When I considered joining the Dentons Work Experience Program, my main consideration was time zones and cultural barriers. As a student living in Asia Pacific, I completely understood the difficulties in finding virtual internships to suit our time zones, compared to the major cities and businesses that operate on the other side of the world.
However, I was prepared to hop on board with this huge opportunity to join the mid-year Dentons Work Experience Program, and more importantly, excited to work with like-minded students from across the globe.
Though there were challenges with time zones, the Dentons Work Experience Program taught me valuable lessons—don’t let such limitations determine the outcome and to develop the skill to adapt and remain flexible even during such complications. Different time zones are a practical consideration of the modern global workplace, and the Program provided me with an excellent opportunity to learn how to schedule meetings with both my team and mentors that suits everyone and to be okay with adjusting deadlines in order to ensure we all connect and stay on track.
During my program I worked on a case study with a wonderful, fellow antipodean, who, despite our differences in terms of mannerisms and upbringing, provided me an invaluable experience in learning to acclimatize to cultural diversity. With the great support of my superb mentors, Fares and Zineb, I was encouraged to appreciate, adapt and value the beauty the program had to offer, along with a community of diverse, global-minded learners!
With this inspiration, along with newfound legal knowledge on contract law, my partner and I were able to successfully collaborate. In turn, I discovered a new world of cultural perspectives, where both our ideas and visions blended and enabled us to craft a unique legal lens on strategies to argue and defend our client in our case study project.
I can proudly say, despite our differences, that our ability to work with one another became our strength, we won our cohort’s Final Trial! The end result, though invigorating, really encapsulated the many meetings my team spent workshopping ideas, tweaking arguments with mentors-- or in my case, even having to pivot on my entire trial plan! And of course practicing and perfecting our case right down to the final second!
My time in the Dentons masterclass taught a powerful lesson that has broadened my perspective. The course showed me the power to empathise, respect, accept, understand and celebrate the range of opinions and judicial perspectives that students bring to the program. Students who at first may not have considered a legal path, or who have interests in other fields, could develop a greater appreciation of the complexities within our legal jurisdiction around the world. For those who are unsure about which occupation journey to take, I would wholeheartedly recommend giving the Dentons Program a go, as many students from a diverse range of study preferences in my Program have now considered
The course has helped keep me on the path of lifelong learning, no matter what career I choose. For those who love to be challenged, both logically and physically, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Dentons Work Experience Program because you are sure to be enthralled in the world of law and what the life altering experience has to offer!
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This blog is written by our amazing Student Ambassador, Isadora Van Unen-Smith, Dentons Work Experience Program 2024 alumn.
