The month of July has literally flown by, and, if it weren't for a nagging thought of semester two assessment piling up in my absence, I would have extended my stay!
Within the first hour of my internship, Mathew handed me research tasks and a statement of claim to draft; with a certain faith that I would be able to find the cause of action, locate precedents and authorities in a foreign legal system and finally put together a legible piece of work. This is exactly the way all the lawyers at Thomas Philip interact with the interns, paralegals and other staff members. If someone has confidence in your ability, it makes you stand up and take on the responsibility without thinking twice about the fact that you are still a law student.
I have had amazing experiences at Thomas Philip, ranging from being sent to Singapore to interview a client, following a high profile case in the High Court, promoting the firm at careers fairs, drafting writs and researching novel issues which have not yet been tried in Malaysia.
The staff regard the firm as their home and family and welcome newcomers with ease, which makes the transition period almost non-existent. The country is amazing, and I would come back any day for the food – everyone is amazed at my love for chilli and sambal!
To any law student thinking outside the square, I cannot recommend highly enough to apply to do an international internship. It not only shows your legal capabilities, but that you can easily adapt to any given situation, a highly sought after life skill.