Ameer S. Randhawa

For any law student, doing your first internship at a firm is a very daunting experience, never mind doing an internship in a country outside of your own. I would be lying if I said that I was not apprehensive about doing an internship in Malaysia. Even for someone like me who has lived in Malaysia before, actually working here and immersing yourself in the environment could be a challenge.

However my fears were soon put aside from my very first day at Thomas Philip. All the staff made me feel welcome and at home and I was given a great opportunity on my first day by being invited to attend a matter in the Federal Court of Malaysia, in which I got to a see a fantastic display of advocacy skills; watching senior counsel Malik Imtiaz up against Tommy Thomas. This first day set the tone for the rest of the month; never had I dreamed that I would be given the opportunities which I was given at Thomas Philip. From meeting clients and drafting court documents to attending matters in court – I was given a real taste of what it truly is to be working in the legal profession.

Having said that, this is not an internship for those who want to sit quietly at a desk and go through an internship being un-noticed. Thomas Philip is the type of firm where; if you put in the effort and show a real commitment to your work, then you will be amazed at the opportunities and experiences that will come your way. The lawyers at Thomas Philip value you as another legitimate member of the staff, not just an intern, and they are not scared to throw you in the deep end and see how you perform. For me; this meant I grew a lot as an individual, exceeded my own expectations of what I was capable of and I learnt more in a month than I have after 3 years of law school.

The best thing about Thomas Philip is the people. All the staff are friendly, outgoing and there is plenty of time for interaction with them; whether it be a quick lunch down at the local mamak shop, or meeting up on weekends to catch a movie or go for dinner. Mathew is an amazing mentor and watching him in action at a trial, in which I had spent alot of time doing the preparation for, was simply amazing to watch. Mathew even spent the time to sit me down and give me some long term career advice which cleared up many of my doubts and even changed my perspective of how I viewed the legal profession. However the person who is always there for you as an intern is Peter. I have never met someone so open, hospitable, encouraging and genuine; if you ever have any doubts about yourself or your work during the internship, Peter is there to give you a pep talk and guide you in the right direction, and being away from your friends and family, a person like that is the most valuable thing of all.

My time at Thomas Philip has been the most amazing experience, and one that I believe sets me apart from most Australian law students. I am very grateful or all the opportunities I was given and the experiences I had and the memories I made will stay with me for the rest of my life.