What I Learned From My Work Experience

My name is Aaliyah*, and I am 15 years old. This week (14 - 18 July 2025), I had the pleasure of spending my work experience with TMP Solicitors. It was a great week, full of fun experiences, that I am very grateful to have experienced. It has been an insightful week that not many people my age could say they have experienced.

girls human rights hub team at lincoln's inn

royal courts of justice

inside the court of appeal

Day 1

I was introduced to Law, but more specifically, Employment Law. I was given the task of familiarising myself with Employment Law and the law in general, and to gain a better understanding of the industry I would be working in. I carried out this task by using what I already knew about lawyers and further research. A few things that I learnt whilst carrying out this task are that TMP Solicitors specialise in Employment Law and Human Rights Matters. TMP offer specialist advice of the highest calibre, a top-quality bespoke service to meet your individual or company needs. They treat all aspects of litigation with sensitivity. They ensure that everyone they represent receives both consideration and the best legal representation. They have a very high success rate.

I then proceeded to learn about the Employment Tribunal, including its various areas of law and the different levels of lawyers, as well as their specialisations. I learnt what Barristers do and what a KC is. A KC, or King's Counsel, is a senior barrister or solicitor advocate in England and Wales who has been recognised for their excellence in advocacy, particularly in the higher courts. They are often leaders in their respective fields of law, handling complex cases that require a high level of legal expertise. The title is a mark of distinction and is bestowed upon those who have demonstrated outstanding ability in court.  This gave me a better insight into what lawyers do and how they handle different types of cases.

Day 2

On my second day, my task was to research various employment law cases and examine how employment law affects everyday life. I did this by researching current and past cases and their legal arguments. A few of the cases that I came across were:

Antoinette Lattouf v ABC - This was a case involving wrongful termination of employment due to Ms Lattouf’s political opinion regarding the Israeli military. She won her case and got justice for herself.

Oni and Others v LB Walthamstow and Others - This case focused on the fact that foster carers are the most exploited workers in the country. In January 2025, three foster carers won a landmark legal case, with a tribunal judge ruling they had the right to bring discrimination and whistleblowing claims to an employment tribunal. TMP were involved in this case and helped these exploited workers. Their case is not yet finished, but they are taking their fight for full employment rights to the Supreme Court. These were interesting cases to read about and research.

Day 3

On this day, I had the opportunity to experience another area of law: Criminal. I visited The Central Criminal Court, more commonly known as The Old Bailey, a criminal court building in central London that has been in use since 1907. The Old Bailey handles the most serious criminal cases in England and Wales. This was an amazing experience, and it was fascinating to observe how the criminal court operates.

I chose to attend a murder trial, which was both intriguing and different. It was crazy to see how everything happens in court. I saw the case of Jesse Lloyd-Smith, 20, who was fatally injured near the Damilola Taylor centre in Peckham, south-east London, on 10 July 2024. Seven young boys aged from 17-22 were the group allegedly involved in the murder. To see how a case like this is handled in court was not at all what I expected, which was fascinating for me to observe.

The other case I saw was five young men, who allegedly murdered a Greek tourist in south-east London after following him for more than half an hour when he left a nightclub. Antonis Antoniadis, 26, was stabbed in the chest and suffered a deep wound to his thigh in New Cross.

It was genuinely an interesting experience, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to accomplish something like this. During this day, I learnt how courts work and what the different people in court do. Overall, it was an amazing experience.

Girls Human Rights Hub 

After visiting the court, I met the members of the Girls' Human Rights Hub team. They were wonderful, and the work they do is really important. The Girls' Human Rights Hub is for all girls and women aged 11-24 years. They provide a platform for girls to learn how to use advocacy, leadership, and litigation to become advocates for their rights. At the heart of their mission is the promotion of gender equality and the elimination of gender-based violence, empowered by the strength of girls themselves.

Day 4

Another full day on day 4. I visited the Court of Appeal and saw an appellant’s case whose legal team consisted of Karon Monaghan KC and Michael Engelhardt-Sprack. This was also a very interesting experience. It was intriguing to see the difference between criminal courts and courts of justice. I saw the case of the Counsel resisting the claim of indirect sex discrimination in homelessness judicial proceedings. I was not able to understand everything that was being said because it relied mainly on legal arguments, but from what I could infer, the legal argument that took place was to do with the disadvantage that homeless women with children have once they have requested to move to alternative accommodation and have been placed on a ‘waiting list’. It was interesting to see the differences between courts and how they handle their various cases.

___

This week was very interesting for me, and I enjoyed participating in these activities and meeting new people. I've learned a lot of new things about Law, which will help me in my future studies as I’ve improved my research skills. Additionally, many aspects of law are also relevant to other fields, providing valuable references for my future studies. I would like to thank TMP for this wonderful week filled with amazing new experiences. I’m very grateful to have been allowed to witness these things this week.

*Names have been changed to protect identity.