TEENAGERS from Coventry visited Crown Court to learn about a career in law, and were told about the backlog of cases and the urgent need for young people to go into the profession.
His Honor Judge Matthew Walsh led the workshop alongside a team of barristers and court staff at Warwickshire Justice Centre, on December 11.
The aim was to encourage young people from all backgrounds to consider a career in law, amid a shortage of qualified solicitors and barristers.
Coventry City Council and the Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) provided the Q and A as part of the Child Friendly Cov and My Tomorrow campaign.
Students from Blue Coat School, Bishop Ullathorne School and a group from Coventry Boys and Girls Club asked questions about work-life balance, after one barrister revealed that her caseload has increased five-fold in the last decade.
Barrister Holly Kilbey said: “Ten years ago, I used to have five cases a week. I now deal with around 25 cases each week, which includes prepping two or three trials.
“During a trial there is no work-life balance.
“You have to live and breathe that case because you have someone’s life in your hands, but then because you are technically self-employed there will be days where you finish at 11 O’clock in the morning and you’re done for the day.”
Undergraduates can apply to chamber for mini pupillages, which gives law students the opportunity to shadow a barrister for a week.
Keara Clifton, 16, from Blue Coat School said: “They weren’t sugar coating it, which I thought was really useful.
“They told us about all the scholarship opportunities available and there’s loads.
“I didn’t think there were that many and you can obviously get an apprenticeship or work experience so being told about all the different opportunities was really helpful because now I know, if I did want to go into law in the next couple of years, I’ve got loads of options available to me.”
The My Tomorrow: A Conversation With… workshop was the third in a series.
HHJ Judge Walsh said: “It is really important that young people in our community understand the work of the crown court.
“This was an engaging exercise in which young people from Coventry could get an opportunity to speak to barristers, court staff and a Crown Court Judge.
“We were delighted to host this event and look forward to arranging further opportunities in the future.”
