1. Tell us something people don’t often know about you.

I am fluent in both the Japanese and Korean languages and have lived, studied, and worked in Japan and Korea for several years.

2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?

The best takeaway I obtained from the internship came from observing the team’s management of clients and the clients’ queries and legal needs during meetings. These opportunities to sit in for client meetings and hear more from the lawyers about their processes and preferences in managing files gave me valuable insights into how I would like to develop my own legal practice skills and client management skills.

3. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge I faced during the internship came from having to learn how to quickly navigate an area of law which I was initially unfamiliar with, but which I found highly interesting. The legal work handled by the firm dealt with many aspects of corporate and commercial law, and required me to have an understanding of the needs and activities of clients across various industries.

While my internship gave me a taste of how challenging the work can be, I believe that over the course of the internship I overcame the challenge of the initial unfamiliarity through diving into the various pieces of work that the firm allowed me to try my hand at.

4. What advice would you give future interns?

My advice to future interns would be to:

1. Expect to get significant hands-on experience. AEI is a firm that gives you real opportunities to do real work; and

2. Come with an open mind. You’re going to learn, not just about the law, but also about what it means to be a good lawyer.

5. Did you enjoy your time?

I certainly did enjoy my time here. It was personally enriching to be able to learn from a team that is committed to the work they do, has strong experience in their field of practice, and that cares deeply about delivering to clients legal work that meets rigorous standards. What is clear to me after my internship is that the team has shown me a high set of standards of legal practice that I would like to emulate and demand for myself from my future legal career as well.

I think that interns looking for an opportunity to find out more about corporate practice would also similarly enjoy an internship with this team.

1. Tell us something people don’t often know about you.

A pipe dream of mine is to someday live with an Italian nonna just for a little while – somewhere in southern Italy, or perhaps Sardinia – learning their ways of rustic cooking, pasta-making, subsistence farming, and just enjoying the sweet life.

This may seem strange, or far-fetched, and it probably is. But if you get the chance to watch a few of the many videos on the Pasta Grannies YouTube channel, you might find yourself dreaming of the same.

Whilst all that remains a pipe dream I often keep to myself, I find myself indulging a little at times, by trying to recreate sauces, shapes of pasta, or desserts at home, to share with friends and family whenever I can.

2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?

My three weeks at AEI Legal were each filled with novel, challenging, but ultimately enriching experiences. Throughout each of them, I’ve come to realise how multi-faceted corporate practice can be.

I’ve learnt how a dedicated corporate practice of the highest level looks, where the legalese fits within the broader approach taken by the team in catering to clients, when dealing with the unique circumstances and prevailing needs of each client. The work AEI does has shown me how an intricate balance can be struck between expertise, warmth and genuine connection.

A further facet of corporate practice which I’ve discovered is the role of creativity. I’ve had the benefit of observing how the team navigates evolving circumstances of deals in the making, along with often complex and sometimes uncertain state of the law. To contribute to, and then realise how the team crafts their advice and strategies for each client, has given me a newfound appreciation for the importance of thinking outside the box. In this regard, the people at AEI stay true to their dedication to deliver innovative solutions for their clients. This inspires me to consider how I might do the same.

3. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

A conundrum I found myself struggling with is how best to deal with situations where findings on points of law are uncertain, or seemingly unfavourable in light of a client’s needs or circumstances. In such situations, I’d also find myself unsure how I could deliver the most practical or helpful suggestions to members of the team, or transpose legal conclusions into workable or actionable advice which can be conveyed to a client. Zooming out, thinking of how the documents I was tasks to review, or draft, may find their way to clients, could have been daunting at times.

Thankfully, in the face of these difficulties, knowing that the work at AEI is done as a collective, with mentors and other team members willingly offering support along a steep learning-curve, was heartening. I did not have to try overcoming these challenges on my own, out on an island. Instead, I could count on the advice and purposeful direction from the team members along the way to overcome them. This then gave me greater assurance and confidence throughout my time at AEI to take on each challenge that came my way.

4. What advice would you give future interns?

For future interns, I would encourage you to be bold – bold in seeking out opportunities to put yourself outside of your comfort zone, and bold in seeking (and accepting) support when you’re there.

The first step – making an application for an internship at the firm – could be daunting. But the rewards of this foray into the dedicated corporate practice and growth-oriented environment at AEI will be more than worthwhile. Then, when faced with a range of novel assignments and circumstances, or even areas of law, be bold to take them on with your best effort. You’ll know that the people at AEI are there to facilitate your growth, always ready to help despite the many things on their plates, and will meet you where your queries are.

Finally, take the time to enjoy your lunches with the team on days when everyone’s in. The people at AEI do not let any lunch go to waste – they are always looking out for the most satisfying lunch fixes around the office (and post-lunch snacks too).

5. Did you enjoy your time?

I most certainly did. Though short, my time at AEI was thoroughly enriching. The scope of work was broad, diverse, and engaging. Though challenging, the encouragement from the team for me to dig deeper and refine my work along the way has given me direction and paths for growth that I can continue on even beyond the internship.

More importantly, the people – and the environment they’ve created at AEI – is perhaps what’s left the fondest impression on me. Each team member at AEI is true to themselves in the best way possible, each bringing unique quirks and energy to make for an enjoyable environment. Yet, in the midst of that, seeing how they each bring the best out of each other to deliver their collective best for clients, has been inspiring.

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.