My Week At Olliers As An Intern – James Morson

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

Before the Internship  

Despite seeming like one of the most exciting and rewarding careers around, criminal defence work is remarkably under advertised at university.  However, Olliers stood out from the crowd, advertising both a meet and greet and an internship placement over the summer. This enables others to recognise whether a career in criminal law is for them without needing prior connections in the legal world, making it accessible for anyone to apply.  

Day One: Introductions, Court Preparation and Police Interviews  

Walking into Olliers on my first day, I felt excited and curious, understanding that such an opportunity was particularly rare within criminal law. I was unsure what to expect, imagining admin tasks and background observation.  

My first day set the tone for the rest of the week: fast paced, unpredictable, and client focused. It began with being introduced to the rest of the office and a welcome discussion with Matthew Claughton where we conversed about the future of criminal law including subjects such as the business models of criminal law firms, benefits of proactive pre-charge representation, and how AI could influence the criminal law sphere. 

After, I joined Hope Rea, preparing for a Crown Court sentencing the next day. We examined the aggravating and mitigating factors; from the role the client played within the drug network, to his recovery from a previous addiction, and excellent Pre-Sentence Report (PSR). One element of this conversation that particularly fascinated me was the concept of a basis of plea: accepting guilt but challenging the prosecution’s interpretation of events. It was interesting to learn that such a plea can lead to a Newton Hearing and the strategic risks involved such as losing sentencing credit.  

Unexpectedly, we were informed that a client was arrested and needed representation at a police station, causing me to rush off with Martha Odysseos to attend. After reviewing the evidence and meeting the client, it became apparent that the term ‘robbery’ was very disproportionate to the context. I previously learnt about the theory of fair labelling, but witnessing it firsthand enabled me to see how unjust it truly was. Ultimately, the client was charged with assault and criminal damage, a significantly different offence, but was still particularly harsh when considering the limited role our client played.

Day Two: Sentencing, Prisons and the Human Side to Criminal Law 

I began the day accompanying Hope Rea to the Crown Court for the sentencing we had prepared for the day before. Before court began, we met the client and Hope discussed the process of what was going to happen, easing the client’s nerves as much as possible. It dawned on me how much of the role did not require legal knowledge, but instead being good with people, using empathy and compassion to make such an intimidating process more manageable.   

Inside the courtroom the atmosphere was intense. The judge had a reputation for being firm but fair and this was evident in his sentencing. To my surprise, the barrister wasn’t even given the opportunity to present oral submissions since the judge was satisfied with the PSR and written mitigation.  

The outcome was the best we could have asked for; a two-year suspended sentence and a variety of other activities including 250 hours of unpaid work. What impressed me most was the humanity of the sentencing. Despite the severity of the offence (Possession with Intent to Supply Class A Drugs), the judge recognised the difficult situation the client was in and even offered to meet the defendant monthly at his reviews. 

In the afternoon, I sat in on a prison conference with Alex Close-Claughton. The client was serving time on recall but now faced a fresh charge of burglary. We reviewed the prosecution’s case, which was strong but also entirely circumstantial, making the discussion around the strategy going forward crucial. One of the things I found most fascinating was a discussion around concurrent vs consecutive sentencing and how it made a significant impact on the individual’s sentence length.  

Day Three: Paperwork and back to the Police Station 

The morning began with a scheduling task, organising the evidence into a more understandable format.  

Soon after I accompanied James Claughton to a police station interview, this time in relation to stalking and breaching a restraining order. The tone of this interview was noticeably different to the one on Monday since the client had previous experience of being arrested, thus already understood the process and was relatively calm.  

What I found particularly interesting was James’ advice to draft a prepared statement for the client; a written document outlining their defence without being put under the pressure of responding to questions. I found it an effective option since the Police would be unsuccessful in their attempts to trip the client up in their questioning. It illustrated that each client is different, and it is necessary for criminal solicitors to find the best strategy possible for each unique situation.  

Later in the day, I sat down with Martha Whitehead, examining a legal aid application. Despite having awareness regarding the financial eligibility required, I was unaware that the application was also required to be tested on its merits. Thus, even if someone cannot afford to defend themselves, it still needs to be in the public interest. 

Rounding off the day I joined Alex again for a client call with a prisoner, where we reviewed the case against him and the prospect of submitting a basis of plea. Having learnt about this earlier on in the week with Hope it was fascinating to see how the concept played out in practice. Discussions centred around sentencing credit and whether the plea was worth the risk.  

Day Four: Chaos and Disorder of the Magistrates’ Court   

If any day captured the sheer unpredictability and ‘rough around the edges’ characteristic of criminal defence work, it was my fourth day, spent in the Magistrates’ court with Jack Tomlinson. The pace was persistent. Three different cases scheduled, many delays, and last-minute changes.  

We began in the custody cells, meeting each client and taking their instructions.  

The first case involved a client facing a bail hearing for allegedly ‘Threatening to Expose Intimate Photos’. However, the client still had time left to serve on a previous sentence, making immediate bail unworkable. Thus, the judge agreed to adjourn the matter until closer to the client’s release date.  

The second case was one I found particularly moving. The client was accused of failing to charge his electronic tag, which technically was a breach of his bail conditions. However, upon taking instructions from him, it became evident that this was only due to him being unable to afford electricity. This was a moving example of how poverty and criminalisation can too often be interconnected. Fortunately, the Magistrates took a sympathetic view, allowing the client to remain on bail, rather than remanding him into custody.   

The third case turned out to be more of a procedural mix-up than a legal issue, with three solicitors arriving for the same defendant, each representing him on different ongoing matters. I found the situation to be symbolic of what I had witnessed in the Magistrates’ Court, chaos but genuine care for clients.  

Day Five: Injustice of the DBS 

My final day at Olliers brought me to the DBS team, working on a task which left a lasting impression of injustice. After being arrested and investigated for a total of 14 months, the client was never charged, causing the police to conclude the case with No Further Action (NFA). However, despite this outcome, and the absence of any charge or conviction, the arrest remained visible on the Police National Computer (PNC). Such a record threatened the client’s ability to work in his chosen profession, despite not being found guilty of an offence. We often hear the phrase ‘innocent until proven guilty’ but this case showed me how even an arrest can influence someone’s life, no matter if they are charged or not. Thus, my task was to prepare representations, requesting for this record to be deleted from the PNC.  

Concluding Remarks 

Reflecting on my week at Olliers, I am leaving with even more appreciation towards criminal defence work than before. Criminal defence is demanding work. It’s fast-paced, emotionally intense, and often unpredictable. But it’s also incredibly meaningful. Whether advising a client in a police station, supporting someone through sentencing, or helping a person clear their name from an unfair record, the work criminal solicitors do have a genuine and lasting impact on people’s lives. 

I’m hugely grateful to everyone at Olliers for their time, support, and willingness to involve me so fully in the reality of life in criminal law. It’s been a truly challenging, eye-opening, and inspiring experience.