Chapter 1436: Chapter 1012: Full-time Mom’s Counterattack 20 (Four Thousand)
There are also two other Law Department students interning with us, but these two kids are very quiet; no wonder they haven’t graduated yet, they’re overly cautious.
Lawyers might be so busy that they skip lunch or eat later, but do they actually stay hungry?
She couldn’t understand that: "Why are you guys staying hungry too? Staying here won’t help much, didn’t they give you meal allowances? Go eat! The cafeteria is just downstairs."
They all know they’ve come from behind; although they’re seniors too, they’re not young, so they call her "sis."
"Sis, if we leave and they need help but can’t find anyone, won’t they get mad? And, should we bring them lunch?"
"Exactly, sis, if we only take care of ourselves and not them, will they give us a hard time?"
Poor kids, overthinking it quite a bit, even though what they say makes some sense, however.
"Internships don’t provide a salary, only meal and transportation allowances. The meals you buy are still paid by your family, right? Is it easy for your parents to earn that money, yet you have to give extra to others? Do they need us to subsidize them? Listen, eat your own meals quickly and return, or if you’re worried about no one being here, take turns going to eat. Don’t overthink; you won’t figure it all out!"
In the workplace, there are indeed those who bully the young on purpose, but such opportunists are in the minority. It’s better to evaluate your own strength, not living off your parents and pretending to be someone you’re not—it’s not worth it!
You’re here to work, not to make friends.
Regarding capability, although they’re also from prestigious schools, it’s understandable if they can’t recall case materials, the names of clients, or charges—after all, they’re young, with no work experience, completely at a loss. With a mindset of more work, more mistakes, they have to be very cautious, afraid to take a step beyond boundaries, fearing being criticized for speaking too loudly or for not waiting to dine with others...
That’s when she becomes useful: "Since we’re tasked with reviewing case files, let’s do it properly. Don’t assume that since no one said they’ll check, you can slack off. This typical ’finish homework and be done with it’ attitude is no good. When told to read, you must read thoroughly; even if you can’t remember everything, try to. That way, during meetings, you won’t be completely lost, not comprehending anything."
"And you must ask questions when necessary. Always request to attend trials if there’s a hearing. If a consultancy firm holds a meeting, you can generally request to attend. If we make such requests, wanting to learn more, as long as it’s not overboard, they’ll likely arrange it for us, don’t you think?"
"Additionally, yes, lawyers are very busy, but if they’ve agreed to let us intern here, they’re certainly willing to teach us. And if we perform well, we might even get priority when applying for jobs here in the future. So, we must employ our active initiative now; if you don’t understand, ask. Don’t be ashamed to ask questions; if you don’t ask, how will they know whether you understand or not? They might even assume you know it all. Everyone is an adult; there’s no time for guessing games. Being straightforward is much better. Hesitation is not an attitude fit for a lawyer!"
"Moreover, you should boldly make requests. For example, Xiao Tao, if you wish to work on criminal cases, or Xiao Wang, if you want to deal with civil cases, or if I want to explore administrative cases, all these are okay. Whatever you desire, like following client negotiations to learn about drafting legal documents, just state your request directly. Being upfront spares others from guessing; if conditions allow, wouldn’t it be a win-win?"
"After a week here, you should’ve noticed that aside from the routine clock-in by some lawyers, most only come to the law firm when required. They need to handle their own matters first and can’t linger chatting. Even if they do chat, they hide in the corners of the consensus or meeting rooms, not to be found. Moreover, the law firm, being a public workspace, means lawyers have to maintain face; naturally, they wouldn’t gossip loudly in front of new assistants, affecting their image. Hence, you might find them a bit distant, but those are just illusions."
"Observe for a little longer, and you’ll discover such phenomena are normal. Lawyers prefer working collaboratively and don’t need to form cliques. Interpersonal relationships in the firm are closely tied to business performance and management. It’s better to maintain a gentlemen’s interaction."
