finally found what i've been looking for.
written: 12:33 a.m. on Saturday, Jul. 28, 2007

I can't put into words how valuable the entire experience was to me. I gave cards to my LA-in-charge and the partner but I had a difficult time writing what I really felt because I could not describe it. This entire experience has been wholly unexpected, my reception to it even more so.

I'd never, ever thought that I would enjoy law. For my two years in law school, right up to getting back my Equity assignment in Year 2 Semester 2, I hated everything related, directly or indirectly, to law. I'd never once wanted to practice, I'd always thought that I'd graduate ASAP and move on to doing something that I like. Two years ago there would have been no way in hell I would have conceived of the possibility that I would be looking at my post-graduation plans and thinking, "Law."

Because I enjoyed nearly everything I did, if not everything I did. The fact that I was given the opportunity to assist on a single case, hence giving my days there a much-needed sense of continuity, probably helped a lot; but even so, I could've absolutely hated it. I could've dreaded going back on Saturday and Sunday, and I could've resented the fact that I had to go back. But there was no dread, there was no resentment, there was minimal ennui (the ennui set in when I had no work to do). I looked forward to going to work and I went home in a good mood, mostly happy, even when I left the office at 10.30 p.m., even when I worked until 4.45 p.m. on Sunday.

Such an amazing experience, really, and a complete three-sixty from my outlook on the profession just a few months ago when I was dead set against doing any internships at all. I'm so glad I did this, because now I finally have a purpose, leaving all the angsty shit behind.

I still can't get over what a tremendously good time I had there. It also helped that my in-charge was very nice to me and that we got along. Another thing that helped as well was the fact that many of the people there were super nice to me when they didn't need to be. Who talks to interns, right? In fact, I only had one unpleasant encounter over there and it was from some clerical staff-type person (basically: On Thursday I needed to use Lawnet but I didn't have a laptop. I asked the IT guy if there was a spare and he told me that I could use the one at the unoccupied work station. I thought it didn't belong to anyone, and that the work station was one of the few empty ones that interns wor at. So I sat down, did my stuff, printed out whatever, and all was merry. The next day I went to use the laptop that I'd been using prior to getting no work during which I told Jon that he could use it; he was using it the day before. I walked past the work station that the IT dude said I could use and heard the guy who turned out sat there say something like, "Why like computer so much? Come and sit my place for what?" Uh, okay. I was quite pissed because the IT guy said I could use it and it totally wasn't like I randomly sat down in front of a laptop with total disregard for its owner, but I decided that it wasn't worth it so I didn't give a damn).

So yeah. I'm happy it happened, I'm sad it's over. I felt a sudden sense of deflation at night when it finally sank in that I won't be going to work anymore on Monday. I'm already starting to miss it. Sigh.

Anyway, I spent my last day organising the LA's files and I'm damn proud to say that I completed it by 5.20 p.m.! He took half-day leave and before he left he told me to stop work at 3 and go talk to people, in particular the partner. Well, at 3 I went to look for the partner but he wasn't in, and the office was super quiet 'cause half the people there went for a hearing/trial/whatever involving some en-bloc sale. I had no choice but to continue working and FUCK, I can't believe how organised I was. In the morning I attempted to wrap my head around what was going on; there were three binder files, the cause paper files, and he told me that the documents were in a complete mess. And indeed they were, because I flipped through them and I had no idea what was going on. In the end I got fed up so I took everything out of the files and turned the table in the library where I was at into a total disaster zone.

With some help from the LA (very good that he pointed out the very first document to me, a request to inspect files or whatever), I managed to get what was going on. There were papers strewn everywhere, the entire table was covered with the documents I de-filed, so to speak, and any reasonable person walking in and seeing the mess wouldn't think that I'd clear it up in time. It was REALLY BLOODY MESSY.

But I got everything sorted out in the end, plus contents pages and everything. I arranged everything neatly for him and I really would have re-organised the correspondence files too if I had an extra day. But I didn't, how sad. I very much felt like his secretary. I was, however, glad that I didn't have to use my brain for the last day, because I brought work home to do on Thursday. At first I went to my in-charge and asked him if he had anything for me to do, and he answered, "No." Then I was like, "Okay, I'll go bug someone else", and he was like, "Okay."

So I went to bug his friend and just as his friend was about to give me something to do, the lawyer next to him called me over. Haha. The first task was to call up IRAS and waive some fine for her client; I was on hold for twenty minutes and I wanted to murder someone. In the end I got the elderly client out of the fine. Yay!

That was done, and I still had nothing to do, so I asked her if she had anymore work. She did, in fact, and I was tasked to research on duties of mortgagees, which we did in Property in Year 2 Sem 1. Unfortunately I couldn't remember jack. But anyway, half an hour after getting the research task, my LA came in with his files and asked me to organise them!

How fantastic. In the end the research took quite long, I didn't know what I was reading anymore at 6.30 p.m., and so I decided to just bring it home to read. My head felt like it could burst; it really did.

The bright side is, the associate said my research was very good. Ha ha ha! I even did a summary. How amazing.

I'm so tired right now and I don't think I can write anymore and I haven't showered. I'm very much looking forward to sleeping in; it'd be the first time sleeping in since July 15. Haha. How sad, but not really, because I've really enjoyed the past 2 weeks.

Now, things would be perfect if school could just start, like, next week. 'Cause I have 2 weeks of doing nothing before school starts and the idleness will definitely drive me crazy. Sigh. If the trial had gone on, I would've asked for an extension and they wouldn't have to pay me. SADNESS.

Nevermind, as long as the client got a good deal.

Going to shower now.

before sunrise // before sunset

Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010