An Intern’s Log - Isaac Heng
By Isaac Heng
Our intern Isaac reflects on what it was like to spend a month with us.
Legal internships provide a snapshot of a lawyer’s adventure, far away from the certainty and serenity of textbooks and professors on-demand. Some may be fortunate enough to intern at a firm with a positive working environment, that teaches them new skills, or where their contributions feel valued. My experience with Covenant Chambers encompassed all of these, and then some.
I still remember arriving that first day not knowing quite what to expect. I had listened to the testimonies of countless disillusioned seniors, warning me that the life of a lawyer is one of unglamorous late nights spent buried in windowless rooms at the beck and call of unreasonable bosses. However, any concerns I had quickly faded when I stepped into this cosy corner near Clarke Quay with a view to rival the very best offices in Singapore. But it was not merely the setting which made my time here so memorable, rather it was the team that created such a positive firm culture. One of the first people I met was our head of Human Resources, Evelyn, who made this wide-eyed intern feel right at home. She handled my induction, humorously entertained my burning questions, and even slipped me a list of food places in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, everyone I interacted and worked with here was patient, accommodating, and friendly, from Lee Ee Yang – the founder and managing director, to Ezra Wong – the firm’s newest practice trainee.
Being introduced to a wide spectrum of cases was a real watershed moment for me. Having just concluded my first year at the National University of Singapore, I loved every second of my anxiety-inducing and exhilarating legal analysis journey and felt a bizarre affinity with the esoteric philosophical debates of legal theory. However, I was still largely uncertain about what awaited me in a legal career. Being able to observe lawyers in their element and contribute to their efforts, gave me a deeper insight and appreciation for the various facets of legal practice. In particular, I had the pleasure of assisting two associate directors, Wilbur Lua and Che Wei Chin, with their respective cases. Now, I cannot regale you with all the juicy details for fear of confidentiality obligations, but I can share the overarching lessons I have learnt thus far.
For Wilbur’s task, it seemed like a never-ending uphill battle where the law was constantly not developed enough to be on our side. I spent many hours going down rabbit holes and hitting dead ends, before finally stumbling upon a potential solution. Although it was fairly late at night, I felt pleased that I never gave up and kept trying creative angles to solve the problem. My time with Wilbur taught me how to navigate the less established parts of the law, to be precise and clinical with my language, and to always find new and innovative ways to resolve issues. It put into perspective my dream of operating at the cutting-edge of the law, where I am constantly presented with novel and exciting challenges, and have to use all my wits to overcome them and emerge victorious.
On the other hand, Wei Chin’s case gave me a window into the more empathetic and client-facing side of being a lawyer. His client was pleading guilty to a non-violent crime, and we had to try and convince the court to reduce the sentence. Although we achieved moderate success in arguing certain mitigating factors in the client’s favour, there was still the inevitability of a prison sentence. However, what really inspired me was Wei Chin’s conduct with the client and his family. Throughout the proceedings, he went the extra mile to keep them updated on the situation, reassure them of his strategy, and console them in times of distress. My time with Wei Chin taught me the importance of lawyers having compassion and a heart for service to help those in need.
Despite being just an intern, I was made to feel like part of the team. People acknowledged my contributions and ideas, and were always willing to give me constructive feedback on how I can best improve in the future. Perhaps the biggest highlight for me was writing a commentary with director Ronald Wong on the Singapore High Court’s analysis of non-solicitation and non-compete clauses, which was published on Singapore Law Watch to my astonishment.
I am so grateful to everyone for their generosity and guidance, and for taking a chance on a law school kid still making his way through the galaxy. The entire team plays such an integral role in making Covenant Chambers a conducive environment to learn, laugh, and serve justice for our society.