Haberdashers’ Futures: Law
Part of the Haberdashers’ Advantage: Futures programme, in collaboration with the Old Bailey, this event connects Haberdasher students with legal professionals and gives them the opportunity to be immersed in a real court room.
Thanks to the generous support of HRH Judge Rebecca Trowler KC and HRH Judge Anuja Dhir KC, this has become a termly event for Haberdasher Sixth Formers from across the family of schools. On 4 March 2025 three schools were able to take advantage of this opportunity with students coming together from Haberdashers’ Monmouth School, Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby and Haberdashers’ Adams. For some, this was their first visit to London and the setting of the Old Bailey and Haberdashers’ Hall, both central in the City of London, provided an exciting introduction to the city.
The day started with a trip to the Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, where students observed a live court case, met with judges and heard from other employees of the court about their role and pathway. Witnessing interactions between the judge, solicitors and jury, observing cross-examination, presentation of evidence and closing statements, all give a deeper insight into the legal profession. The additional opportunity to then speak directly to the judge and ask questions about what they observed enhanced the experience further and provided unique insight. Students also benefitted from meeting other staff within the court system including Clerks, a Mental Health Nurse and Witness Support, giving them an understanding of the variety of roles and alternative routes into a career in the justice system.
Speaking to a breadth of professionals, from a variety of backgrounds, increases the likelihood that students are able to relate to those that they meet. We know this is successful because 90% of students attending told us they felt they ‘could relate to the speakers’, 95% told us the event was ‘relevant to their interests’, and 100% told us they had the opportunity to ask questions.
Education
Education
Following the trip to the Old Bailey, the students visited Haberdashers’ Hall to network with Haberdashers with a background in law and their colleagues. Lawyers in attendance represented a range of specialisms from environmental protection, corporate, criminal, medical and family law. They similarly had not all studied law at university, and had not all taken a university route. Many present held degrees in subjects such as economics and history before completing a law conversion, with others studying a legal apprenticeship. The opportunity to network in a supportive environment helps students develop their communication skills and improves their confidence. Hearing about the pathways of others, receiving their advice and learning about the obstacles they’ve overcome, raises their aspirations, helps them to consider what a successful pathway means to them and how they can achieve it.
After lunch, students took part in a courtroom scenario workshop with Richard Booth KC (former Monmouth student and Haberdasher). Roleplaying different aspects of a court case, students were able to step into the shoes (and wig!) of a barrister, a witness and a defendant with support from Richard to understand how to craft an argument, the rules of the courtroom and effective public speaking. The growth in confidence throughout the session was evident to staff present, and students had lots of fun!
This event is a strong example of the Haberdashers’ Advantage in action with members giving insights into the world of work, acting as role models to raise the aspirations of Haberdasher students and sharing practical advice on how to achieve their goals. We see first-hand the impact of these interactions, which we know are successful from the feedback given by students. This is captured by one comment from an Abraham Darby student who told us: “the whole experience was amazing“.
This event...
These impact measures draw upon the Gatsby Benchmarks, and the Careers and Enterprise Companies’ own impact measures. Using this format makes it easier for schools when evidencing careers activity.
