A Typical Day at Kazmi and Kazmi Legal Advocates

 Hi everyone! So far I’ve written about some of the extraordinary experiences I have been lucky enough to be a part of, such as sitting in on High Court and Supreme Court hearings, but I thought I’d also share what a usual day interning at the law firm looks like.

A memo I've been working on

A typical day for me at the firm consists of mainly legal research and memo/brief writing. I get an assignment on a topic I am supposed to research and then off I go, digging into law journals and online databases.  I have become quite familiar with the Pakistan Law Digest (PLD), which is a set of digests printed annually that contain summaries of all of the cases that have taken place in Pakistan for that year. The PLDs are organized alphabetically for each year. When approaching the PLDs, I first take out the relevant ones, based on which term or concept I’m researching. For example, a couple of days ago I received an assignment in which I was asked to research a document entitled “The Representation of the People Act 1976,” which details the rules and procedures for elections in Pakistan. I began my research by looking at the most recent set of PLDs and taking out the one that contained the letter “R,” for "Representation of the People Act, 1976." After I found the most recent one, I repeated the same process for previous years. I ended up with a big stack of PLDs, and I started looking through them, finding cases that dealt with the “Representation of the People Act, 1976” that were relevant to the case my firm was working on. When I found a case that I thought seemed promising, I would write down the name of the case and the citation. After compiling a list of cases with their citations, I give the list to the firm’s clerk who then finds those cases for me, so I can read the complete version of each one. This process is a bit new for me since I’m used to doing research mainly online, but it’s definitely a good experience for me to learn research the old fashioned way. It’s longer and more tedious than online research, but so much more comprehensive.

Stacks of PLDs

It’s been really great to be working on actual cases, alongside the talented lawyers at my firm. This is definitely not an internship where I’m asked to make copies, or answer phones, or run around doing trivial errands. Instead, I’m getting the chance to do the actual work of lawyers.  My favorite part of this internship is the interactions I have with the lawyers here. I never feel intimidated to ask any questions; in fact I am encouraged to do so everyday. As a student aspiring to be a lawyer, there’s nothing more I could have asked for! 

 

Supreme Court Time!

The Supreme Court of Pakistan 

If you were to ask Pakistanis to name someone who they think is one of the most influential figures in the country, you would without a doubt hear the name Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The esteemed Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and I had the INCREDIBLE opportunity of sitting in the same room as him, listening to him preside over several cases that were presented to the Supreme Court.

Just a few days ago I headed to Islamabad with my dad and cousin to go see the Supreme Court and sit in on court proceedings that were being overseen by some of the most prominent legal figures in the country, and presented by some of the most talented lawyers around. The exciting vibe outside the court was palpable, as news media vans encircled the parking area, and lawyers arrived in droves. It was easy to get lost in the shuffle, and in the chaos, I actually got mistaken for a lawyer! I was invited to go use the special “lawyers entrance,” which I was definitely tempted to do and just start playing along. However, I quickly came to my senses and headed to the visitor’s entrance, thinking that getting into legal trouble myself while I was at the Supreme Court was probably not the best idea. But still, knowing that someone had confused me as a lawyer, put a doofy smile on my face the entire time I was in Islamabad.

Listening to the cases being presented to the Supreme Court was fascinating. Hearing the questions posed to the lawyers presenting cases, by the Chief Justice and his panel of justices was even more interesting. The back-and-forth process of questions and answers really led to the heart of the matter of each case.

View of Islamabad from 4, 000 feet high 

After listening in on several Supreme Court cases, I can truly understand why Chief Justice Chaudhry was awarded the Medal of Freedom by Harvard Law School. This award is Harvard Law’s highest honor and has only been given to two other people, Nelson Mandela, and Oliver Hill. It was presented to Justice Chaudhry in 2008, for his resilience in fighting for the Constitution of Pakistan, despite the scare tactics of government officials. He is truly a freedom fighter for the country, and you can see his desire for justice in each decision that he makes. I came out of the Supreme Court truly inspired that despite a world full of corruption, that a glimmer of justice still exists.

