What went well?

• Building on the progress I made last week with the survey recording process, I was able to finish the list of clients I had to call and collect information from. As I transcribed all my notes down into my spreadsheet, I began synthesizing the mass amount of information into themes, patterns, and simple statistics to make our formal report writing less tiresome or strenuous. However, while on the verge of drafting some sample paragraphs, I got called on by Pierre to come to his office and have a chat. Worried there was something wrong, negative thoughts protruded from my mind and into my body language but as we sat down and began talking, he began explaining how my performance has extremely impressed him and that he needs to pull me away from the survey project to now join another team within the office. Labeled as “the most important” project in the firm, Pierre told me that I would be working with Tara, a third-party attorney who was jointly hired by many of the UK’s Magic Circle Firms (i.e., the best corporate firms in the country, equivalent to the AM-100 firms in the US) to handle what others knew as the “RWANDA PROJECT.” In this project, I would be given a list of clients to reach out to and collect details from to then be acting as the middleman between the firm, client, and larger firm. Through my facilitation, the bail process would be much smoother, and we could pump out as many cases as needed because what made this project so special was that the then existing Torrey Government was ordering detained individuals to be deported to Rwanda (a country unbeknownst to all the detainees). This deportation order was imminent for a release on July 1^st, so time was not on our side. Since I was put on this two-person team mid-way through my work week, I used the days I had left to become accustomed to the project, my new boss, the firm I would be in contact with, and the clients I was assigned to. I started making tables, charts, and obviously took written notes to gain the necessary knowledge so that the following week, I could start to make the necessary phone calls.

What could have been done differently?

• If I were to note anything that I could have done differently, I wish that I would’ve spent more time talking with Pierre from the start about what the project entailed. I knew that I was capable of handling any of the tasks this project assigned but there were definitely details I was unsure about and tons of logistical questions I kept to myself so that I could leave the impression that this wasn’t the first time I was handling a responsibility as large as this one. I didn’t want to embarrass myself nor show any incapability to work, so I went along the route to ask later, but I can now realize how it would’ve been much more efficacious if I asked from the start. Other than this concern, I could have taken the time to reach out to Tara outside of a work setting to let her know more of me as we will be working so closely together and for an indefinite amount of time until this project is finished.

What did I learn about myself when working with others?

• When working with others, I learned that when tested with something I have no knowledge of and or are unfamiliar with, I can be ambitious to try it regardless and brave to take on new leadership duties. I was the only intern/volunteer that was chosen to be a part of this team. Every other person is a senior employee, legal manager, or an outside aid. Despite being out of place, I can still perform to the best of my ability and look forward to seeing how far I can get into this new team.

What did I learn about leadership?

• As far as my leadership attributes, I know I can develop more research and project management skills. This project should not be taken lightly nor be something that deserve a half-ass effort. I know I’m dealing with people’s livelihood and that comes with a lot, but if I can work and think independently whilst knowing I can rely on other to help alleviate some of my stress, and prioritize bail results over everything else, I know I will accomplish great work for this Rwanda Project. Over the next few weeks, my data interpretation and analyzation will improve naturally but I also must know these days were going to be hard.

 What do I want to develop or focus on next?

• Looking at what I can develop or focus on next, I want to make the client I speak to feel heard, comfortable, and safe so that there are no roadblocks or speed bumps when trying to understand their life story, their immigration case, and when asking for them to return documents in a timely manner. With this being said, I look forward to seeing what work I get done in Week 4 of my LiA internship.