High school students participating in a structured work experience program at Bristol-based Paragon Costs Solutions in July tackled real-world legal tasks, including client pitches, job interviews, contract reviews, and trial submissions. Managing Director Nicholas Lee designed the initiative to replace passive observation with hands-on professional challenges, partnering specifically with state schools featuring high populations of disadvantaged pupils to dismantle socio-economic barriers in the legal sector.
Transforming Passive Observation into Active Legal Practice
Work experience often amounts to a passive week of making tea and watching professionals from the sidelines. Nicholas Lee, managing director of Paragon Costs Solutions in Bristol, experienced this exact model in 1999 as a student and found it offered little meaningful insight. Determined to change that trajectory for the next generation, Lee hosted five students from three schools across Bristol and Bath this July for the firm’s third annual work experience programme.
Rather than sitting quietly in a corner, the students dived straight into core legal and commercial operations. The curriculum forced participants to think independently, present to unfamiliar audiences, defend their reasoning, and operate outside their comfort zones. Lee stated that asking young people to invest their time in understanding the profession requires giving them genuine opportunities to engage with it, rather than treating them as a burden.
Hands-On Legal Challenges and Courtroom Exposure
Over the course of the intensive week, the student cohort completed a series of practical assignments designed to mirror actual legal and commercial workflows. They prepared and delivered a ten-minute pitch to a real client, requiring them to analyze Paragon Costs Solutions, understand the client’s business, align their organizational cultures, and define service offerings.
In another exercise, the students underwent their first job interviews. Armed with different job descriptions for roles within a law firm—ranging from fee-earning positions to critical support functions—they analyzed required skills, interviewed each other, and provided direct peer feedback. The group also reviewed a fictitious commercial contract under a strict thirty-minute deadline, successfully identifying inconsistent and unfair terms, such as a default interest rate of 50%.
The curriculum extended into litigation and court proceedings. Students reviewed fictitious witness summaries of a criminal trial to prepare closing submissions arguing why a defendant was guilty or not guilty depending on their assigned roles. They rounded out the week by attending an employment tribunal hearing and two serious trials at the Crown Court. The courtroom experience proved so engaging that several students returned independently to observe more live cases the following week.
Widening Access to the Legal Profession
Finding quality work experience in the legal sector often relies heavily on personal networks and pre-existing connections, which frequently excludes talented candidates from less-privileged backgrounds. To combat this systemic barrier, Paragon Costs Solutions intentionally partnered with state schools that serve high populations of disadvantaged pupils.
Lee noted that while offering this level of immersive experience generates no direct fees or new business for the firm, it delivers substantial community value and personal satisfaction. By providing concrete professional exposure, the program equips students with transferable skills that will benefit them regardless of whether they ultimately pursue careers in law, enter rival firms, or choose entirely different paths.
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