The firm is constantly busy with no shortage of work to be found, everyone is very friendly and the corporate culture provides a great working environment in which to learn and experience legal practice.
The most enjoyable aspect of my work was that I was able to really get involved in matters, attending client interviews, court proceedings, conducting research and drafting submissions for real life legal matters. This was challenging and exciting, with the great team at TP always available for help.
In my first week with TP Mathew asked me to compile a list of aims I hoped to achieve during my internship. At the conclusion of my time, excluding a visit to the inferior courts I have achieved every goal I set for myself and I feel this internship has been an excellent opportunity on which I have not failed to capitalize.
Cultural differences
FOOD! Malaysian's really love their food, The first thing that struck me was the sheer number of "restoran" and street stalls that dot KL and it is all delicious! From spicy Indian curry to traditional German sourdough Kuala Lumpur has every conceivable delicacy.
Australia is billed as a multicultural country but Australia pales in comparison to the blend of Malay. Indian and Chinese present in Malaysia.
Having the opportunity to experience Hari Raya was excellent and the food was great. I really got a feel for the cultural traditions of Malaysia and the spirit of generosity that permeates the culture.
Taxi drivers were the bane of my stay in KL, though the white knuckle rides back to my hotel were interesting to say the least I look forward to the sensible traffic and taxi drivers back home.
Legal differences
Both surprising and a relief was the brevity of judgments in Malaysia, With 200 page judgments not unheard of in Australian Jurisprudence it was a law student's dream to find superior court rulings that were clear, concise and not more than 4-5 pages in length. The administration and case management of Malaysian courts is conducted in a similarly efficient manner, a refreshing change from the often protracted Australian approach.
Besides this difference and some procedural matters, the transition to a Malaysian common-law system was relatively seamless, the same methods of appeal are used, many judgments find their genesis in English precedent and the structure of the inferior and superior courts has more similarities than differences with the Australian system.
Lessons learnt
I think the biggest lesson I have learnt is the difference between academic and pragmatic legal research. Academic research allows for a wide breadth of issues to be explored at a leisurely pace while practical legal research requires a more practical approach with succinct and clear submissions. While this is also required of academic papers I think the primary focus is on erudite analysis of legal jurisprudence and application.
This was a concept I needed to come to grips with fast as I was thrown into practical legal work immediately. The first research project I produced at TP was on the long side as I was accustomed to academic research where a large amount of information is compiled into a literary summary. However I quickly learnt that I need to conduct through research but provide analysis on discreet areas of law.
I also learnt from Mathew some of the finer points of client management, namely that a client with no idea of what they want can be problematic and that you must gently lead, especially when that client's position legal is not favorable.