I knew coming into the Internship Programme that the three weeks would fly by, and my second week at Mason Hayes & Curran has been just as exciting as my first.
I was able to experience a broad mix of talks and social events along with a chance to contribute to some really meaningful work.
Monday
We had a talk from two trainees who gave us an insight into the life of a trainee at the firm. One of the trainees was in their pre-seat while the other was on the cusp of qualifying. With them being at different stages of the qualifying process, they offered us some great advice. They told us about their experience across the departments, their time at Blackhall and allowed us to ask lots of questions.
Straight after that we went into a newly qualified briefing. We heard from four newly qualified solicitors and gained insight into four different departments. Each speaker shared their experiences and gave us some insight on the day-to-day life as an associate. Everyone who spoke to us seemed genuinely excited about the work they did and we felt really encouraged. These talks are also great for sparking conversations between the interns, as they usually lead to us chatting about the areas we think we’d like to pursue.
After lunch, I continued to work away on different tasks, including two projects and work from my mentors.
Tuesday
I met up with a few other interns before work to grab coffee. We make a conscious effort to see each other outside of work, because we know in two weeks' time we’ll be spread out across the country again.
Once in the office, I met with my group for the Intern presentation. Our presentation focuses on ‘medical negligence reform in Ireland’. We had to research into recent developments in the field, the challenges patients face when bringing a claim and potential areas for improvement.
We were allocated quite a lot of time to work on this project. We were hoping to have all of our research done in the coming days so we can start focusing on our delivery.
For lunch, we met with our ‘buddies’ to catch up and socialise with them a bit more. We made the most out of the free ice cream initiative before heading out to the docks to take a walk and enjoy the sun.
In the afternoon, I returned to my desk for more department work. Being placed in the Corporate team meant I was getting a lot of exposure to different types of deals and client issues. I submitted a few tasks and got myself prepped for the next day.
Wednesday
This was a particularly busy day in terms of talks and social events. I started the morning at my desk, finalising a few details before submitting research to my mentor. After that I met up with the marketing team to film an intern Q&A video. It was designed to give incoming interns a better feel for the firm’s culture and the internship itself.
Once we wrapped up, I joined the other interns for a talk on Corporate Social Responsibility where we were briefed on the various different committees at Mason Hayes & Curran. We were introduced to the Green team, the Diversity team, the Pro Bono team and RISE committee - which is driven by the CSR Committee including representatives from across the firm. Each committee member about their work, their charity/social partners and the importance of having the initiative in the firm. Straight after that, marketing joined us to ask for some feedback and insights on the recruitment process.
In the afternoon, I had a chance to work on my department tasks again before joining the marketing team. This time, my buddy and I recorded a short, informal interview video about my experience at the firm. That wrapped up a very busy day.
Thursday
The day began with a group meeting for the Intern Project. We finalised our slides before moving on to drafting the executive summary and working on practicing the actual presentation. In the afternoon, my focus was back on department work. I conducted a number of drafting and research tasks for my team. I had the chance to use the firm’s legal database and help with due diligence.
Finally, to finish off the day, the trainees hosted a table quiz for all the interns. This was a really fun way to have a laugh with our ‘buddies’ and the other interns while getting a little bit competitive.
Friday
My last day of week two started with a corporate team meeting where I had a chance to hear about the various deals being done within the department. This meeting gave me a great chance to introduce myself to people in the wider department. After that, I worked on finalising the little details of my case note before submitting it. The case note was a great learning experience, and I look forward to my feedback session next week!
Before lunch, I completed a few more tasks for the Social Ambassador programme and worked on some department research. For lunch, the interns always congregate in the canteen before heading out to stroll around the docks and enjoy the unusually good weather we’ve been getting. The canteen has a new menu every day, and the food is good and subsidised. If you have the chance to grab something, definitely do!
After lunch I helped my associate on a few things for a closing, before heading out to meet my intern project group. To finish off the week, we had been allocated three hours of research and group discussion time, which went by really quickly.
While I’m looking forward to the excitement my third week will bring, I’m conscious of the fact that the experience is coming to a close. I plan to make the most of my remaining time and take every opportunity to get involved across the firm.