For two weeks during the winter holidays this July 10 law students participated in the Phatshoane Henney Attorneys Winter Vacation Internship Programme in Bloemfontein. This exclusive internship programme provides some of the country’s best law students with a taste of what a legal career really entails, and offers a valuable introduction and insight to these interns regarding the practice of law. 

During the programme candidates were exposed to all facets of a full service law firm ranging from criminal matters to property transfers to tax and estate planning. This enabled the interns to assess possible areas of interest and gauge what these disciplines require from a prospective lawyer, helping them to better prepare for their future career in law.

Linki Scholtz, third-year law student at the University of the Free State, remarked that this internship is something every legal student should aspire to attend. “This very professional and practical programme changes your mindset about every single area of law. How else would you make an informed choice about which department you’d like to practice in?”

Eldon Ward, another third-year from the UFS, also described it as “a brilliant, fantastic programme that exceeded my expectations, affording me much more experience than any legal student ever gets.” 

The two weeks consisted of several field trips to legal institutions such as the Supreme Court of Appeal, Free State High Court and Magistrate’s Court, CCMA, Liquor Board and Deeds Office, as well as highly informative practical sessions on, amongst many others, legal drafting and writing, criminal law, commercial and litigation consultation, mediation sessions, labour law, wills and estate planning, and property law and processes.

Lindokuhle Ntuli, law student from the UFS, added: “It was amazing. After a tough semester I had to think twice when choosing between the winter holiday and the internship, but I do not regret opting for the internship. It went beyond my expectations and I will absolutely recommend it to others. Now I can definitely see myself working at this firm.”

Click here to see some photographs of the Internship Week.