My Week At Olliers As An Intern – Johnny Voge

Johnny Voge, intern at Olliers Solicitors, provide an insightful reflection of his week at criminal defence and regulatory firm Olliers Solicitors 

Day One   

Heading into my first day at Olliers, I expected a fast-paced and unpredictable environment, based on previous intern blogs. Those expectations quickly proved accurate. After an office tour and introductions to the team, I sat down with Matthew Claughton. We discussed our backgrounds, what drew us to law, and the new SQE system, exploring how firms can support aspiring solicitors through this challenging route. I then spoke with Rebecca Dimond, who shared insights into Olliers’ daily operations and team collaboration.    

It was then off to the Magistrates Court with David Philpott, where I quickly realized that my previous expectations of how the week would go proved correct. The atmosphere was best described as ‘lightning in a bottle’. It was a continual back-and-forth between the courtrooms and the cells (certainly a way to get your steps in) where it became evident that the ease with which matters could proceed was almost entirely dependent on the availability of specific persons and documentation and these people or items often seemed unavailable. I observed David’s professional and empathetic client interactions. One client, a young man accused of burglary, was advised that pleading guilty would reduce his sentence by one-third. This led to the client admitting his involvement after initial hesitation.    

David’s eye for detail was on full display as he was able to point out a discrepancy between the information possessed by the court and that which was held by Olliers. The client was charged with common assault and a section 4 Public Order Act offence according to our files, whilst the court was under the impression the defendant was charged with common assault and a stalking offence (a much more serious charge). David clarified the issue, ensuring the client was appropriately charged.   

Day Two   

My second day began with reviewing documents relating to a DBS related matter, an aspect of the work undertaken at Olliers which had previously been explained to me by Nathalie Potter. This lesser-known side of criminal defence was eye-opening, revealing how even unconvicted individuals can face serious limitations on their professional lives following a police investigation. The work undertaken by this department is integral to ensuring that people can challenge disproportionate restrictions.    

I was then introduced to more members of the Olliers team. Despite differing backgrounds and paths into law, every team member shared a friendly attitude and a clear dedication to achieving the best for their clients. Later, I contributed to a collaborative scheduling task, summarising large volumes of evidence across multiple cases handled by Alex Close-Claughton. This gave me a hands-on understanding of how criminal defence solicitors approach evidence and build their strategy.    

In the afternoon, I accompanied Martha Odysseos to the Crown Court. Alongside a barrister, we interviewed a client who was awaiting trial for multiple rape charges and now faced additional allegations of witness intimidation. The hearing concerned a CPS request for more time to examine the client’s phone, which the judge granted, thereby extending the client’s time in custody. It was a sobering reminder of how individuals can find themselves heavily caught up in the prison system without having received a conviction.   

Day Three   

The day began with more work for the DBS department. I reviewed client files and drafted representations aimed at helping individuals move on from past legal issues. This work relied less on criminal law knowledge and more on articulating mitigating factors and demonstrating the client’s growth and accountability.   

Following this it was back to the Magistrates’ Court with David Philpott. On the journey we discussed our shared backgrounds as history graduates, reflecting how the legal profession welcomes a variety of academic backgrounds.   

The first hearing involved an appeal against a refusal to grant legal aid. The appeal was granted, and it was intriguing to see the speed at which this occurred, with the hearing lasting less than thirty seconds. It highlighted how there are clear cases which fall through the cracks of the support systems set up to help people. If not for the work undertaken by Olliers, this individual would have been denied the financial aid they qualified for and were dependent upon.   

Next was a case concerning an alleged breach of curfew. After speaking with the client, it was clear he was home on time, but his electronic tag malfunctioned. The authorities had also arrived at his home after 10pm, and he hadn’t answered the door, something he was under no obligation to do. The issue was quickly resolved in court. This led to an interesting discussion with David about our reliance on technology in criminal proceedings. Devices like electronic tags are often trusted implicitly, but as we all know, technology is prone to malfunctioning which, in the criminal context, can have a drastic effect on proceedings.   

Day Four    

By far my busiest day of the week so far, on my fourth day I got to attend both a prison and police station interview. It was certainly a unique experience going through the mandated searches in prison and getting my fingerprints placed on record, but it was a clear reminder of the process which many criminal defence solicitors find themselves routinely going through. I attended the prison alongside Alex Close-Claughton who was to undertake an interview with a client who was imprisoned for conspiring to commit burglary and supply drugs.   

Central to this interview was the Proceeds of Crime Act and explaining to the client how the authorities would approach investigating his finances in pursuit of stolen money. Throughout the interview Alex effectively communicated and explained the various steps in this process to the client and was able to acquire the relevant information from him to assist with this matter.   

Following this it was back to the office and then out again on a visit to the police station alongside James Claughton. Arriving at the police station we then met with the officer in charge of the case and ran through all the relevant facts. Following this we met with the client alongside an interpreter and ran through the details with him which amounted to a charge of criminal damage, common assault and threats to kill.   

After interviewing the client and considering the facts, James concluded that a no comment interview would be most appropriate. We proceeded into the formal police interview where everything proceeded in accordance with James’ advice, with the client answering no comment to each question. At the conclusion of the interview James was able to assist and reassure the client in explaining how the case would proceed from that point and what the client should expect. The next day we were informed that this client was released on bail.   

Day Five    

My final day began with a DBS interview with Sonia Dias-Lourenco. This experience was deeply insightful, as it gave me a clearer understanding of the skills and competencies required to successfully interview a client during a difficult time in their life. The client, a former boxer before being forced to give up the sport now hoped some 14 years later to work with children as a boxing coach. Prior interactions with the law, however, seemed likely to limit his ability to undertake such a role, despite him having never faced any legal issues pertaining to children, and him being the father of  young children himself.    

Whilst a lengthy two-year investigation took place, the allegations were eventually dropped, and no further action was taken. Despite this, the client is now having these events held against him as an indicator that he may not be trustworthy around children. It was highly engaging to be able to hear a client’s side to their story and work to properly illustrate this to the DBS in hopes that they will take a more favourable view of the individual under discussion.    

Concluding Thoughts    

If you enjoy fast paced and unpredictable work, then a career in criminal defence may be of interest to you. During my week with Olliers there was never a dull moment, and I was almost always on my feet. I got to experience a diverse range of client matters in a number of different environments, ranging from the Magistrates and Crown courts to a prison and a police station.    

For those of you interested in criminal law and hope to maybe get involved, Olliers offers a virtual insight day later in the year which is open to all and is a great way to gain real experience into the world of criminal defence.    

I would like to conclude by extending my deepest thanks to everyone at Olliers who all came together to help make this week’s internship as enjoyable, informative and memorable as I hoped it would be. This experience has greatly expanded my interest and knowledge in criminal defence, and I can confidently recommend this experience to anyone interested in criminal defence work.