Prior to commencing pupillage Albany worked as a legal advisor at Teesside Magistrates’ Court. This role gave her a deeper understanding of the criminal justice system and exposed her to a full spectrum of criminal offences. Albany had to maintain excellent knowledge of criminal law and procedure in order to give informed and structured advice to members of the bench. She gained a valuable insight into the decision-making processes of Judges and Magistrates which has informed her advocacy. Throughout this employment, Albany also provided assistance to unrepresented defendants. Her calm and approachable manner allowed her to build a rapport with individuals from a wide cross-section of society and support them as they navigated legal proceedings.
Albany is also passionate about pro bono work and her various volunteering positions have improved her advocacy, legal knowledge and ability to work with individuals, professionals and agencies. She prides herself on delivering work to a professional standard in high pressure environments, a skill she developed through working with legal clinics and charities. Albany’s experience includes working with vulnerable members of society and people in crisis, such as her time aiding in the evacuation of families facing persecution in Afghanistan. She has also had legal research published by the International Committee of the Red Cross and submitted to the NATO Legal Office.
Albany has previously completed an internship with the Bar’s national pro bono charity, Advocate, as a casework volunteer. She was involved in reviewing bundles and persuading barristers to provide free legal assistance to the charity’s applicants. Many of the applications for help related to family law, exposing Albany to an array of cases, legal issues and outcomes associated with family practice.
Through her pro bono work, Albany also has experience working with extremely vulnerable families. Following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2021, Albany worked with a charitable organisation to extract and support individuals and families whose lives were at risk. She was responsible for leading the casework team and organising case files to facilitate evacuations. Working with families in crisis in such a high-pressured environment encouraged Albany to develop a strong professional standard and informed her empathetic and adaptable approach to complex cases.
Prior to commencing pupillage, Albany worked as a legal adviser at Teesside Magistrates’ Court. In the course of this employment, she was involved in cases brought on behalf of a range of prosecuting authorities, including the Health and Safety Executive, RSPCA and local authorities. She was also exposed to a variety of applications from the Police, including Closure Orders, DVPOs, Stalking Protection Orders and applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Albany further has experience presenting road traffic and local authority cases to magistrates through the court’s single justice procedure. She has provided informed legal advice to the Bench on these matters and gained an insight into the approach of both prosecution and defence in cases of this nature.