Law Firm Teams Up With Personal Support Unit For Inaugural Contest

Two aspiring lawyers have won a week’s work experience at leading law firm Irwin Mitchell after beating off stiff competition.

Sheffield students Megan Forbes, 21, and Kristi Boyes, 22, were victorious in the inaugural Litigant in Person Interviewing Competition which Irwin Mitchell organised in conjunction with the city’s Personal Support Unit.

Contestants were presented with two scenarios involving a family law and money dispute. They were then given 20 minutes to interview a person who would be representing themselves in the civil courts.

Entrants from the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University had to find out details of their case in order to advise them about the legal process, what to expect and what questions to ask in court.

Megan, from Sheffield Hallam University, and Kristi from University of Sheffield, were the winning pair on the day. A total of 10 students from both universities took part.

The judging panel included His Honour Judge Graham Robinson, District Judge Rachel Roebuck, Katrina Edwards and Yvonne Simpson, from Irwin Mitchell, as well as Jo Wardle and Linda George from Sheffield’s Personal Support Unit.

Expert Opinion

The judging panel were impressed with the knowledge and understanding of all the students who entered, and deciding on the winning pair was really difficult.

“We are proud to support the Personal Support Unit. The charity relies on volunteers and does great work in advising and preparing litigants for their cases.

“Irwin Mitchell is always keen to support the next generation of legal talent and we look forward to welcoming Megan and Kristi on their placements. We hope that they gain a great deal from their time with us, helping to shape the formative stages of their legal careers.” Sinead Rollinson-Hayes - Senior Associate Solicitor Advocate

Emily Gilbourne, manager of the PSU in Sheffield, added: “To many people the court process can be a daunting experience so we are here to help as we believe that no person should face court alone.

“The standard of entries was incredibly high and all the entrants showcased a great deal of skill and knowledge whilst working under pressure

“We are really thankful to both the universities and Irwin Mitchell for their continued support and look forward to working with them in the future. “

Sheffield’s PSU is based at The Law Courts in West Bar where volunteers provide help and support for people who find out they must represent themselves in civil  cases surrounding issues such as divorce, family disputes, and trying to recover debts.