My name is Oprah. I am an A-level student who aspires to a career in the legal industry. Brady Harvey Legal gave me an opportunity to experience daily engagements and errands within the legal industry as a preparation towards my career path.

By the end of the first day of the placement, I was able to understand how mediation works, including the processes involved in childcare, property arrangements and court orders. Additionally, from my first assignment which was organising a file on a family law case, I managed to understand the main skills needed in the practice of law which are organisation, attention to detail, and working on your own initiative and I was able to put them into practice.

My core duties during the one-week placement were printing, organising documents, labelling case files and double-checking if things were in the right place to the best of my ability, while applying my attention to detail and organisation skills. Within the first hour of my work experience, I was instructed on a significant tip that is not only applicable in the legal sector but also in any other line of work, which is preparing and taking control of my own workspace. This is something that I have taken with me from my work placement and will use it especially while I am still in my education.

In the course of my work experience, I was in a position where I could think of my further education in law and be advised by a qualified lawyer on some options which I could choose. One of the options that I was given was to consider attending university in America, and I was also given a good description of the university experience there, including the pathway to taking the American bar exam which the new SQE multiple-choice exam is modelled on.

I also reviewed witness statements and evidence files in preparation for a mock trial, from which I understood several elements of how cases work including the fact that witness statements are written and prepared by lawyers but according to what the witness has said. My main tasks were to read the witness statements and understand them before the mock trial in order to be able to ask and answer questions during the trial. I found this very beneficial and remarkable as it was the first case in which I was able to take part.

Generally, I had a very good experience, in an amicable work setting. I am glad that I was able to help to the best of my capability over the course of my work experience week and be able to learn, develop insights on the legal industry and assure myself that a law career is precisely the future profession path that I would like to take.

Written by Oprah Mwanjoka, A level student at Caroline Chisolm School, after her work experience placement at Brady Harvey Legal.