Michael Henshall

Barrister Training Course and the LLB in Law with a background as a Criminal paralegal; legal intern, mini pupil and law representative, gaining hands-on experience and insight into legal processes, procedures and operations. 

Exposure to Criminal litigation, Crown court procedures, media, dispute resolution and advocacy, having interned for respected charities and organisations whilst shadowing the Honourable Judge Glenn. Active listener skilled in delivering advice, coming to mutual understandings and getting to the root of issues, ultimately leading to favourable outcomes. Conserve Lawyers time by delivering assistance with cases, trials and proceedings. Insight into capital punishment (US) and racially bodily harm cases alongside vacating guilty plea sentences, drafting pleas in mitigation and general procedures related to Crown court matters. 

• April 2022 to present. Crown court Usher | Manchester Crown court | Crown square | Manchester| UK. Full-time permanent position. There are five points in which I feel my role as an Ushers role is both varied and diverse, point one is that I am in the daily position of being able to use my effective communication skills gained over the years whilst I have been employed or self-employed to talk to both barristers and judges on case’s before the court, Point two is my ability to deal with stressed defendants or witnesses in difficult situations at court includes the need sometimes to react quickly and professionally to unexpected events and often the need to deal sensitively but firmly with vulnerable and emotional people. Which leads onto point three of having developed my soft skills which enables me to interact harmoniously and effectively with other people, important for meeting and greeting court users and visitors alike, these skills developed whist spending years self-employed in meetings with customers and clients. Point four deals with my ability and calmness under pressure, in dealing with equipment failure at any time during court proceeding or being asked at the last minute by counsel to facilitate links to enable counsel to have conferences with their clients before their cases appear before court via CVP. Which leads finally to point five, dealing with specific tasks, include preparing the courtroom and administrative duties, such as inputting data to the computer system’s (I have an excellent understanding and use of the Crown court digital case system and Common platform system respectively).  
• 2021- October- 6 weeks. Pro-bono Street law project worker | BPP University | Holborn | London |UK. volunteer (part-time). Experience gained working as a team leader I produced both a podcast and online seminar focusing on drill music, aimed primarily at school children aged between 11 and 17 and helped to encourage conversation as to why this particular area of music has resulted in convictions for children of a similar age.  I Presented the webinar to schools utilising skills such as advocacy, teamwork, being able to think on my feet whilst working under pressure.
• October 2020- 6 weeks. Freedom law clinic | Holborn | London | UK. Position: Volunteer case worker. I researched and drafted a written opinion specifically linked to the previous use of expert cell site evidence against a new report commissioned for an appeal against sentence in a murder trial. Due to advances in cell site technology this report contained new areas of evidential interest.
• November 2020- Jan 2021. Rajvinder Dayal |Bobby | Criminal Consultant Solicitor’s | Gravesend | Kent |UK. Criminal Paralegal Employed full-time. Using the Crown court digital case system I was responsible for correlating, sorting, and reading all the evidence within each case file, being able to digest loads of facts quickly and flag up any evidential issues on behalf of the client. I also liaised with the appropriate Crown courts and Barrister’s Chambers to organise defence representation for the client.
• September 2019- Oct 2019 Mary Monson Solicitors | Manchester |UK. Criminal Paralegal Employed full-time. In order to deal with a football banning order I researched the appropriate law and contacted both the police and Crown Court services dealing with the case which resulted in the ending of the ban.  I worked on a large multi-million-pound pyramid fraud and worked through several thousands of computer data files, located evidential matters for the defence case.
• April 2018 – Sept 2018 Texas Defender Service |Texas Defender Service | Houston | TX | USA. Position: Legal Internship. I studied three case files whilst in the USA. I conducted legal research needed to help in the defendant’s appeal against the death penalty. I helped draft legal documents for the defence attorneys by means of using recognised legal precedents and quoting previous case law. I also had the opportunity to work on and put forward a submission of intellectual incapacity for a client. I was tasked with listening to contemporaneous transcripts of defendant’s telephone conversations including flagging any evidential matters from logged client calls and was involved with the defence in a Governor’s final clemency hearing for the client.
• February 2016 No5 Chambers | Birmingham |UK. Position: 3 days mini pupillage. The case involved a relationship rape, the main thing I took from the trial, was the line of cross examination taken by the defence of the claimant, was that she took to drink over the last few years, including at the time of the alleged assault. Which diminished the evidential value of prosecutions only witness evidence and led to a not guilty verdict
• July 2015 2 Dr Johnsons Buildings | London |UK| 2 Dr Johnsons Buildings| London | UK. Position: one week mini-Pupillage. The case concerned the prosecution’s submissions on an appeal to vacate a guilty plea. The first two days concerned legal arguments which concluded the trial by means of an adjournment for the defendant to get new representation. The main thing I took away from the week was the personal stamina, commitment, and agility of the barrister during those proceedings. 
• July 2015 Church Court Chambers | London | UK | Position: one week mini-Pupillage. I was able to sit in on client conferences at Crown court and prepared a fictitious plea in mitigation using the case details of a client whose case had recently finished at court. After completing the advocacy exercise I received constructive feedback on this and my general advocacy skills from the barrister I was shadowing.
• June 2015 1 MCB Chambers | London | UK. Position: one weeks mini-Pupillage. Watched a case of racially aggravated bodily harm, which encompassed in the trial a request for a special measure bad character application and a letter of admission to go in at trial. I researched each application using Blackstone’s criminal practice to enhance my understanding of them and why they were being used in this case and how this helps the court deal with the trial.
• 2011-2013 Oxford University Press student law | Oxford |UK. Position: Book Reviewer/ Student panel volunteer. I was given the opportunity to complete new law book reviews. If I did not know an area of law that was within the sections I was reviewing, I made sure that I got the information that enabled me to both understand and write about it. I developed both my written and spoken skills during this time and my  research abilities were sharpened by my completion of the Westlaw and LexisNexis courses at university. 
• November 2013 Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court |Stoke-on-Trent |UK. Position: Marshalling for one week’s duration, I was personally able to witness trials and the sentencing passed down at first hand from the perspective view of a Crown Court judge. Going through each case individually in turn, I was asked to offer my analysis on each case I had seen, paying close attention to his Honour own thoughts as to how he evaluated the law and dealt with each case as a whole.
• November 2011 Student law Society | Staffordshire University |UK. Position: President. I am interested in criminal law and law as a whole; and during the first year of my undergraduate course, I was elected president of the Law Society, which provided me with numerous opportunities, including networking, personally being adept at developing and improving my interpersonal and group skills; and the character to be able to function on my own or inside a team. I personally promoted understanding of the Law Society by arranging and accomplishing events alongside my team, comprising both formal and informal dinners and events with both regional barristers and Judges by way of guest speakers.

Completing the Barrister training course at BPP Holborn London. Expected results due March 2024.