Poster Caption: At the Edge - an observatory overseeing the city at 30 Hudson Yards.
Before starting my LIA, I had already anticipated how fast time would go — especially in a city like NYC, characterized by a non-stop attitude, which makes days appear to accelerate and break free from the bonds of time. My intuition was proven correct, as this entry marks the last week of my LIA — a period of six weeks replete with learning, adventure, and community.
In the Office
This week, I continued my focus on developing new composite stories which combined numerous real cases to capture the themes that are central to the ILF's mission. These stories made for some intensive practice in critical analysis and writing, as they required careful attention to the facets that constructed each story. Developing them was meaningful in how they constantly gave me insight into the work and direct impact of the ILF. The Foundation's work in the countries it serves goes beyond just the notion of "public defense" — it is unique in how it creates culturally effective legal approaches underpinned by a commitment to giving a vehicle to local lawyers. Moreover, the ILF combines this "on-the-ground" approach with a willingness to test formerly untouched legal boundaries to alter the very landscape of the courtroom — for example, in Myanmar, the ILF introduced the practice of lawyers submitting sentence mitigation arguments, which argue for reduced charges or sentences. As an aspiring lawyer, the chance to learn about the direct impact the ILF nurtures expanded my knowledge of the field of public defense and the legal courtroom and broadened my perspective on how law can be leveraged to serve others and one's community. Given that this is my first real professional experience in a legal setting, the chance to both contribute to the ILF's mission of a proper defense for all, regardless of one's wealth, and also learn about how they create their impact, along with the real social results of their work, has been eye-opening and very rewarding.
This learning continued in an 8am "Brown Bag" meeting, a series led by the ILF's Executive and Managing Directors, in which topics central to the ILF's mission are explored, specifically for the benefit of the summer interns. This week, our Executive Director, Jennifer, explored the ILF's advocacy program, which revolves around the work the ILF does specifically through the UN to inspire change. The program was developed by Jennifer herself, so we had the chance to learn directly from her experience and firsthand knowledge.
Out of the Office
Later on during the day, the interns went out to Café Panna, a popular ice cream and treat place situated in Lower Manhattan, to enjoy some treats and celebrate our work and time together these last few weeks. I've had the pleasure of working alongside very talented and committed interns, who have not only proved great workmates through their attitudes and knowledge but have also inspired me through their accomplishments and educated me through their experiences. I also had the chance to celebrate my time at the International House by partaking in their Independence Day BBQ to enjoy some great food, meet more people, and say bye to some of the friends I made along the way!
Given that this was the last week I would be in NYC, I wanted to take advantage of the long July 4th weekend to do some exploring and visit some places that have been on my list for a while. After connecting with some fellow interns and young professionals from Canada and Germany, we headed out to Hudson Yards, a Manhattan neighbourhood known for its recent developments. There we visited The Edge (an outdoor observatory in the seventh-tallest building in New York City), the Vessel (a honeycomb-like structure), Little Spain, the High Line (a walking park built on an old, elevated subway platform), Chelsea Market (a food hall and TV production building in the Chelsea neighbourhood), the Oculus (the beautifully designed train station near One World Trade Center), and Pier 57 (a community space with a great view of the Hudson River). We were also fortunate to catch the Australia vs. Egypt game on Saturday in Chelsea market! On Saturday, we tied things up with a visit to the New York Public Library, the Lego Store, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Rockefeller Building, and Central Park.
The following day, I finished packing my bags and headed to LaGuardia Airport for an afternoon flight back to Toronto. Back in Canada, I joined my family for a celebratory lunch!
Looking Back on Leadership
Having reached the end of the internship, I sought to distill specific reflections on my learnings on leadership. Being a Laidlaw Scholar and a student leader, leadership, especially in the university setting, is often something I end up pondering. Given that "LIA" does stand for "Leadership-in-Action," my experience has given me various avenues to witness leadership firsthand. I think what I've found reflects my understanding of leadership while taking it further by giving real examples of individuals who take on the significant responsibility of leading others. For example, in my workplace, leadership is defined by position and is held by anyone overseeing another person. In the professional setting, I have found that a central trait of being a leader is being able to see what others cannot. It is only the individual who is on a perch overlooking the big picture, knowing what is next and what is required to get to the next level, who can most effectively be the person others look to for direction. Whether this is a CEO, an executive director, or even a supervisor managing entry-level workers — a leader must be able to see both the forest and the trees, and be able to relay that to their subordinates. However, leadership is obviously not confined to the workplace. In church, for example, ministers are responsible — but not just in the workplace-oriented sense of directing people to do things. Instead, I found them to lead by example and also serve as pillars of the community, being present at events, being available for counselling, and being a source of connection and reliability. Moreover, thorough reflection showed me that being a leader does not always mean that others will want to emulate you. Sometimes, being a leader means taking on a burden so heavy that others simply would prefer not to be under such weight. In that sense, sometimes leadership means being the person others may not want to be but collectively need. To represent and guide others is by no means a light task — to lead means having both the capability and the willingness to do what others are simply not able to do. I've found that this is often the case in many settings — anyone can take on a leadership title, but not everyone can reach the pinnacle of leadership: pushing forward every part of the organization.
Looking Forward
While this may be the end of my weekly LIA logs, I will soon be sharing my broader reflections on my LIA experience, my global and cultural learnings, and a Laidlaw Programme reflection. See you then!