What is your position and what do you do on a day-to-day basis?
I am a solicitor advocate. I work in collaboration with solicitors in the office to prepare cases for clients for presentation to the court. I do the court advocacy, advise the client on their case, report back to them and draft up any orders as necessary. I keep in touch with the client, and alongside my colleagues I work towards the trial or settlement - both of which I will do.
A typical day:
Get to court, meet with client, advise on what to expect for the day, liaise with or negotiate with the other representatives, present the case, complete a detailed attendance note, draft an outcome letter, feed back to the office, plan the next steps. Pickup papers for the next day, drive home, usually on the M1 and get in for around 6-7pm. Motivate myself to get to the gym, maybe even go to the gym, come back, make dinner, watch 30 minutes of TV, clear up and sit down (at 10pm) to my brief and bundle or continuing trial prep for the next day, try and limit this to 2 hours and to get in to bed by 1am.
How long have you been in this role and what brought you here?
I’ve been in this role for 6 years, but I have been a solicitor for 20 years. Advocacy has always been my favourite part of the job and as the years have gone by, I have wanted to do more and more of it. In 2012 I qualified as a high court advocate and worked towards achieving my goal of becoming a full-time solicitor-advocate.
Any memorable stories from your career so far?
I once had to watch a woman take a pregnancy test in court because she insisted on proving that she was not pregnant. One of the best outcomes was a former alcoholic parent, who succeeded in having her child returned to her care, going on to mentor other such parents and helping them to keep their children at the end of care proceedings. I used the expression “old fart” in court once. I was so shocked and embarrassed at myself that I started crying and had to ask the judge for a moment.
What is the best and worst part of the day for you?
The worst is having to waste time at court, waiting to be called on. The best part is knowing that a client feels a hundred times better because of my support.
What keeps you motivated?
Achieving justice for children and families - I truly believe in what I do. I am so privileged to have a good life; I had a secure childhood and upbringing and lots of opportunities. It’s not the same for everyone and I feel strongly that I should do what I can to help people who have not been as lucky as me.
Tea or coffee?
Coffee, please.
