For the next MHC Intern Life, we talked to Dylan Morrissey, who did an undergraduate in History in Trinity College Dublin in 2022 and is currently halfway through a Common Law Masters in University College Dublin.
I started my final week here with my usual long commute from Kildare. I arrived early and got some breakfast in the canteen. I then went up to my desk on the second floor, where I was working in the Real Estate department. My work with the department varied, from researching licensing law to conducting thorough scheduling of documents in the compactus.
At midday, we had a scheduled talk with newly qualified solicitors (NQs) who indicated to us their journey to qualification. Each NQ has followed their individual path to get to qualification. Some of them, like myself, did not have an undergraduate law degree but later pivoted into the legal profession after college.
After lunch, I met with the other members of my group project. We had been working on the project since week one. We were tasked with discussing the intellectual property risks AI poses. This question was challenging for our group. We had to be constantly aware of any developments in this field, as the law surrounding AI is uncertain.
On Tuesday, I was at my desk for department work for the day. I met with my mentor in the morning for a quick catch-up. I could talk with my mentor openly about how I was getting on and ways to improve. That's what the culture at the firm is all about. Having open conversations with everyone makes each day enjoyable.
After my catch-up meeting, I was tasked with scheduling documents for several properties being sold. Being given practical tasks and feeling a sense of real responsibility was great. I found it interesting to encounter the various paper instruments involved in conveying property. You hear about them in a lecture hall, which mostly goes over your head, but your interest levels peak when you see them in person!
To finish off the day, I met up with my group. We put the finishing touches on our executive summaries for the group project. We had a daunting task ahead of us, with a presentation to a room full of partners scheduled for Thursday. It was sure to be a challenge, but we were well prepared for it.
Wednesday was a day of anticipation as my group met several times to prepare for Thursday's presentation. We did a full trial run in front of the other interns and the HR and marketing teams. Their feedback was vital in helping us iron out any kinks in our presentation. With all the project prep going on, balancing it with my department’s work was challenging. Still, it was an excellent simulation of life as a solicitor!
Thursday was the moment of truth! My team was third in the running order to present, and we were full of nervous enthusiasm. When we entered the boardroom, we were met with a positive and encouraging atmosphere and this put the group at ease. After our presentation the partners thoroughly tested our knowledge with some tough questions, but we answered them confidently!
The relief washed over us when we finished, and we had a coffee to celebrate. Shortly after, I met up with a member of the knowledge department to discuss feedback on my case note. Each intern was given an individual case note the week before. My case regarded pure economic loss. The session was very informative, and I saw how academic case notes differ from those used in practice.
On Friday, we were able to attend the hotly anticipated summer BBQ event! My fellow interns and I had worked hard over the course of the program, so it was nice to be able to end on a high note! I had an amazing three weeks on the internship program and I would highly recommend it!
Learn more about our internship programme.