A Government Building in Islamabad 

Faisal Mosque, The Largest Mosque in Pakistan
(located in Islamabad)

High Court Happenings

The Lahore High Court from Outside

Stacks of files containing details of pending cases, a mad rush of people in and out, and a sea of lawyers clad in black and white. This was the scene I witnessed yesterday as I made my way to the Lahore High Court. The LHC is the oldest high court in Pakistan, established formally in 1919 by King George V, King of England and Emperor of India until World War I.  The firm that I will be interning for, Kazmi and Kazmi, invited me to go to the High Court to witness firsthand the busy atmosphere of a court and hear lawyers presenting actual cases. I don’t officially start my internship until Wednesday, but going to the court gave me a good introduction to the Pakistani legal system. During my internship I will be working alongside the associates at Kazmi and Kazmi and assisting them in the preparation of cases.  This will definitely teach me the legal frameworks of Pakistan and introduce me to the responsibilities and duties all lawyers have, no matter what country they are practicing law in. Going to the courts will give me exposure to the actual implementation of these cases, giving me the best of both worlds.

The Lahore High Court from Inside  

The atmosphere of the Lahore High Court was fascinating. Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan was overseeing the room I was invited to observe. The esteemed Justice was incredibly eloquent, composed, and coolheaded, despite the large number of cases he was hearing that day.  I had the opportunity to observe a couple of different cases, all of which were thought-provoking in their own unique way. The topics of the cases ranged from issues in Customs to the dealings in the Lahore Stock Exchange.  They were mostly commercial/corporate cases, which was interesting to me because I am very much undecided about what type of law I want to go into and this allowed me to see one specific field of law in action. 

I am planning on going to the Pakistan Supreme Court—which is located in the country’s capital, Islamabad—soon also, and I’m eager to see how that court functions. It is obviously on a much larger and grander scale and the cases there deal mostly with public interest issues, which I look forward to hearing.

I’m having a WONDERFUL time here, exploring the city, the delicious food, and of course the law of Lahore. Hope everyone is having an equally enjoyable summer! Missing everyone terribly!!

-Mahnoor 

Me in my High Court uniform of a white shalwar kameez,
standing outside my grandparent's house 

Another View of the High Court 

15 Hour Flight: Check!

Hello everyone! After a fifteen hour flight that felt days long, I have finally arrived in Pakistan to begin my internship with Kazmi and Kazmi Legal Advocates in Lahore!  Getting off at Allama Iqbal Airport  was definitely a shock to my system. As soon as I stepped out of the airplane and approached immigration, I was confronted by at least ten different airport porters asking if I needed assistance with my bags. Even after I said yes to one of them, it didn't stop others from still asking me if I needed a porter. It seemed like everyone's goal was to get some American dollars out of me, which I was definitely anticipating. The airport was chaotic and a bit overwhelming, especially since it was my first time traveling alone, but i'm glad I was able to navigate it successfully and not get scammed by anyone!

When I stepped out of the airport I was glad to see some familiar faces; my aunt and uncle had come to pick me up, which I was so grateful for, especially considering that it was 4 a.m. local time here. I instantly felt more comfortable knowing I was in good hands.

It is currently my second day here in Lahore and I am still adjusting to the time change, which I'm sure will take a few more days to get used to. The temperature here is a whopping 105 degrees Fahrenheit, which I am DEFINITELY not used to! Despite the jet lag and insane temperature, I truly am enjoying my time here. I'm staying with my grandparents in Lahore, and it's incredible seeing them after a long five years.

I'm going to be getting a tour of my office today and will hopefully be meeting all the people I will be interning with. I'm veryyyy excited to be interning in a different country and in a completely different environment than I'm used to. It's for sure out of my comfort zone, but I'm hopeful I will learn and grow from the experience. Just being away from home and my cozy room and American lifestyle is going to teach me how to adapt to all sorts of situations (I hopefully will not be scarred for life!). I can't wait to start learning about the legal system of Pakistan and seeing how the law is applied in a country other than the U.S.

Can't wait to keep everyone updated on all my internship adventures!

-Mahnoor