Reunification
For up-to-date information regarding the reunification of Penn State's two law schools, please click here.
For up-to-date information regarding the reunification of Penn State's two law schools, please click here.
August 16, 2012
Monika Oyama '13 spent the summer of 2012 as a summer associate at the Tokyo office of White & Case. She shares her perspective on the experience here.
How was your internship structured?
For 8 weeks I worked in the Tokyo office of White & Case. I worked mainly with the M&A group, capital markets group, and the litigation group. White & Case Tokyo is comprised of both foreign attorneys (attorneys qualified in a country other than Japan) and bengoshis (Japan-qualified attorneys). I was hired as a summer associate for the foreign side, but once people learned that I was fully bilingual in both Japanese and English, work from both the foreign side and Japanese side poured in and I became extremely busy. I was very appreciative for people recognizing my skills.
What kinds of projects did you take on?
Other than the typical summer associate work like document review and revision, the three experiences I enjoyed most this summer were researching and drafting a memorandum regarding representation and warranty, assisting in creation of a feeder fund, and assisting in a client interview in preparation for potential litigation.
Before law school I had been concerned about whether I’d be able to find employment with a university degree from Japan and an American law degree. However, that fear has been unfounded. Of the three law firms I worked for during the past two summers—Baker & McKenzie, Allen & Overy, and White & Case—I was fortunate to be hired as the first summer associate they had in years. Ultimately, I think my background made me stand out and differentiated me from other candidates because it is very rare for someone who went to a university in Japan to enroll in a J.D. program in the U.S.
What is your dream job?
My dream is to work in the U.S., doing similar corporate work as my past two summers.