My Week At Olliers As An Intern – Freddie Guest

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

Day One 

Walking into day one I was filled with nervous excitement and eager to dive into the practice of criminal law. I was initially unsure about what to expect from the team, but any apprehensions were quickly set aside after meeting Rebecca Dimond who introduced me to everyone and showed me around the office. Every individual was welcoming, keen to give advice, and made me feel at home from day one. 

Unlike other internships I was thrown straight in to meeting clients face-to-face. I expected to spend a lot of time in the office, but at Olliers I was given the opportunity to experience the fast-paced, on your feet, nature of criminal defence work. 

After my introductions I was straight out accompanying David Philpott to the Magistrates’ Court. After reading publications by qualified practitioners and the blogs of other interns, I was under the impression that attending the Magistrates’ Court meant a day full of uncertainty and chaos; a view which was very quickly confirmed. Upon arrival we quickly found out that our first client was not even aware of his scheduled hearing, meaning the hearing was adjourned to a later date.  

Upon returning to the office, I spoke with George Odysseos who explained the role of the DBS team. This is an area I had very limited knowledge of but immediately found it to be an interesting and engaging area of the firm. 

After lunch I was straight back to the Magistrates with David for another hearing, which thankfully the client was aware of. Before the trial we met with the client where David explained the charges and, as it was the client’s first court appearance, how the trial would pan out. This discussion very effectively calmed the client down before the trial and allowed David to give his advice, highlighting the necessity of being compassionate and empathetic when conversing with clients who may not understand the procedures of the court system.  

Day Two 

At the start of day two I was excited to jump straight back into the fast-paced world I had experienced in day one, and soon after arriving to the office I was not disappointed.  

Almost immediately I was instructed to make my way to the police station to meet with Connor Brylczak where he was acting as a duty solicitor representing an individual arrested overnight. Attending a police station interview was a new experience for me and before arrival, Connor briefed me on what to expect.  Once we had arrived, we reviewed the disclosure and then consulted with the client. In the consultation prior to the interview, I was impressed by Connor’s ability to gain information from, and subsequently advise, an unresponsive client. Connor’s advice to make a no comment interview ultimately led to the client’s desired outcome, a No Further Action (NFA). 

I then returned to the office where I spoke with Hope Rea about a sentencing in the Crown Court that I would be attending with her later in the day. This was a particularly interesting case involving a burglary where it was in dispute whether the client had acted alone or as a part of a larger group.  

Yet much like with the chaos of the previous day, the sentencing did not go as expected due to the client revealing to counsel in his consultation that he had received a letter charging him with a further seven offences, with the hearing due to take place in November. Upon hearing this information, Hope instructed the Barrister to ask the Judge to postpone the case to a later date, a request the Judge agreed to. The reasoning behind this being the additional charges would likely be raised to the Crown Court, therefore allowing all offences to sentenced at once. This incident highlights the unpredictability of criminal law and consequently the need to possess the ability to respond to new situations and think on your feet. As someone who enjoys fast paced and unpredictable work, I thoroughly enjoyed this day. 

Day Three 

I couldn’t wait to get started on day three as I was to be working within an area of law that I had took a particular interest in, namely with the DBS team. I was informed that I would be sitting in on a conference with a client and then writing up my own draft of representations in response to a minded to bar letter. This is something I was excited to get started on as I felt I could really put my learning into practice.  

Before the conference began, I read over our client’s Minded to Bar letter and discussed with Sonia Dias Lourenco the information she would need to extract from the client to allow her to draft her written representations. In the conference our client discussed his account of events and covered some very sensitive subjects. Throughout the conference I was very impressed with Sonia’s ability to remain understanding and extract the required information whilst keeping the client at ease, again highlighting to me the importance of possessing great ‘people skills’ in this client-facing line of work. Following the conference, I was given the opportunity to use my own notes to draft my own written representation, as someone working within the DBS team would do themselves. I found this to be very enjoyable as I was able to apply a client’s own account of events to a real scenario and thus, form a legal argument as I would do if I were working within the team.  

After finishing writing my representations, I joined Alex Close-Claughton in a client conference with counsel. The conference focused on discussing strategy for the upcoming trial, with counsel speculating as to whether the number of Cannabis plants found on the client’s property would constitute personal or commercial use, with the latter carrying a much heavier sentence. It was interesting to observe how a solicitor and counsel work together, with counsel emphasising the need for our client to build credibility within the trial. Throughout the conference, both Alex and the barrister remained realistic and friendly with the client, creating a positive dynamic where a strategy could easily be formed.  

Day Four 

Day four provided a huge contrast to my first police station experience. This time I was to travel to Cheadle Heath police station, where I met with Maria Koukou to represent a client who was arrested on a charge of possession with intent to supply class B drugs. Unlike the last time I went to the police station, this client was very engaging and provided a detailed account of his situation and why he was in possession of cannabis. Maria initially suggested that he provide a written statement admitting to the possession of Class B drugs but denying any intent to supply. However, the client repeatedly expressed a reluctance to ‘snitch’ on anyone and requested a transcript of his no comment interview to prove this. This situation demonstrated one of the difficulties of criminal law, where individuals feel at risk of repercussions from outside of the criminal justice system and so don’t engage in a way which may actually have better consequences for them. 

Upon my return I sat down with Matthew Claughton to discuss my experience of the internship so far, which as I am sharing now, was hugely positive. Matthew provided a great insight into what a pathway into a career in criminal law would look like – something I am very grateful for. 

Day Five 

On my final day I was with David Philpott in the Magistrates’ Court where he was duty solicitor for the day. David explained to me that today would be different to my first experience visiting the Magistrates as this time he wouldn’t know which cases he would be taking until he arrived. Unsurprisingly, this uncertainty meant today was a whirlwind, with us rushing between the cells and the courtroom a significant number of times. When in the cells, David asked questions to ascertain the client’s story and allow him to give them advice, and when in the courtroom, David used the information available to him to advocate for his client. This day highlighted David’s ability to think on his feet and represent client’s with only minimal information, showcasing his skill and effectiveness as an advocate in the Magistrates’ Court.  

One case of particular interest involved a client who failed to turn up to his first court hearing due to him possessing a document listing the hearing for a different date. His original offence was driving whilst disqualified, and without valid insurance. As he was guilty of these offences, David advised him to plead guilty and then explained to the court why he had missed his original hearing date. The judge took this into account in her sentencing, meaning the client wasn’t unjustly punished for a small error.  

Concluding thoughts 

As my week at Olliers wraps up, I can easily say that this experience has vastly increased my understanding of, and interest in, criminal defence work. I never had a dull moment and was constantly on my feet meeting different clients and learning about the different areas of the firm.  

I would recommend this internship to anyone with an interest in criminal law and would like to thank everyone at Olliers for providing me with a welcoming, enjoyable and informative experience.