INTERNSHIPS AND ATTACHMENTS /

Kevin Upton

Law Student, Victoria University, Australia


What did you learn about the law and the legal profession?
What I learnt about the law and the legal profession from my short time with Thomas Philip is that the law is so much broader than the precedents and principles found in law text books, I now have a firmer grip on what to expect once I complete my law degree and I believe this is essential as some law students do not have any grasp on just what is exactly expected of a lawyer once you first get into practice.

I also learnt a very important lesson from Mathew which I will take with me into practice should I decide to head down that path, that lesson was that when dealing with matters no matter how complex they may seem, always start with the basics, always have three points you want to argue and expand from there, if you do not have three points then your argument is likely to fail and the judge will not want to listen.

What did you enjoy most?
What I enjoyed most is the culture difference, I find that Australia is like a bubble and a lot of people just don't realize how different things are outside our country, Malaysia is definitely an example of this, although the laws can be similar coming from a common law system, the diverse culture and foods as well as the people in Malaysia can be whatever you make of it, and what I made of it was that it was a fascinating place to live and work and this was all part of the experience as a whole I enjoyed the most.

With regards to the workplace, I enjoyed the feeling of being part of the family here at Thomas Philip, I was made welcome from my first day and some of the friends I have made here I will keep when I go home. Being able to attend a wedding after only being here three weeks was a huge thrill and to see the amount of people from the firm attend made it feel like the people enjoy working with each other and that is a great thing to have in a workplace.

Was this a good experience? Why or why not?
The experience I gained from working here I feel will be invaluable to me in future, being able to say that I have interviewed clients for over four hours, observed one of the best barristers in Malaysia in the Court of Appeal, prepare witness statements and perform complex legal research is something a law student will very rarely get to do until they have finished their degree, let alone in a foreign country, and I have done all this in my short four weeks here which will give me a head start on the rest of my fellow graduates when I complete my degree when applying for jobs.

How has this experience influenced your future choices about a career?
The experience has really opened my eyes about what to expect when I finish my degree, it has also influenced me in the choices I want to make with regards to the area of practice I want to focus on. I have been able to work on contract, commercial, probate and land acquisition cases, which I found to really open my options about the area of law I would like to practice once finishing my degree.

I also would like to keep the opportunity open for working overseas and this experience of working in a law firm overseas gives me international experience which will be vital if I decide to pursue a career abroad once I am finished back home.