International Clerkship Report

Teresa Harrold, 2006

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

Introduction

My experience as an International Clerk confirmed that Baker & McKenzie is the only truly global law firm that successfully supports attorneys in numerous jurisdictions, yet maintains a consistent, unified, and collaborative working environment across its many offices.  I received an invitation to apply for one of 20 International Clerkships after securing my summer associate position with the Baker & McKenzie office in Dallas, Texas.  At the time, I believed the opportunity would complement my prior international experiences in Spain, Denmark, and Oxford, England.  However, I truly underestimated what a unique and valuable experience the International Clerkship would be.

Preliminary Details and Accommodations

Even before leaving Dallas after my seven-week summer associate position, I was impressed by the way in which the London and Dallas Graduate Recruitment teams worked to ensure the details of my clerkship.  Although some aspects of the clerkship were common to other students who would be visiting foreign offices, the recruiting coordinators made every effort to address my individual concerns and plan an experience that would be anything but typical.  Both offices worked to ensure a smooth transition between my domestic clerkship and the programs occurring in the foreign office.  Because of their planning, I felt as though I was extremely welcome from the day I arrived and was embraced by both the summer vacation clerk scheme and the young associates of the London office.

In addition, the accommodations provided by the Firm far exceeded my expectations.  The apartment was a short ten minute walk away from the office, allowing me to avoid the London Underground in the heat of the summer, and enjoy the benefits of urban living in a large city.  All of the comforts of home were within one to two blocks of the apartment, as were numerous markets, landmarks, and museums for weekend exploration.  I had every opportunity to experience life in a foreign setting, and take full advantage of what the program was meant to offer.

London Office

The summer program at the London office began with a well-planned orientation of office resources, an office tour, and an introduction to the social aspects of the Firm.  While I expected to learn an entirely new system, I was comforted in finding that many of the resources I had grown accustomed to in the Dallas office were also available in the London office.  The uniformity made my transition nearly seamless, and afforded me the advantage of jumping right in to my international clerkship.

During my first week, many of the partners and trainees in the intellectual property group with which I worked invited me to lunch, and took time out of their day to introduce themselves and welcome me to the group.  By the second week, my practice group invited me to accompany them to a social gathering of trademark attorneys from throughout the United Kingdom.  This event gave me an opportunity to develop relationships with various members of the group at differing levels of expertise, and witness first-hand the great amount of respect that Baker & McKenzie attorneys receive from their colleagues and peers.

By the third week, I truly felt that I had been made a part of the team as I was given the benefit of assisting with the largest trial in the section – a high-profile trademark infringement case.  I couldn’t believe my good fortune, and the generosity of my mentors that afforded me a two-week lesson in litigation in the Royal Courts.  I not only had the chance to conduct important research for the case and help prepare trial exhibits, but I was also able to observe the trial from beginning to end and participate in meetings and discussions with team members who had worked on the case for over two years.  My mentor, Peter O’Byrne, never hesitated to answer my questions, and invited my comments on the contrast between the American and British trial systems.  He made every effort to inform me of any topic he knew I would find interesting, as well as instruct me as to what I should experience before the end of my clerkship.  Thus, the experience was invaluable - one that few foreign attorneys are able to enjoy, and one that will inform my own practice for years to come.

The London office also provided many social events to introduce the summer clerks to each other and to attorneys throughout the Firm.  During my five weeks with the office, the summer vacation scheme hosted 30 British law students, and five international summer clerks.  We had a great time exploring London during our City Trivia Quiz, sharing dinner and a movie during a private film screening, laughing at a trip to the Comedy Store, and dancing at the annual Firm Summer Party.  Graduate Recruitment also filled our schedules with lunch presentations from various practice groups, evening social events with trainees and young associates, and professional skills games and competitions.  I was so proud of my summer clerk team after we won an in-house client pitch competition.  We truly had a great time working together.

In addition, the London office supported my efforts to share the experience with other students from my law school.  During the last week of a study abroad program, 27 students were invited to visit the London office and spend an afternoon speaking with attorneys, trainees, and summer clerks about practicing law in the United Kingdom, and working for a global law firm.  The students were grateful for the Firm’s generosity in opening its doors to them, and really enjoyed the event.

Conclusion

While it is easy to retrospectively pinpoint all of the highlights of my experience, I am aware that the full value of my International Clerkship will continue to reveal itself over the course of my career at Baker & McKenzie.  In a context where international perspective, cultural sensitivity, and seamless integration between offices is paramount to the concept of a global law firm, the International Clerkship allowed me to establish an element of global integration at the onset of my legal career.  Specifically, my time in London gave me the opportunity to compare and contrast legal systems and policies in a practical, rather than purely academic setting.  It allowed me to establish contacts and relationships with attorneys from many different jurisdictions that will be mutually beneficial for our legal careers.

In a modern legal context where clients are not isolated by geographic or cultural borders, international connectivity and capability is vital to a successful career in any jurisdiction.  The Baker & McKenzie International Clerkship fosters global sophistication that is unparalleled by any other program I have found at this level of legal education.  Building a practice in which even summer associates are attune to the needs and potential opportunities created by such a system ensures that the Firm as a whole will continue to be able to provide more sophisticated legal services and more successful client relations.

I am sincerely grateful for all that Baker & McKenzie has taught me through the International Clerkship program, and look forward to utilizing the knowledge and skills I have developed to contribute to the Firm’s future success.