Internships at AEI: Ong Sze En
1. Tell us something people don’t often know about you.
I think people generally know a lot about me haha! But if there is one thing that people don’t usually see, it will be that recently I’ve been trying to pick up the guitar, and my twin sister has been giving me many tips. I jam with my siblings a lot.
2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?
I learnt many things from this internship! Through the internship, I was put on many tasks which taught me different skills, from research to proofreading documents, to taking minutes. Something that struck me was being able to attend many client meetings and listen to how the lawyers here respond to the client’s questions and give solutions on the spot; it made me think about the preparation time it must have took to thoroughly understand each file they were on and anticipate the questions asked. I’m also really glad I got to see many different documents here, and see what I learnt in school coming to life. So personally, I think the best takeaway for me would be the exposure I got to law work, which helps me frame my perception of what I’m working towards in law school.
3. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
Each new task came with its own challenges, be it due to my lack of practice with the skill required, or unfamiliarity with the subject at hand.
I think the room to ask questions when I needed was very helpful, because I was able to ask for clarifications from the lawyers along the way and that helped me to progress. I also had room to discuss with other interns on things I was unsure about. I think another big thing that helped me was that, because I was given multiple tasks throughout my time here, I was able to try things a few times (for example, taking meeting minutes or writing research notes), and I slowly got more proficient at what I needed to do.
4. What advice would you give future interns?
Ask many questions, and try your best! Try to build a picture of the requirements/ steps for each different type of task, and it gets easier. Always remember to check in with your mentors on how they’d like you to do different tasks assigned, especially if you are unsure. Have fun! Also let your mentors know what you’d like to try, and they will very gladly let you have opportunities to do so.
5. Did you enjoy your time?
Yes I did! I’m very glad to have met very down-to-earth lawyers here who were very friendly and approachable. When I asked to try certain tasks, they readily gave them to me to try, and gave me guidance on them as well. I’m grateful for the time I got to ask them questions about many things, from things related to the legal industry, to their different experiences.