Interning at the SA Solicitor-General’s Office

Tijana Maric with supervisor

I remember finishing my application for the Adelaide Law School’s Law and Justice Internship and having absolutely no idea what my chances were of being accepted. I was quite surprised (and beyond thrilled) to receive a call a few weeks after applying telling me that I had been accepted to intern at the Solicitor General’s Office.

As I excitedly told my siblings the fantastic news, I was greeted with rather confused looks. 'Oh cool. What are you going to do there?’, they asked, feigning interest. At the time, I didn’t really know how to answer, beyond explaining what the role of the Solicitor-General entails. As I have come to learn, the role of an intern and the tasks they complete are quite varied and change according to the needs of the Solicitor-General’s Office.

The Law and Justice Internship was truly one of the best experiences of my legal studies so far. It provided me with a fantastic opportunity to apply skills from law school in a very practical sense. I was immersed in the day-to-day activities of South Australia’s government and encountered many fascinating and contentious areas of law. Memorable aspects of my internship included:

  • Having my work included in written submissions for an appeal at the Supreme Court
  • Helping to decorate the Solicitor-General's Chambers for his surprise birthday party
  • Meeting and working alongside very helpful people who were willing to make time to answer my small, silly questions.

Of course, nothing is perfect and there were a few downsides, including:

  • Getting dust from smelly old statute books on my clothes
  • Experiencing quite a bit (read - significant amounts) of self-doubt as I re-read my work, never quite feeling completely confident in it
  • Having the internship come to an end (by far the biggest downside).

I walked away from the internship with many new skills (most notably in statutory interpretation) and a newfound appreciation for the work of government. The Law and Justice Internship is such a fantastic program and I could not recommend it highly enough.

Author: Tijana Maric

 

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