International Clerkship Report

Cheryl Siew, 2006

Sponsoring Office: Singapore
Practice Office: Sydney, Australia
Department: Corporate

Introduction

Having the status of being the largest international law firm, Baker & McKenzie is the obvious choice for any student seeking to gain an insight into international legal work. A desire to have a more intimate perspective of international work, coupled with the exciting prospect of living and working in a foreign country, led me to apply for the Baker & McKenzie international clerkship. I was delighted to learn that I was to be attached to the Sydney office for the month of December.

Sydney

I arrived in Sydney on a perfect morning and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the apartment I was to stay in was located in the heart of town. The office is conveniently located nearby in the AMP building which happily sits opposite the Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Opera House. Everyone in the Sydney office was extremely friendly and helpful and I felt welcome right from the moment I stepped into the office. On the first day of work, I had a pleasant chat over morning tea with my "buddy", Loren Suntup. She later introduced me to the lawyers in the Corporate South Department, all of whom were remarkably pleasant. 

Throughout my time in Sydney, I was attached to the Corporate South Department. I was assigned a range of interesting work from various lawyers, which included drafting several internal memorandums documenting imminent reforms to the law. I was also responsible for drafting a quarterly legal update for a client, which involved a meticulous research exercise into all possible reforms that would be relevant to the client's business. This indeed proved to be an interesting and informative exercise. In addition, I assisted some lawyers with other projects. In general, such work has allowed me to understand the Australian legal system more intimately, in particular the distinct role of the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) in regulating and moderating corporation law.

I was also fortunate to have had the opportunity to be involved in some pro bono work that the firm was carrying out. At the outset, I must say that I am very impressed that the Sydney office has a special Practice Group dedicated to pro bono work. The pro bono ethic is very strong and everyone seems to be involved in this conjoint effort in one way or another. Jennifer McVicar, the pro bono director, has also been a great inspiration as she is truly passionate about what she does. One of the numerous projects that the firm has committed to is the Homeless Persons' Legal Service (HPLS), which I had the chance to participate in. Lawyers who commit themselves to the HPLS would visit the Homeless Persons' Shelter every Wednesday during lunchtime to dispense free legal advice to needy clients. I saw that instead of merely espousing the virtue of pro bono work, these lawyers actually practiced what they preached. Witnessing the work done at the HPLS was a whole new experience for me and it was indeed an eye opener. Truly, it has also inspired me to involve myself in similar work in the future.

Being in Sydney during the Christmas season, I was invited to Christmas luncheons and to the firm dinner. I enjoyed myself immensely on these occasions as it is always refreshing to get to know colleagues and members of other departments on a more personal level. In particular, I had a fantastic time at the firm's Christmas dinner party. Everything, from the company to the food and live Latin music, was superb. 

The weekends and Christmas holiday also provided ample opportunity for me to experience the sights and sounds of Sydney. My apartment was conveniently located in the city centre, thus being agreeably close to many of the city's tourist attractions and shopping malls. I especially enjoyed the concerts that I attended at the famous and magnificent Opera House. Over the Christmas break, I visited Canberra and the beautiful beaches on the Southern coast of Australia. I felt welcome everywhere I went as Australians are indeed very friendly people. I can now understand why Sydney is ranked as one of the top 10 best places to live in the world in 2005.

Conclusion

I must admit that I took away much more from this clerkship than I expected to, not merely in terms of the work I did, but also the whole experience of living in a foreign country and viewing things from a fresh perspective. Indeed, my time in Sydney was enriching as it was fun filled and I returned to Singapore with many fond memories.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my buddy, Loren Suntup, who ensured that I enjoyed every moment of my clerkship experience. I would also like to thank the support staff of both the Sydney and Singapore offices for their assistance in making my clerkship a pleasant one. Last but not least, I would like to thank Baker & McKenzie for granting me this invaluable opportunity. Truly, no legal system can be understood in a vacuum and I am thankful to have been given the chance to be a participant, and not a mere onlooker, of a foreign legal system and culture.