome. I was able to gain an understanding of the sentencing process, as well as the minimum the defendant would have to spend before being released on license.

I also had a chance to discuss a complicated sexual offences case with Hope. I was able to gain an understanding about the Digital Case System (DCS) as well as the role of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in a rape case.

My busy week ended by having a conversation with Matthew, the Managing Director. Throughout the discussion, it is clear that Olliers are committed to teaching the new generation of criminal solicitors. I would be very happy to work here in the future.

Although it has been a busy week, it’s honestly been great! I would like to thank everyone who was involved in my weeklong program. Everyone was eager to assist me throughout the entire process. I cannot recommend it more for those wanting to get into Criminal law.