MHC Intern Life: Shóna Fitzpatrick

For the next MHC Intern Life, we talked to Shóna Fitzpatrick, a final year Law with Social Justice student at University College Dublin. Shóna tells us why she chose law and her first impression of the firm.

What inspired you to choose law?

The one thing that particularly attracted me to law is how entangled it is in all our daily lives. A person can't do as much as buy a coffee, drive a car or reside in a home without there being some aspect of the law that governs that activity. It encompasses everything, which is what makes it such a powerful tool to effect change. Whether it be relying on your rights as an individual or representing clients in top commercial agreements and getting to see the impact of those negotiations play out in real time, the law has a huge impact on society.

It’s meaningful, fast-paced and influential nature certainly drew me into its study. This genuine interest was reinforced by the vast array of practice areas available within the field. The legal system operates in such a manner that requires teamwork. This is undoubtedly true within firm operations. Having the chance to work with similarly passionate individuals is yet another incredible perk in this field. I feel hugely privileged to have the opportunity to study and work in a discipline which I find to be so captivating.

Where did you study & why?

I am entering into my final year of my degree studying Law with Social Justice in UCD. I decided to study Law at UCD as I was attracted by the wide variety of minors offered to study in combination with Law. I was also attracted to the study abroad options offered by the university, which enabled me to study in the 34th best ranked law school globally. I have just returned from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, just two days before beginning this internship. I can certainly attest to the value of this amazing opportunity offered by my university. Overall, UCD has been a great place to carry out my degree.

It offers a vast amount of opportunities, through career fairs, events or writing competitions, to get in touch with top-ranking firms such as Mason Hayes & Curran, which, as a student, I’m very grateful for. This in part explains the top-ranking employability rate among graduates of UCD. It also, most importantly from my experience, fosters a great campus atmosphere among students.

What department are you working with?

During my internship I was fortunate enough to land a spot in the Financial Services department. This is a department that I had very little prior existing knowledge of from my studies, which has made it even more fascinating to gain an insight into. I have been incredibly fortunate to be assigned such helpful mentors. My assigned trainee, associate and partner have all taken care and time out of their days to explain to me the particulars of the department and the backdrop to any given case we are working on. This time and investment in my understanding of financial services has made my time in the department incredibly enriching and welcoming. Financial services is the biggest department within the firm and deals with a variety of sectors such as banking, structural finance, financial regulation, funds and asset finance in aviation. While initially financial services was not a sphere I thought about training in, the insight offered during this internship has opened my eyes to giving it a far weightier consideration in the future.

What is your favourite quote?

‘The world of the future is in our making. Tomorrow is now.’ - Eleanor Roosevelt.

What was your first impression of MHC?

My first impression of the firm was at a careers fair stand at the first Intervarsity Law Summit in Cork. I was struck by how welcoming the representatives of the stand were. I believe the key marker of any firm is the composition of the people in it, and this certainly applies here.

From the first day of our internship people have been kind and demonstrated a clear contentment to the firm. The open floor layout left no need for an open-door policy and made me feel comfortable approaching my assigned trainee, associate and partner if I had a question. For example, upon receiving a task from marketing to write about ‘alternative lending structures’, two NQs from my department very kindly took the time out of their busy schedules to have a chat about research they had previously carried out and which related to my project. It seems clear that in the firm where you reach out, someone is always there to help.

As an intern, my hopes for this internship have simply been to learn as much as possible. The genuine passion for work I’ve encountered here has contributed to an environment which has enabled me to do just that.

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