To finish with a slightly different kind of article to end the week, we were fortunate enough to have a work experience student join us for the whole first month of 2024.
Adelina Skarra worked with Carol and our Clinical Negligence team throughout January, and has kindly gathered her thoughts to share with us her professional journey, as well as to reflect on the time she spent in the office.
Historical interests in law and where it all began
I have always been set on a career in the legal industry. I began to pursue this desire at the age of sixteen as I attended a large college in the South Wales valleys to study law as an A Level.
I took this route as I wanted to pursue my education in English due to attending Welsh speaking schools until completing my GCSEs. I believed that despite the benefits of being bilingual, I would have a better understanding of the law if I was taught through the English language.
College was not an easy road for me. I faced many challenges, setbacks and lacked all motivation to succeed. I wasn’t interested in my education or what I could achieve. I had high aspirations, but no motivation. High expectations of myself, but no desire to fulfil them. This rut was one I was stuck in for a long time.
Throughout the whole two years at college, I did not want to be there, but I still wanted to pursue a career in law. Therefore, I made the effort to explore other programmes, opportunities, and experiences to help me develop motivation.
Through a lot of research and commitment, I encountered this opportunity called ‘Work Experience’. I believed that this would help boost me back onto the right track and re-discover my passion.
I joined a programme called ‘Pathways to Law’ with Cardiff University and Sutton Trust. This programme opened doors to work experience, workshops, and networking to help build back my motivation and determination. This journey reassured that with determination I would be able to excel and commence a career in the legal industry.
Despite regaining my passion, I had prepared myself for the worst. My confidence in continuing to university was non-existent. I did not believe I had done enough to continue.
Where I am today, and where I aspire to be
This process has led me to the current day where I am a semester in to my first year at university. I have embraced the opportunity to continue a journey I didn’t think I would have. The state of panic and anxiety I put myself through taught me I never wanted to experience that feeling of self-betrayal again. But also, to consider the bigger picture.
Today I am eager, determined, and excited. I enjoy my education at Leeds Beckett University and all the opportunities surrounding it. I have built connections, grown my confidence and been consistent throughout my first semester. I hope to continue this growth throughout the remainder of my time at Leeds Beckett and as I begin my career in the legal industry.
I am still unsure of what position I want to pursue. However, I am actively exploring the day-to-day life of solicitors and barristers to identify where I can see myself. I enjoy the analysis and evaluation aspect of a solicitor, along with the closer client engagement. However, I enjoy the debating, construction of arguments and court process aspect to a barrister position.
This has left me unsure of what direction to head towards, however as a first-year student, I’m sure this will become clearer in time.
What I hoped to learn
On application for work experience at Oakwood Solicitors, I hoped to learn about the application of the law and how claims work. I wanted to understand the process and expertise that would be involved in the day-to-day life of any member of their clinical negligence team. I believed this would help me understand the broader picture of the journey a claim takes to be heard in court.
Additionally, I wanted to further my understanding of the role as a solicitor. With only some knowledge, I wanted to expand on this and recognise what I could bring to a role of that style. I considered that this would help me further evaluate the direction I wanted to pursue after completion of my degree.
What I learnt
My experience at Oakwood solicitors enabled me to develop many skills that will be extremely valuable for my future position. These include, analysis and evaluation, understanding and interpreting legislation, organisation and management, written and oral communication, critical thinking and confidentiality.
I am grateful to have developed these transferable skills and eager to apply them to positions in the future.
Additionally, I had many opportunities to work on case files the team are currently working on. Throughout the last 4 weeks, I have learnt to organise medical records by indexing, paginating, and providing a chronology. I have completed risk assessments on cases to evaluate the current position and review the records.
This would identify key evidence in the medical records, such as, establishing whether a breach of duty has occurred or what the causation is. I have understood how to draft a letter of first notification to a defendant to notify them about the upcoming claim. And a letter of claim to the defendant detailing the claim that has been brough against them.
I have constructed case plans on several cases to establish the best next steps in handling the client’s needs. And last, but not least, I wrote a letter of instruction to experts in evidence outlining the claimant’s history and asking direct questions addressing a breach of duty or causation.
The opportunity to understand how all these tasks work has helped developed my understanding of how claims work in this department. I’ve gained a valuable insight into the process and expertise that would be involved in the day-to-day workings of a Clinical Negligence department and the journey a claim takes to be heard in court.
In the process, I have had the ability to observe and understand the day-to-day lives of the solicitors in the team. The have encouraged and welcomed my questions and guided me through every step of a clinical negligence claim.
I would argue that the clinical negligence department had exceeded my expectations of what I would learn and develop during my time here.
The structure of my working day
No two days were ever the same at Oakwood Solicitors. This is one of the many aspects I enjoyed working with the team. Everyday was unpredictable and provided something new for me to learn or develop further.
I would begin my day around nine o’clock where I would finish any outstanding work from the day before. If I had nothing outstanding, I would hurry to someone’s desk to find more. This kept things interesting and exciting as I was able to help different members of the team with their own cases, exposing me to a lot more medical claims.
After understanding and questioning the instructions given, I would begin to tackle each task a step at a time. With the reassurance of the team around me, I could ask for help, advice, a better understanding, or question any aspect of the claim and task at any stage.
On completion of the task, I would return the task to the member that provided me with it and ask for more work up until five o’clock.
The overall structure of the day was very flexible. I was able to work with comfort and encouragement from the team.
My relationship with the team and with office life
The Clinical Negligence team have been nothing short of encouraging, supportive mentors that have guided me through the whole experience. From sharing their knowledge and expertise to enjoying conversations about personal life, I have felt welcomed and included.
I have built connections that I hope to hold onto. Their company has been enjoyable but also very insightful and rewarding.
The office environment has also made me feel included and apart of their team. Being involved in the office has been a rewarding experience. To experience the day-to-day life of every team member and be sat by their side gave a sense of involvement.
How my work experience will help me in my future studies
I believe that by developing the skills that I have and engaging with tasks I have been given I will succeed in my studies.
Having more exposure to risk assessing, drafting letters, analysing records and evaluating the next steps for case plans has helped develop my confidence in written and oral communication, understanding how to apply the law, and critically thinking. These are skills I can apply to my studies through assessments, learning or my ability to understand.
This has been invaluable and will contribute greatly to how I address scenarios in the future.
A day of a Legal Assistant in the Industrial Disease Department
I have been working in the Industrial Department team as a legal assistant for nearly a year here at Oakwood Solicitors.
I would usually start my day by looking at my to do list th…
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