Summer 2019 - Hennick BizLaw Internship at CAMH!
By: Willa Lin
JD’2021 and Summer 2019 Recipient of the Hennick Centre Business Law Internship Award
When I first read about the Hennick Centre Business Law Internships, I immediately was drawn to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). For me, it was the perfect opportunity to integrate my background in psychology with my interest in corporate law. I was impressed by how much it has exceeded my expectations! This past summer with the CAMH Corporate Internship has been an amazing end to my 1L year.
The training provided at CAMH was exceptional, giving me a well-rounded set of foundational legal and professional skills that I’m sure to draw on throughout my career. The CAMH focus on learning and mentorship meant the other students and I were continually encouraged to explore new skills and ask questions to facilitate the best understanding of projects. This engaging experience provided me with hands-on exposure to a variety of legal tasks in an in-house hospital setting. At CAMH I worked closely with the corporate legal team to research legal issues, prepare legal opinions, draft and review a variety of types of contracts, and undertake corporate governance projects. In addition, my responsibilities exposed me to a diverse range of law, including health, privacy, tax, intellectual property, construction, tenancy, and human rights.
While in-house is not where most law students go with their first legal experience, I feel this is what has made my summer truly meaningful and unique. The internship gave me an inside perspective on the challenges and vital services of in-house counsel. I was brought into collaborative meetings with a range of administrations and involved in legal projects across departments. I understand now better than ever the importance of useful client service to the in-house legal role, the value of fully understanding your client’s legal situation, and how to tailor legal advice to be most effective.
In addition to the practical legal skills I’ve learned with the CAMH Corporate Internship, I have gained invaluable mentors and friends in my supervisors and colleagues. Working with such a group of positive, collegial, and motivated peers has been enriching beyond description. My supervisors never hesitated to give their time to guide, answer questions, or to provide general mentorship. I know I can count on their advice long after I graduate law school.
My summer with the Hennick Centre CAMH Corporate Internship was engaging, motivating, and educational in all the best ways. It has been instrumental in developing my legal skills and is genuinely the best professional experience I’ve had to date!
About the CAMH Corporate Internship
CAMH is Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world’s leading research centres in this field. The annual Hennick Centre/CAMH Corporate Internship exposes Osgoode students to the hospital’s dynamic and innovative corporate culture, while providing a unique opportunity to develop practical business and legal skills from an in-house counsel perspective.
