02 Jul Legal Internship in Hong Kong
I have been working at my internship for about a week so far and have learned a vast amount about my industry and their way of dealing with compliance issues. My internship is at a legal and compliance firm, which focuses on ensuring business deals are void of corrupt practices. A typical day working with my company involves reading over briefs or contracts and ensuring those contracts are aligned with our company policy or the policy that is proposed. I have also written an article for the company’s magazine. It was quite rewarding to produce an article for the company, regarding an aspect of the company’s work.
Coming into this profession, I had no previous experience with contract law or compliance issues. I had never taken a business law class in school and was a bit overwhelmed, at first. I also was involved with mostly the US criminal legal system, which is very different from this industry and requires different skills. Working in the criminal law field has definitely allowed me to understand certain aspects of this job. There has been small overlaps but in general, I have had to learn a completely new and tailored skills. I was thrown into my work, the first day, and am glad I was. I have quickly learned important information regarding contract law such as how to properly examine contracts and assess their strengths and weaknesses. It has also given me a greater eye for details. Much of my work requires assessment of contractual agreements and much of that requires patience and a focus on the task at hand. The work is tedious at times and I may not consider pursuing it as a career, but it has given me valuable insight into this legal field that I would not have attained in another industry. I found it interesting that some of the natives come into work at a later time and stay until 8 or 9 at night, working diligently on their tasks. I personally could not do that. The internship, overall, has had a steep learning curve for me but has been very rewarding in return.
No Comments