Tanya Elahi

Name: Tanya Elahi
Course: Law
Year of Study: Final Year
Graduation Year: 2021

What work experience did you do?

I undertook a mini-pupillage with 3 Temple Garden Chambers in London. I shadowed a barrister in a Criminal Case involving various assaults on police officers.

What was it that inspired you to look for work experience?

I was inspired to look for this work experience, as I would like to pursue a career at the Bar. The best way for me to get some insight into the daily life as a barrister is through mini-pupillages, where you have the opportunity to shadow a barrister as they work through a case. This gives you experience of trial preparation, advocacy, cross-examination and discussions between opposing counsel which give you a brief but useful snapshot of the career.

Why did you choose to do work experience in this area?

I chose to work in Criminal Law because I believe this area has the most fascinating cases. Often, they involve vulnerable people from society who should not be in the system in the first place, and who require support to navigate a really tough process. I appreciate the skills and compassion necessary to be able to work with these people, and I hope that I can contribute to making the system slightly easier for them one day. I also enjoy the fact that there is a lot of trial advocacy in Criminal Law, compared to Commercial Law, for example. I enjoy public speaking and the idea of being able to speak in court most days as well as examining and cross-examining witnesses appeals to me as it shows this is an exciting area that I will look forward to working in every day.

Give a brief snapshot of your role:

  • Carry out research for my supervising barrister as they dealt with other aspects of the case.
  • Read through and compare trial documents to highlight any inconsistencies within the evidence.
  • Take notes of evidence given by witnesses during the trial, including through examination-in-chief and cross-examination.

How did the Bursary award support you in gaining experience?

The Bursary award allowed me to undertake this work experience by contributing towards the cost of my travel and accommodation. Without this, I would not have been able to accept my work experience offer and would have struggled to gain further experience.

What were the most enjoyable aspects of your role?

The most enjoyable aspect of my role was being able to speak to different barristers, CPS workers, police officers and court staff about the case and their roles. I enjoy being able to speak to people and learn from them, whilst gaining a diverse range of perspectives on the same issues. The opportunity to do so over the course of the week was hugely enjoyable as I was able to learn so much about the case that I would not have considered had this opportunity not been available.

What were the challenges?

The most challenging part about the work experience was the difficult case itself. The defendant was a very vulnerable and volatile person, and it was clear that they needed help which the criminal justice system cannot provide. The case was upsetting, and it was extremely difficult to see the defendant’s emotions and pain as they struggled to get through the court process and understand everything that was going on. Whilst it was hard for me to get used to this, it gave me a better understanding of what people have to go through when things like mental health support are unavailable to them. This only motivated me further to pursue a career in this area so that I can provide at least some compassion and support to those in similar situations.

Did you have any worries or concerns before your work experience and if so how were they dealt with and overcome?

I was concerned about going to court as I had spent the year in lockdown and had not really been indoors in a public place. However, everyone in court was social distancing and wearing masks, and there was hand sanitizer available on every corridor. I was really impressed with how well they had managed to keep the courts running, whilst also keeping people safe.

What specific or transferable skills did you develop through the work experience?

The most important skill I developed was definitely my written advocacy. Barristers have quite a unique and concise way of writing which is difficult to get to grips with at first. However, I was able to get used to this as I carried out various written tasks for my supervising barrister. This will help me as I write skeleton arguments and other documents during my own career at the Bar.

Did the work experience give you any insights and have these influenced your career pathway?

The work experience definitely reaffirmed my motivation to pursue a career in this area. The work was interesting, and the people I met had fascinating insights which only made me more determined to get to where I want to be.

Do you have any words of wisdom for future students looking to gain work experience?

Although I cannot claim to have much more ‘wisdom’ than many other students, my one piece of advice would be to definitely apply for any work experience you might be interested in, as every opportunity is a chance to learn something new. I, personally, was a little unsure about applying as I knew there was a big financial cost involved. However, the support I received from UoM with this Bursary award was hugely helpful and I don’t have any regrets about applying for this experience.