.png)
Before starting my role as a notary intern at Ravenscroft & Schmierer, I wasn't acquainted with the responsibilities of a Notary Public at all. Nor did I realise the importance of their work in the legal world, nor to society at large. Read on for a brief overview on Notary Publics, my journey to gaining a clearer understanding of the duties of a notary intern, and my experience interning at Ravenscroft & Schmierer!
Author: Amenah Aslam, Intern
A second-year law student might wonder, "What exactly is notary work?" Sure, they might be familiar with terms like associate, partner, and commercial lawyer, but what really is a notary public, and how is it related to a law degree at all? I had the same thoughts when I first encountered the term. It wasn't until I started my internship that I began to understand the relevance of notary work. This internship turned my curiosity into a robust understanding of how notary work relates to all different areas of law.
Notaries play an important role in the legal system by ensuring the authenticity of documents and their responsibilities include witnessing signatures and verifying documents. Many legal documents like contracts, wills and deeds must be notarised to be valid in courts or to be used in other jurisdictions. Notaries also keep detailed records of the notarised documents which are often helpful in the case of disputes. Clearly, the responsibilities of a notary are both meaningful and interesting, and they are undoubtedly more connected to law than it may initially seem.
My Experience as a notary intern: wills, apostilles and AML – a wide range!
My primary duties as a notary intern included assisting Ravenscroft & Schmierer's Notary Public, David Ravenscroft with variety of tasks. Each day, we would engage with a diverse range of clients, from individuals to corporate entities, who wanted to notarise and apostille their documents. One of my primary duties involved drafting wills for private clients. This experience introduced me to the basics of Probate and Will Law, which I found fascinating and hope to further explore in my remaining legal studies and career.
Alongside my primary responsibilities, I was also responsible for handling miscellaneous tasks such as responding to clients' inquiries, generating invoices for them, and helping them with their apostille applications. Parallel to my notarial duties. I was also tasked with ensuring that all the clients adhered to the AML compliance guidelines, which involved performing due diligence for each client daily.
The everyday relevance of notary work: using internship experience for my own apostille quest
Having experience in notary work has proven to be highly beneficial for me. Practically speaking, l was able to make use of my internship experience to get personal documents apostilled at the High Court. If it weren't for my notary experience, I would have been far less familiar with the apostille process. Fortunately, my theoretical and practical training in notary work meant I had sufficient knowledge to complete the task on my own and ensured that my documents were properly authenticated.
The growth of a globalised society and international trade has increased the demand for and elevated the importance of notarised documents. We are frequently required to notarise our documents to travel, attend international universities, and even establish a business overseas. It is always beneficial to know the notary process, which allows you to handle your own documents effectively. Notary work, in my opinion, is not just a legal requirement: with some knowledge of and experience with it, it also provides a useful life skill.
Developing soft skills through my internship: communicating clearer and appreciating feedback – both received and given
My internship at Ravenscroft & Schmierer provided me with undeniably important hard skills as well as the opportunity to develop the important soft skills that I need to further grow my career in a legal field. My ability to communicate effectively is one area where I made significant progress. Whether I am communicating in person or by email, I find that I am able to express myself more efficiently and have become more at ease when interacting with people of all levels.
Working with other interns at the firm who are also navigating the start of their careers enabled me to access an amazing support system and made me feel welcome and looked after. I often found myself consulting other young solicitors at the firm for their career advice and directions. Their willingness to share knowledge made it easier for me to carry out my tasks. The firm's supportive atmosphere further enhanced my teamwork skills and taught me not only to receive guidance and support in every aspect in my work, but also to provide it to others when needed.
To my fellow university students considering a notary internship at Ravenscroft & Schmierer, I recommend you take advantage of this opportunity, regardless of your major. Having prior legal knowledge is not required, but can be helpful, particularly when researching through legal databases.
If you are considering applying for any internship at Ravenscroft & Schmierer - not just a notary one - feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. I'd love to chat and help you through the recruitment process.
Amenah is a second year LLB student at City University of Hong Kong. As an aspiring solicitor, she is eager to explore opportunities in different areas of law. Recently, Amenah spent her winter term at Ravenscroft & Schmierer as a notary intern.
Amenah Aslam
Intern
Comments