Christian Ariwa

I am finishing the Bar course and very keen to work in a role that allows me to utilise my experience and knowledge of family and criminal law.

Policy Caseworker in Office of Lyn Brown MP (Shadow Minister for Africa) (November 2020 – Present)

• I ensure policy enquiries are swiftly dealt with day-to-day, including cataloguing enquiries, conducting detailed research into specific policy areas, drafting persuasive responses, and updating drafts to ensure they remain factually accurate.
• I regularly draft correspondence to constituents, Government Ministers, and other political entities such as local councillors.
• I engage in minute taking. This requires me to attend meetings such as All-Party Parliamentary Groups and Roundtables. I take notes on key points and prepare briefings on the matters. 
• I provide technological support including managing Lyn Brown’s website, database management of caseworker software and monitoring Lyn’s social media. Furthermore, I created the database that the Office currently use to log policy enquiries.
• I provide general administrative assistance, including assisting in writing of speeches (notably a speech which won the support of West Ham CLP), managing Lyn Brown’s diary and drawing her attention to topics of interest. 
• I draft and contribute to reports. These have included a Newham Violence Reduction Strategy and a report into Child Sexual Abuse. I undertook detailed researched on areas that the reports focused on and, with reference to reliable sources, made cogent recommendations on the policy areas.

• I spent a week shadowing multiple Crime practitioners with vary levels of experience 
• I observed a plea in mitigation, client interviews, and PTPHs. Observing multiple advocates was useful as it allowed me to select which elements to incorporate into my own advocacy. 

• For a week, I shadowed, Molly Pinkus, an experienced Criminal defence barrister.
• I observed a serious drugs case and noted the procedural requirements of the Goodyear indication that I witnessed. Observation facilitated my ability to make my own case. 
• Whilst observing my mini-pupil master’s excellent advocacy and courtroom manner, I took notes on key elements that improve advocacy.

• I ensured instructing solicitors were kept up to date with develops regarding their clients. This included attending family proceedings, taking notes on hearings and conferences, and summarising key points from proceedings for the solicitors. 
• I facilitated court preparation by creating and paginating court bundles, and perusing court bundles for key information.
• I ensured clients understood their legal position, including perusing and summarising medical notes, attending client meetings, providing legal advice in accordance with Mental Health Act 1983, corresponding with clients to reiterate key parts of conference. 
• I fulfilled a general administrative function which included opening client files on the firm’s case management software, filing and handling correspondence via the DX, and answering new enquiries from clients over the telephone. 

• I was placed in the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team and my mentor was Tanyia Dogra, a successful Senior Crown prosecutor. 
• With the guidance of my mentor, I perused evidence and discussed whether a ‘realistic prospect of conviction’ existed. 
• I shadowed a Crown advocate (Nana Osei Owusuh) at Snaresbrook Crown Court. I used this opportunity to take notes on how delivery can influence the force of points.

• I worked closely with my mentor Stacie Cossey, a tenacious Senior Crown Prosecutor – this opportunity allowed me to consider practical differences in legal practice outside of London.
• I spent a week working with various CPS lawyers in Norfolk. I used this opportunity to focus on the differences in presenting a case in the Crown Court and the Magistrates.

2022 Awarded the Harmsworth Scholarship by Middle Temple in May

2021 – 2023 Currently studying the LLM in Bar Vocational Studies (part-time) at City, University of London (89% in Conference Skills, 85% in Professional Ethics, 74% in Cross-Examination, 74% in Drafting, 72% in Legal Research and Opinion Writing, 72% in Examination-in-Chief, 72% in Submissions, 70% in Civil Litigation, and 60% in Criminal, Litigation, Evidence, and Sentencing; grades in Family Law, and Advanced Criminal Advocacy are TBC)

2017 – 2020 2:1 in Law LLB at the University of East Anglia (First-Class marks in Crime and Sentencing, English Legal Process and Jurisprudence) (Highest Mark in cohort in Company Law)

2013 – 2017 A Levels: English Literature (A), History (B), Philosophy (B). GCSEs: 6 As and 4 Bs