International Clerkship Report

Sunil Mawkin, September 2007

Sponsoring Office:  London, England
Receiving Office:     Dallas, Texas

Introduction

I applied for a Baker and McKenzie international clerkship after meeting Justine Beedle from the London graduate recruitment team when she came to lead a skill session on training contract interview techniques at my university.  In studying Law with American Law, I was due to spend the 3rd year of my degree at the University of Texas in Austin and therefore the opportunity of gaining an insight into the American legal system through a Baker and McKenzie International Clerkship, would provide me with the perfect preparation for my time at UT.

London

My placement began at the London office, where I spent two weeks in the Dispute Resolution department and one week in Corporate.  During my time in Disputes I became actively involved in the preparation of a case for trial and attended a number of client meetings, as well as helping to prepare documents for disclosure.  The level of responsibility which I was afforded, coupled with the nature of the work entrusted to me, enabled me to gain a real feel for commercial legal practice and gave me a sense of achievement in that I was making an active contribution to the work of the Firm.  Furthermore, the level of support from the trainees, associates and partners meant that I felt neither intimidated nor afraid to ask questions, which ensured that I was able to gain a full understanding for the work which I was undertaking and the context in which I was performing it.  My time in Corporate enabled me to truly appreciate the global nature of Baker and McKenzie’s practice as I attended meetings with overseas clients and worked on contracts for mineral exploration in the Middle East.  The level of responsibility and support remained consistent with my time in Disputes and this ensured that I had a productive and rewarding experience in the London office.

There were also numerous social and training activities in which I was able to participate in during my time in London and where I was able to get to know the other summer clerk students.  We were treated to a private cinema screening, a trip to the comedy store, a city quiz and numerous training exercises which enabled us to develop our skills in giving presentations, negotiation and team working.

Dallas

My transition to the Dallas office was completely trouble free, the Firm taking care of all my travel arrangements, ensuring that I was able to arrive at the Dallas office on my first day relaxed and ready to begin the international leg of my Baker and McKenzie clerkship.

During my time in Dallas I sat in the Corporate department where I had a wide exposure to different legal issues and gained a valuable introduction into the American legal system.  All the attorneys in the department were keen to ensure that I was given a good variety of work and many provided me with different projects, which included drafting contractual documents, legal research, and preparing reports for filing with the Securities Exchange Commission.  I was also able to attend a court hearing and, although I was only working in Dallas for a short period of time, I was treated throughout as an integrated member of the team and was invited to all of the relevant training exercises and in house social events which occurred during my time at the office.

The Dallas office was also keen to see that I was kept busy outside of work and this was mainly organised through my ‘buddy’ Nathan Engels.  Every day of the three week clerkship Nate would organise for different attorneys to take me out for lunch, which provided a fantastic way for me to meet a large number of people in the office and gain exposure to the different practice areas.  Nate and other members of the office would also frequently take me out in the evenings and at the weekends to show me the social side of Dallas and I was extremely fortunate to gain my first experience of American sport as I was invited to the horse races and to a Texas Rangers baseball game.

One of the primary reasons I decided to spend the international leg of my placement in Dallas was due to its close proximity with UT and, having now commenced my legal studies in America, I am able to reap the benefits of my Baker and McKenzie placement and appreciate how fortunate I was to be given this introduction into both American law and culture.  Much of the legal knowledge and expertise which I gained in Dallas has already proved invaluable in helping me with my studies and has enabled me to place the legal principles which I am now learning into a commercial context.  I am also extremely fortunate in that I have been able to stay in contact with the Dallas office during my time here at UT, as they were very kind in extending an invitation to me to a recent recruitment event which was held in Austin, allowing me to meet up with, and thank, many of the people who were so hospitable to me during my time in Dallas.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to Justine Beedle from the London graduate recruitment team for all her efforts in organising my international placement as well as Robin Look, Terry Deleon and Nathan Engels from the Dallas office for going out of their way to accommodate me and for ensuring that my time in Dallas, both from an educational and social perspective, was rewarding and enjoyable.  The Baker and McKenzie international clerkship was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life and I have no doubt that I will continue to reap the rewards of my time with Baker and McKenzie as I continue through university and beyond.