Training contract

Criminal seat

The first seat of my training contract at Allington Hughes Law was in the criminal department where I assisted the criminal team with their on-going cases and helped to start new ones.

During my time in the criminal department, I had the opportunity to attend police station interviews with my colleagues. Police station interviews are conducted following an individual’s arrest or if they had been asked to come in for a voluntary interview.  I was able to sit in during the disclosure from the police, the consultation with the individual prior to interview and also the police interview. My legal studies prior to my training contract did not really cover what happens following an individual’s arrest /summons for a voluntary interview, so being able to be part of the process greatly furthered my understanding of the role of a solicitor at a police station. I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of my time in the criminal department and subsequently I am now in the process of gaining my police station qualification, supported by Allington Hughes, in order to be able to attend police stations on my own.

In addition, I have been very fortunate to have been able to attend numerous courts, including Mold Magistrates Court and Mold Crown Court. A stand out period during my time in the criminal team was when I was able to assist my colleagues and counsel on a murder trial. I assisted on the case prior to the trial by drafting letters, calling witnesses and reviewing documents and CCTV. When the case went to trial, I even participated in it as I prepared a selection of CCTV clips that were shown to the courtroom as counsel discussed their relevance. This is something I never thought I would experience as a trainee and I am very grateful to have played a part in a case such as this. Being able to follow the trial from when it first came to Allington Hughes through to the jury’s decision made me greatly appreciate the sheer amount of work that goes into cases.

As well as attending court with my colleagues, I also had many opportunities to attend court hearings on my own, such as sentencing hearings, PTPH and case management hearings. Each of these hearings were different aspects to the judicial process and thanks to the experience I received in the criminal department, I was able to understand the importance of them and why some hearings are essential to specific cases. At these hearings, I would spend time with the client and answered any questions they had and I would assist counsel when it was required.

During my seat in the criminal department, I was able to progress cases under the supervision of my colleagues.  I did this in several ways such as; instructing medical experts, drafting legal documents, writing to/calling clients and attending conferences with counsel. By doing tasks such as these I have become more confident in being able to progress cases and now understand that each case is individual and different approaches have to be taken to ensure the best result for the clients. Furthermore, I was provided with opportunities to take on new clients involving a discussion with the client what their matter involved, whether they would need and qualify for legal aid and organising representation for them.

The criminal team helped me to get the most out of my time in the criminal department and as a trainee I couldn’t have asked for more. Working in the criminal department has helped me develop many skills that I know will be essential for my future legal career.  My time in the criminal department was incredibly interesting as no two days were the same, there were always new challenges and obstacles to overcome and this made the time very enjoyable. The team at Allington Hughes has helped me develop my passion for criminal law further thanks to the support, responsibility and scope of work I was given during the first seat in my training contract.

By Pierce Blythen