Penny provides an insight into her barrister training within the Government Legal Department
Why did you choose to become a government lawyer?
I wanted to become a government lawyer because of the variety of work the Government is involved in, which is typically high profile and very interesting, and the high level of responsibility given to trainees early on. Having previously worked in the civil service, I had experience of and had enjoyed the ethos of the civil service and the work culture.
What type of work have you been involved in during your training?
I spent my first seat in Immigration Litigation, where I ran my own caseload. I was responsible for drafting documents for court, such as summary grounds of defence, consent orders and extension of time applications for my cases and assisting more senior lawyers with their work too. I also advised clients on the merits of cases and their disclosure obligations under the duty of candour. I was also able to get involved with meetings between Immigration Litigation and Home Office Legal Advisers where advice needed to be given on proposed policy changes.
In my second seat, at an external set of Chambers, I was asked to research various areas of law, including environmental, planning, equality and education law, for my supervisors and assist with the drafting of summary grounds of defence, detailed grounds of defence and skeleton arguments. I was also on my feet before the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) for the Government; one particularly memorable experience involved me needing to explain to the husband of a litigant in person (who was not there) that he did not have standing.
I am currently in my third seat in EU Relations Legal Advisers, working particularly on various agreements with the European Union (EU) that we are working towards in line with the Common Understanding agreed at the EU-UK Summit in May 2025, which means I have tried my hand at drafting potential treaty text. I have also gotten involved with advising other Government Departments on various matters that relate to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (which governs the UK's relationship with the EU) and EU-reset.
What has been your best experience so far?
My best experience so far has been winning my first case! It was a judicial review of an immigration decision, where the judge refused permission, and their reasoning entirely agreed with my summary grounds of defence.
