National Jurist - March 2009 - (Page 31) HUA WANG UCLA School of Law Law Firm in Charlotte, N.C. and that the image of success does not only lie in America, France, or the UK, but one can also be very successful in the developing world. Second, it was important for me to work for a Ghanaian-owned and operated firm, run by a Ghanaian woman in what is a man’s world. Because of my boss’s childhood and political connections I was allowed access to a world very few got to see. Ghana of course wasn’t all work, as I took weekend excursions to the beautiful sites of Ghana. From the Dutch Castles that held slaves before they waved goodbye to the African Coast, to Kakum National Park — home of the canopy walk that allows visitors to walk atop the trees 100 feet above the forest, to the white sand deserted beaches that were picture perfect and could easily be mistaken for a Caribbean travel poster. I was even a guest on the award winning political talk show, Good Evening Ghana. Where the host, a UK-trained political strategist who returned to Ghana to assist in the upcoming elections, sat down with me to talk about “Obamamania” and my reasons for coming to Accra. Overall, my sojourn to Ghana was too short. However it was an amazing experience and I look forward to my next journey there. “What a phenomenal summer, even if I didn’t get to be in a drunken stupor on an exotic island while dancing to a Latin tune and kissing a handsome stranger,” said Hua Wang, a student at UCLA School of Law. “But I did get to experience life at a big law firm in Charlotte.” The summer began in traditional fashion with several days of orientation activities and training. We learned how to bill our time in sixminute increments, and were introduced to our professional assistants. Included on the schedule were a series of lunches at fancy restaurants, a cocktail reception at a partner’s home and a Charlotte Bar Association picnic — all designed to introduce us to the firm and to the legal profession. It was good to meet everyone and also to begin bonding with the other three summer associates. Lawyers encouraged us to explore new areas, broaden our perspectives, participate in pro bono and grapple with the question of how to live our lives as future lawyers. We were encouraged to think of the firm in global terms, and also told of some of the firm’s exciting initiatives to grow the practice. I made my share of rookie mistakes this summer. I tried to write a transactions memo in the same format as my legal writing memo (complete with an introduction and statement of facts), only to have the assignment returned completely covered with red marks. I was warned beforehand that lawyers love marking up documents, but I was shocked to see that every line of my memo had a red mark. The Lexis and WestLaw researchers became my best friends this summer as I relied on their help for most of my assignments. It was comforting to know that they were a phone call away, and behind closed doors, no one would know that I called them for help on the most simple research tasks. Like any summer program, I had my fair share of being wined and dined. I did not have to pay for lunch once during the summer. I got quite used to three course meals, and had so much good food that I started craving PHOTO BY MELISSA STOTTLEMYER my law school diet of Raman noodle and $1 Inn-n-Out hamburgers. The Summer Associates were told to leave at around 6:30 p.m. each night, which was necessary, given all the daily activities planned for the evening (cocktail receptions, etc). One evening, I returned to the office at around 9:30 p.m. to grab my coat, and was surprised to see a good number of attorneys still working. I guess the firm wants summers to believe that leaving at 6:30 p.m. was the norm. I went to Charlotte as a naïve and idealistic law student. I left Charlotte as an excited law student who is excited about the future and the fascinating opportunities offered by a legal career. March 2009 THE NATIONAL JURIST 31
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