The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Crown Prosecution Service
The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Crown Prosecution Service For many trainees, the Crown Prosecution Service stood out for the chance to make a tangible difference in the public sector. One trainee put it simply: “I knew I wanted to work in criminal law, and the Crown Prosecution Service offered better pay and benefits, training and opportunities than a criminal defence firm.” Others highlighted the “opportunity to specialise in criminal prosecution throughout the entirety of my training” and the “unique nature of the practice area, with advocacy opportunities.” Job security, pay and benefits, and the organisation’s “reputation for producing highly employable solicitors with versatile skills” were also major draws. Training at the Crown Prosecution Service is generally considered structured, supportive, and more hands-on than in private practice. As one notes, “We have in-house training at a high level, continued support and encouragement for growth. I do work that is interesting or will be beneficial to me, not just what the business needs doing.” Others praised the flexibility of “informal secondments” and the chance to take on “more significant work at an earlier stage” compared with their peers. While some mentioned less client interaction, this was understood as part of the role. Supportive supervisors and approachable colleagues are repeatedly cited as the best part of the Crown Prosecution Service, along with a sense of solidarity and variety in the work. “The support I receive from my managers and team” and “the nature of the work” were common themes. The flip side includes heavy workloads, unpredictable caseloads, limited social life compared with private practice, and some frustrations around outdated systems and patchy advocacy training. The highs of the training contract are memorable, from “shadowing a high-profile murder trial” to “briefing the Director of Public Prosecutions on one of my cases”. Secondments are a real highlight, with trainees praising opportunities at the Competition and Markets Authority, the FCDO, or with high street firms. “Incredible, you have freedom to choose any secondment you would like,” sums up the appeal. The Crown Prosecution Service’s hybrid policy is widely praised as “very fair and flexible,” balancing office, court and home working. For those set on criminal law and public service, the Crown Prosecution Service offers meaningful work, early responsibility, and a strong training platform — albeit without the social perks of private practice firms.
Interview with…
Andy Madden, Crown Prosecution Service
Departments to date: Crown Court Unit, secondment at Liverpool City Council, Magistrates’ Court Advocacy Unit
University: Northumbria University
Degree: Masters in Law – 1st Class Honours
What was your background before the Crown Prosecution Service and why did you decide to apply to work at the Crown Prosecution Service?
I always had a strong passion and interest in criminal law that stemmed from my parents’ jobs. I preferred my criminal law-based modules at university and never found myself immersed in commercial or corporate law. I obtained work experience at local criminal defence firms which solidified my interest in the sector before researching the Crown Prosecution Service while at university. I applied because I wanted to make a difference to the local community and criminal justice system, specifically improving the experience for victims of crime. I am genuinely proud of the work we do, and it is clear that everyone in the organisation feels the same.
Tell us about your role. What do you do in a typical day?
As I am now two months away from qualifying and becoming a Crown Prosecutor, I am currently posted to the Magistrates Court Advocacy Unit and work from a range of local courts five days per week. A typical week while I am a legal trainee includes prosecuting my own courts independently two and a half days while shadowing a range of other courts the remainder of the time. Prosecuting my own courts is mainly guilty anticipated plea courts where 20-30 cases will be listed per day. I prefer preparing my cases the evening before, to ensure any last-minute issues can be corrected if necessary. The Magistrates Advocacy Unit carries a strong social presence due to the requirement to attend court every day. Conducting my own courts at this stage of a training contract is an opportunity that I would have not got anywhere else.
What do you enjoy most about the Crown Prosecution Service? What are the best parts of working for the Crown Prosecution Service and in your role?
No two days or cases are the same. From a very early stage, you will work on serious cases involving real people in real life situations. You are given a lot of responsibility and trusted to make important decisions, with the benefit of being supervised initially. Cultivating relationships with a range of organisations also enables the social side of the job to thrive. In my current unit, the work is high in volume, fast paced and unpredictable. However, prosecuting a significant number of cases each day provides rapid development from an early stage. Although the work is high volume and can be stressful, the organisation is flexible with working hours and taking ‘flexi days’. The period of training is a unique and precious time – you can really own it and have the scope to decide what you want to do. I have observed a murder and a manslaughter trial and other Crown Court advocacy, spent three months on an external secondment with the City Council and assisted the Crown Court Unit with charging advice on serious matters. I have spent the previous four months in the Magistrates Court Advocacy Unit which has developed my advocacy skills significantly.
