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How did you learn about 10,000 black interns?

As you casually swipe through Snapchat, have you ever noticed an ad-break and your first reaction is: this is "sketchy" or a "scam", so you don't acknowledge it? This is how I discovered #10000BlackInterns. You often ask yourself, "Well, but what's the catch?" when unexpected opportunities arise. My goal is to ease your worries if you were concerned about #10000BlackInterns! There is no catch. As a result of this program's partnership with different organisations, young Black people will have opportunities to address underrepresentation in the workplace. Interested candidates should follow the instructions on the website once the application period opens, and then let the organisation handle the rest!

Did the internship meet your expectations?

Whenever you think of a firm as successful and large as Charles Russell Speechlys, you expect the atmosphere to be intimidating. The exact opposite was true for me! In addition to its reputation for being friendly, Charles Russell Speechlys has an excellent work environment. Everyone is approachable from the junior level to the senior level. Furthermore, Charles Russell Speechlys excelled in providing me with a variety of tasks, which equipped me with the skillset to pursue a career as a solicitor. I gained a great deal of insight into the legal industry from the internship. I was also able to apply the knowledge I learned from my degree in a practical way. Overall, I gained invaluable experience and exposure, which I had hoped to gain from interning here at CRS.

What type(s) of work did you get involved in?

I was mostly involved in the Family and Commercial Dispute Resolution Team. On my first day, I was given a research task to do in order to get the ball rolling but as time went on I had the privilege to attend a three-day long court hearing, client meetings, weekly team meetings, drafting court documents, reviewing financial statements, drafting a letter to client, and more. So as you can imagine, I had a lot of responsibilities and I enjoyed every single task assigned to me. Every task required a different skillset, which I found interesting because I was able to test my capabilities. Aside from all of this, I also had some objectives of my own, which included things like getting to know more about the law firm, my team and their respective roles, developing professional and public speaking skills, and considering my career path post-graduation.

Was there anything that surprised you about your time at the Firm?

Among the things I found most impressive was Charles Russell Speechlys’ commitment to make the workplace more inclusive and diverse. Charles Russell Speechlys has partnered with several initiatives and organisations such as Stonewall for the LGBT community, the Mindful Business Charter that focuses on promoting mental health and wellbeing, and of course #10000BlackInterns which I'm a candidate for and appreciate the step to tackling racial inequality within the Firm. I was particularly impressed with the long-term goals that Charles Russell Speechlys has in place to become a more inclusive workforce. It was clear to me throughout my internship that the firm's culture and values were more than just words on a website. Charles Russell Speechlys actively demonstrates what their principles are, which is a very important factor when considering what firm to apply for.