11 Sep The Power Of Mentorship: My Internship Experience At B&P Associates
My name is Catherine Essel Otabil, a level 200 undergraduate student at the University of Ghana School of Law.
My decision to apply for an internship at B&P Associates (“the Firm”) and my subsequent selection into the role is one that I am proud of making.
At the beginning of my internship, my primary objectives were to:
- gain practical experience in legal research, writing, and analysis; and
- understand how the Firm operates to deliver cutting-edge legal services to its clients.
Despite the brevity of my internship, I have learnt much more than I anticipated. A well-crafted internship schedule provided me with the opportunity to be introduced to new areas of the law including company law, family law and civil trials.
Each day presented me with the challenge of learning legal concepts and procedures which I had no practical knowledge of or was unfamiliar with. However, with the support of the approachable and mentorship-oriented team of lawyers at the Firm, I was able to effectively complete all my tasks and seamlessly adapt to the work culture at B&P.
During my internship, I had the opportunity to work on a diverse range of legal practice areas. These included drafting memos on key issues like company incorporation, regulatory requirements for company meetings, Ghana’s court hierarchy, and the procedures for conducting a civil trial. Additionally, I gained practical experience by observing client meetings and participating in filing processes at different agencies. I also conducted research on emerging legal areas such as Ghana’s regulations on Surrogacy and In vitro Fertilization.
I am extremely grateful to Mrs. Adelaide Benneh Prempeh, the Managing Partner of the Firm, for offering me this opportunity and providing a conducive environment to nurture my skills and expand my technical knowledge as an aspiring lawyer.
Furthermore, I am thankful to the entire team for their warmth and willingness to go above and beyond to answer all my questions and guide me through my internship period.
The past three weeks have been enlightening and I am proud of the growth I have experienced and the skills acquired.
Looking back, I can confidently say that my objectives were met. As I conclude this experience, I have grown to be twice the researcher and writer I was before. Ultimately I have also gained a deeper understanding of the essence of excellence in providing legal services.
Thank you, B&P Associates!
Catherine Essel Otabil
BPA Summer Intern 2024