I only spent three weeks in Chak & Associates but I learnt something for life.
Great exposure
There is always an illusion for law students that interning in a local firm cannot gain much. However, this theory cannot apply to Chak & Associates and instead, I had a great exposure here. I had chance to assist and hear trials in High Court; to hear summons in District Court; and to attend the application of Care or Protection Order in Magistrates Court. I learnt something that lecturers and law books would never teach me, for example the norms in courts, the styles and tempers of different trial judges and even some tricky strategies employed by solicitors and clients. These awesome exposures did really open my eyes and brought me a new perspective in legal field.
Opportunities to try and work practically
Being a law student and being a lawyer is something completely different. Law students focus on their books and articles while lawyers put more effort on communicating with people. The first day in Chak, I was brought to the Free Legal Advice Scheme and had opportunities to find facts and assist to give legal advice to clients; Later on, I attended a counsel meeting with Maurice J Chan (who is a marvelous counsel); Moreover, I drafted several demanding and prosecution letters in relation to the infringement of intellectual property and criminal offence throughout my internship. Learning in such a practical manner, for me, is more effective and stimulating. More importantly, this experience clarified me the role of solicitors and barristers and provided me a basic idea of my future
Supportive and enthusiastic staff
Staff here is supportive and helpful. Not worry of wasting time, they are willing to teach and discuss any matter with me. The solicitors would patiently brief me about the cases and the controversial issues before any meetings or hearings; while the secretaries would remind me about the formats of the prosecution letters. Outside the working hours, we would have a group lunch and would just talk everything we want. The atmosphere in office is excellent and we are more like friends than colleagues.
Overall, it is my pleasure to be part of the team in these three weeks and it did benefit me a lot. It was an amazing intern experience and I would be more than happy to come back in the future.
Sherman Yeung
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