My Week at Olliers as an Intern – Claire Stanley

Claire Stanley, intern at Olliers Solicitors, provide an insightful reflection of her week at criminal defence and regulatory firm Olliers Solicitors 

Monday 3rd November

My first day at Olliers Solicitors began with an introduction to the firms policies.

Shortly after, I had the opportunity to accompany David Philpott, a partner of the firm, to Manchester Magistrates’ Court, where he was dealing with three cases. Observing the court proceedings first-hand was incredibly insightful. It allowed me to see how cases are managed within the court room and to witness the professional interactions between solicitors and clients. Seeing the practical advocacy and case preparation brought what I have studied into reality.

In the afternoon, I met with Nathalie Potter, an associate at Olliers, who provided an overview of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and explained it’s importance in safeguarding and legal compliance around Regulated Activities and what this would look like, which provided me with a clearer understanding of how DBS checks operate within the legal system and their impact on clients. Nathalie outlined the four types of DBS Certificates, basic, standard, enhanced, and enhanced with barring, and explained what each level reveals about a client’s criminal record and suitability for certain roles. From this, I got to know how DBS checks are used to protect children and vulnerable adults.

To finish the day, I read a DBS letter to a client and statement from third parties and began preparing presentations on their behalf. This meant whether the client should or shouldn’t be prohibited from working with children, and/or vulnerable adults. This task allowed me to apply what I had learned and read about the DBS system and gain experience in legal drafting and client advocacy.

Tuesday 4th November

The second day of my internship began with continuing work on submitting representations to the DBS. This task helped me better how written representations are structured, and the importance of presenting information clearly, whilst persuading when advocating on behalf of the client.

Later in the morning, I worked alongside Hope on a serious sexual assault case which provided a great deal of insight into the sensitive and complex nature of these matters. It was eye opening for me to see how cases involving such serious allegations are managed when reviewing evidence.

In the afternoon, I took part in the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) awareness and training session with the team. This session was particularly interesting for me, as I was able to understand the role of the IOPC and how police complaints are investigated and managed. I learned that the IOPC oversees complaints against police officers, police staff, special constables, and it plays a crucial role in maintaining public confidence in policing. The training session covered how the complaints process operates and what information should be included when submitting a company, the types of misconduct that can lead to an investigation, and the different levels of investigation, training from local investigations to those independently conducted by the IOPC. The possible outcomes following an investigation, which can include criminal proceedings, disciplinary action, policy recommendations, or training and guidance to improve police practice. The speakers discussed the history of the IOPC, and how significant cases such as the Stephen Lawerence inquiry influenced modern reforms to police oversight and accountability.

Wednesday 5th November

I began my third day by completing my DBS representations submissions, finalising the written arguments on behalf of our client regarding whether they should be barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

Later in the morning, I attended a duty police station attendance at North Manchester police station alongside Hope Rea, a trainee solicitor. The case involved a youth client who had been arrested in the early hours of the morning for a number of driving offences including dangerous driving, failing to stop, and driving without insurance.

Throughout the process, Hope took me step by step through how a solicitor interacts with clients at the police station, from reviewing the disclosure provided by the police officer to advising the client before their interview. I observed how she carefully explained the allegations, the evidence, and the client’s legal rights, ensuring that the client fully understood the situation and potential implications.

During the visit, I leaned about the importance of client care, especially when it comes to youth defendants, where an appropriate adult must be present during interviews, to guarantee that the clients rights are protected and that they understand what is happening. The client was of good character, with no previous convictions or police record.

This was a whole new experience for me, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have witnessed the process. This was my first time witnessing the police station stage where it concerns an under 18 in the criminal justice process. It showed me how crucial solicitors are in advising and safeguarding clients during interview and investigations. This experience reinforced the importance of remaining calm throughout, and professional even in high-pressured situations involving serious allegations.

In the afternoon, I joined Hannah and Hope for a Conference Meeting via video link with a client in preparation for their upcoming Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing (PTPH) scheduled for Friday. The case involved serious allegations including the supply of Class A drugs, possession of an offensive weapon and related driving offences.

During this meeting, Hannah reviewed the summary of the allegations with the client and advised the client on issues such as credit for early guilty pleas, which can reduce the clients sentencing up to 25 %.

This meeting allowed me to observe how solicitors manage pre-trial preparation, communicate the complexity of the case in a clear way to the client, in a way that the client is able to understand their position before attending court.

It was eye-opening for me to see how Hannah and Hope adapted their communication style based on the clients understanding and emotion. I was able to appreciate the interpersonal, side of legal practice.

Thursday 6th November

My day began with reviewing a Crown Court case which involved fraudulent trading. My task was to read the case summary and defence statement and then produce concise summaries of the key documents, including unused material, and identifying any evidence that helped our client and his defence.

This was again, a particularly interesting task as I’ve not previously worked on fraud related cases. This case involved a defendant charged with one count of fraudulent trading under two possible company names, both the original and the newly incorporated company. The defendant in this case denies that either the company traded fraudulently or that he acted dishonestly in his dealings with the three complainants.

Later in the morning, I joined the team for a pleasant visit to The Secret Public Exhibition (LGTBQ). The exhibition explored the influence of LGTBQ and LGTBQ friendly performers on mainstream pop culture from 1950s to 1980s and highlighted how musicians such as Little Richard challenged gender norms and refined masculinity in entertainment, The exhibition powerfully demonstrated how pop culture became a space for LGTBQ to individuals to see themselves represented and to imagine a more tolerant and inclusive future.

In the afternoon, I attended a seminar at Manchester Hall, which was hosted at Lincoln House Barristers and led by barristers Simon Gurney and Shirlie Duckworth. The seminar focused on the overlap between criminal proceeding and professional disciplinary cases. It highlighted the importance of consistent and co-ordinated representation when clients face both types of investigates, as well as the challenges posed by differing standards of proof and disclosure obligations, The talk also covered upcoming GMC Guidance, and the need for fairness,  transparency and proportionality in disciplinary decisions.

This was an interesting seminar as it offered practical insight into managing cases involving both criminal and regulatory elements.

Friday 7th November

I started off my morning by reading a clients brief and instructions to counsel ready for the PTPH scheduled early afternoon concerning a defendant who is remanded in custody for drugs offences.

On arrival to Manchester Crown Court (Crown Square) with Hope and Hannah, we met with counsel, and the client via video call.  During the call, the counsel explained to the client what was going to happen in the hearing, allowing the client to understand the offences, and the potential sentencing, in line with the sentencing guidelines.

Again, this was a whole new experience for me, to see what happens with very serious cases in Crown Court, how communication happens before the hearing, from solicitors to counsel, and counsel to the client. Observing how a hearing takes place in Crown Court rooms with a judge is a memory that will always stay with me.

What I have learnt, and what I will take away with me from this week is that every experience teaches you something new, and this week, my internship at Olliers Solicitors taught me more than I expected, understanding how a firm works behind the scenes, it has been a week of discovery.

I am incredibly grateful to the team at Olliers for their support and for allowing me to see how the criminal defence world works up close. This week has deepened my passion for law and reaffirmed my career in criminal defence.

For the team at Olliers, excellence is not occasional, its routine 😊