Read our students' stories that start from the CUHK and go further beyond.

My 1-month internship in Singapore was undoubtedly an eye-opening experience. I interned at a law firm which specialises in civil litigation and commercial practice. Although Hong Kong and Singapore both adopted the common law system, some court procedures and legal principles differ. This was a challenge to me at the start because I needed to be mindful of the possible differences while conducting my legal research for lawyers. Nevertheless, the lawyers are very friendly and approachable. They were patient in providing guidance to the issues at hand, making clarifications when I was in doubt, and generously sharing their experiences in the legal practice. Their valuable advice has enlightened me on fresh perspectives of client and conflict management, and what it means to be a good lawyer.

The most valuable experience would be shadowing lawyers in court. I was fortunate to have attended several substantive and procedural hearings for general civil cases and family cases. I observed how advocacy, persuasion, and argumentative skills are eloquently performed by a lawyer in establishing the client’s position before the judge. I was also aware of the immense preparation a lawyer has to undergo pre-trial and was glad to assist in the process.

An unexpected takeaway from the internship is the healthy work culture in the law firm. Compared to other industries, work hours in the legal industry have been notoriously long. While legal practitioners tirelessly advocate for their clients’ rights, their physical and mental well-being are rarely advocated for. Here, despite lawyers’ packed court schedule and heavy workload, they recognise the need and right to take breaks from work. Instead of long work hours, time management, advanced planning, and efficient working styles are the key elements to producing quality work. This serves as a wake-up call for other Asian countries to de-emphasise work hours as a reflection of productivity and recognise the need for quality rest to sustain professional competence.