With the ebb and flow of time, 3 weeks flew by in an instant. Strong feelings of fear of the unknown transformed into heartfelt gratitude and respect for everyone who has added to my 3 meaningful weeks with Alex Chang & Co.
During my time with the firm, I have had meaningful experiences and learnt many practical skills which I will keep with me during my (hopefully) lengthy legal journey. I have accompanied Mr. Chang to court, where I was shown the practical aspects of working as a litigator. After seeing Mr. Chang handle the case first-hand, I learnt that being a lawyer requires both speed and precision, which I must shamefully admit, I have long ways to go.
Furthermore, I was also given the opportunity to sit in during one of the client meetings with Mr. Chang. In the meeting, I was able to witness how Mr. Chang calmly listened to the client’s story, filtered through the evidence and facts before him and advising the client on the best and most practical course of action. Through this experience, I was reminded once again the reason why advocacy is such a key skill in this industry.
Did I mention that I was surrounded with many wonderful people during my time with the firm as well?
Mr. & Mrs. Chang, during this eventful 3 weeks, were truly kind to me and gave me many opportunities which I am deeply grateful for. One of many examples were that they brought me to a luncheon with the Pudu Rotary Club, where I was surrounded with friendly people keen on making a change to society. For all they have given me, I could not be more grateful.
Mrs. Jess was truly an impressive person in my eyes. She was really well-versed with the ins and outs of legal practice and seemed like a war veteran who was covered with the wounds of legal practice. Furthermore, she gave me multiple opportunities to learn about different aspects of legal practice through hands-on work, which I could not be more grateful for.
Mrs. Lim radiated an aura of positivity which never failed to add some laughter and joy to the firm (when not swamped with work that is). She felt like the happy fruit of the firm and her cheerful personality never ceased to amaze me. Through her guidance and teaching, I learnt a lot through her. I would have never known how to call the courts without seeing how she did it first hand. Furthermore, through the lens of a chambering student, I learnt from her multiple things which I could only learn from a pupil. For her kindness towards me, I could never be more grateful.
If I were to describe Ms. Janice and Ms. Chow in simple terms, it would be patience. My inexperienced self has caused them tons of trouble in my tasks, but they have been really patient with me, and for that, I could not be more grateful. Furthermore, Ms. Janice’s cooking is truly a masterclass. Even on days where Ms. Janice cooks food I do not usually eat, I still eat them as I believe that nothing Ms. Janice cooks can taste bad. Trust me, this holds true every time! For everything they have given to me, I am truly grateful.
Ms. Ivy has also helped me out in my tasks whenever I needed help. She has never refused to offer help whenever I needed help. For that, I could not be more grateful.
Nana and Jennifer, my two fellow interns added a lot of colour into my internship life with the firm as well. Whenever I needed guidance and help from them, they were always willing to assist me. Furthermore, the conversations with them were always interesting and it was never a dull experience. For that, I am truly grateful.
Throughout my experience with Alex Chang & Co, I have learnt so much and I could not stress this enough. As you may have seen, I have mentioned ‘grateful’ multiple times. This is because I am, from the bottom of my heart, truly grateful for all this experience has given me.
Tee Kai Yan