What advice would you give to someone considering joining the Crown Prosecution Service as a legal trainee?
If you’re looking to join the Crown Prosecution Service, demonstrate a passion for criminal law and obtain work experience in the criminal sector – whether this is at the Crown Prosecution Service or a local defence firm. Observe a Magistrates Court and get a feel for how the law operates in practice. Research the organisation, the values and the Code for Crown Prosecutors. This explains why we prosecute the cases that we do and will help you to understand the aims and ethos of the organisation further.
About the firm
The Crown Prosecution Service: The Crown Prosecution Service prosecutes criminal cases that have been investigated by the police and other investigative organisations in England and Wales. The Crown Prosecution Service is independent. As such, it makes its decisions independently of the police and Government.
Their duty is to make sure that the right person is prosecuted for the right offence, and to bring offenders to justice wherever possible.
The Crown Prosecution Service:
- decides which cases should be prosecuted;
- determines the appropriate charges in more serious or complex cases, and advises the police during the early stages of investigations;
- prepares cases and presents them at court; and
- provides information, assistance and support to victims and prosecution witnesses.
Prosecutors must be fair, objective and independent. When deciding whether to prosecute a criminal case, our lawyers must follow the Code for Crown Prosecutors. This means that to charge someone with a criminal offence, prosecutors must be satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction, and that prosecuting is in the public interest.
The cases: We regularly publish press releases on our website about cases we’ve been involved in.
Leader: Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions
Other offices: Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Derby, Eastleigh, Exeter, Guildford, Hull, Ipswich, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Loughborough, Luton, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Mold, Newcastle, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Truro, Wakefield, Warrington, York.
What we do: The Crown Prosecution Service is the principal prosecuting authority responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.
What we’re looking for in a trainee: We are looking for motivated individuals with a passion for criminal law. We are seeking applicants with good oral advocacy skills who can present an argument in an ordered and structured manner. Good analytical and writing skills are also essential to the role.
What you’ll do: As a trainee solicitor, your day-to-day work varies, and you are involved in different parts of our legal work, including legal research and reviewing cases. In your first year, you spend time shadowing our prosecutors at magistrates’ and Crown Court to allow you to observe a range of cases. During your traineeship you get the opportunity to be based in a specialist unit – such as the rape and serious sexual assault unit or complex casework unit.
If you’re a pupil barrister, one of the first things you do is shadow our advocates at magistrates’ and Crown Court – observing cases and seeing advocacy work in action. You also have the opportunity to take part in a short secondment to a chambers. You learn lots over the year, developing your skills and building up your advocacy work in court.
Perks: Flexible working and a family-friendly approach to work; Civil Service contributory pension up to 28.9%; 25 days’ leave, increasing to 30 days after five years; an extra privilege day for the King’s birthday; three days’ paid volunteering; £350 a year for individual learning and development; wellbeing and counselling; access to employee savings; Cycle2Work scheme; competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave; childcare vouchers (unless already registered with the Government Tax Free Childcare Scheme).
Sponsorship
At the Crown Prosecution Service, we offer sponsorship opportunities to internal members of staff through our Prosecutor Pathway Schemes. These are development routes open for internal applications once a year to become fully qualified lawyers. Depending on your academic and professional qualifications, you can consider applying for and completing our solicitor apprenticeship or graduate pathway scheme once you have joined us.
Our solicitor apprenticeship involves studying for six years, fully funded, to become a qualified solicitor and get a guaranteed prosecutor role afterwards. Hear from Lewis, who joined the Crown Prosecution Service as a casework assistant and qualified as a solicitor through our apprenticeship scheme last year.
From casework assistant to becoming a prosecutor | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk)
Our other scheme, known as the Graduate Pathway, is for your postgraduate qualifications, where you can have your Bar Practice Course, Legal Practice Course, Solicitors Qualifying Exams, or Graduate Diploma in Law fully funded.
Tips from the recruiter
Become familiar with the Civil Service success profiles. We use this framework to assess your behaviours, strengths and potential suitability for the role.
Gaining experience in criminal law isn’t essential but it can help to display your motivations and passion for why you are considering joining the Crown Prosecution Service.
Do your research about the organisation – we’re the main criminal prosecution service in England and Wales, work independently from Government, we’re a Civil Service department and represent the Crown in many hearings that happen in court.