Law
Mentor: Ms. Bernice Yung (Senior Legal Counsel, Legal & Compliance and Operational Risk Management Department, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited)
Zita Kwan
From 6th to 17th August 2018, I was able to undergo a job shadowing program at the Legal & Compliance and Operational Risk Management Department of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. Under the guidance of my mentor, Ms. Bernice Yung, I gained an insight into the work related to both the legal occupation and the financial industry.
Ms. Yung gave me different legal documents to study, such as contracts, offering circulars and case files. She would then discuss and explain relevant concepts and knowledge. Since Ms. Yung specializes in the preparation of bond issuing documentation, she explained in details the bond issuing process of the bank both by itself and on behalf of the bank’s clients. It was indeed fascinating to experience the preparation and drafting of legal documentation.
In addition, I was able to explore the options of my further studies as well as my future career. Through this job shadowing experience, my interest towards the legal and finance professions has strengthened. Ms. Yung also gave me a lot of advice on how I should choose my career path, which was useful and inspiring to me.
To conclude, this job shadowing program was truly meaningful and fruitful to me. As a secondary school student, I did not have much knowledge of the legal and finance professions. After this experience, I learnt a lot about the careers involving legal and financial work, which would be extremely helpful during my future studies and career. Therefore, I would like to thank the school and Ms. Yung for giving me this precious opportunity.
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Mentor: Mr. John Marray (Barrister)
Karen Tse & Chelsea Leung
From 13th to 17th August 2018, we were glad to have had the opportunity to job shadow Mr. John Marray, an experienced barrister at Admiralty Chambers. We observed a full trial of drug trafficking at the District Court, in which Mr. Marray was the defense lawyer. The cross examinations of witnesses were intense and we were truly amazed by Mr. Marray’s examination skills. Two completely different versions of testimonies given by the witnesses confused us and fortunately Mr. Marray was friendly and patient in answering our questions.
We also had the chance to visit the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts and Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts to observe mention hearings. We were exposed to the environment of different types of court and the experience was definitely eye-opening. After the hearings, Mr. Marray took us to his chamber and assigned us to help him in translating witness statements. It was a challenging task as we had to deal with a lot of legal jargons, yet it was tremendously satisfying.
It was indeed a rewarding experience to have Mr. Marray as our mentor as we had exposure to career as a barrister and received some career guidance. A heartfelt gratitude to the school’s careers team and Mr. Marray for giving us such a precious job shadowing experience.
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Mentor: Ms. Kamina Lai (Barrister)
Atta Chiu, Clarice Chan & Kristy Wong
On 24th July, 2018, we were delighted to have the opportunity to shadow Ms Kamina Lai, an experienced barrister specializing in criminal law at Wellington Chambers. We first observed a trial on common assault. Later the day, we were given several cases to look at and Ms Lai questioned us on the summary of facts. Not only did she kindly guide us though the analysis of the case, she also explained the importance of meticulousness while reading as it was always the details that would make a crucial point of argument. Furthermore, we tried drafting a mitigation statement. Ms Lai had a in-depth discussion about our plans on tertiary studies with us and she gave us valuable advice. Moreover, we asked her about possible job options in the legal field as well as her experience as a barrister. Ms Lai generously shared her personal experience with us and provided elaborated answers to our questions. Overall, our job shadowing experience was indeed an insightful and rewarding one that allowed us to gain first-hand experience on working in the legal field. We are very grateful towards Ms Lai and the school for granting us this invaluable opportunity.
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Mentor: Ms. Karen Leung (Permanent Magistrate)
Melody Cheng & Verena Yiu
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From 17th to 25th July 2018, we were very fortunate to shadow Ms Karen Leung Ka-kie, a Special Magistrate at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Court. Throughout the week, we attended various court hearings, with interesting cases from criminal offences to illegal drug possession. For Magistracies, most trials last about a day only so we were able to witness numerous cases and the full trial of most cases. After each court session, Ms Leung would discuss the case with us to clarify some legal jargons and procedures. She would also explain the reasons of her court decisions that were backed with solid foundations of logic, justice, and experience. As an SPCS alumnus, Ms Leung shared her experiences at SPCS and offered us useful advice for our future career. To conclude, we had a fruitful experience and gained more practical knowledge about the legal field. We are grateful to the school and Ms Leung for this invaluable learning opportunity.
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Mentor: Ms. Angela Liu and Mr. Vincent Cao, Trainee Solicitors (Linklaters)
Clare Li & Tiffany Mak
From 13-24 August, 2018, Tiffany and I had the opportunity to shadow Ms. Angela Liu and Mr. Vincent Cao, two trainee solicitors at Linklaters Hong Kong. Both our mentors not only were very friendly in answering our questions regarding career pathways and job experience, but also kind enough to allow us to have some hands-on experience. Tiffany shadowed in projects sector. Her mentor instructed her to research on renewable energy power plants and the background of potential clients, in addition to updating the department’s annual brochure. She also had the opportunity to join in the department’s meeting. I, on the other hand, had the opportunity to shadow in the banking sector of commercial law. My mentor instructed me to compile originals, proofread transaction bibles and draft cover letters. On the whole, this experience helped us realise the importance of precision in work and communication among colleagues. Overall, our job-shadowing experience is a rewarding one that has motivated us to pursue different aspects of the legal profession in the future.
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Mentor: Mr. Tim Casewell (District Judge)
Rachel Chiu & Joanne Lo
From 7th to 10th August, 2018, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to shadow Judge Casewell and learn more about the legal profession. During the four days of our job shadowing experience, we were able to watch Judge Casewell tackle different cases and also discuss them with him. We were given a summary of facts for each case and we had the opportunity to discuss the cases thoroughly and ask him questions afterwards. The cases were mostly theft or credit card fraud, in which Judge Casewell taught us more about mitigating factors and aggravating factors that could lengthen or shorten the defendant’s sentence. It was indeed exciting to be able to see how he passed judgments after careful consideration and sentenced the defendant. Judge Casewell was extremely patient in answering all our queries and gave us advice about different job options in the legal field. Overall, it was a very fruitful experience which allowed us to gain insight about the legal system in Hong Kong and how court proceedings work.
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