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Witnessing the law as a notary intern: providing both legal & practical life skills
- Amenah Aslam
- Feb 28
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 28
Before starting my role as a notary intern at Ravenscroft & Schmierer, I wasn't acquainted with the responsibilities of a Notary Public at all. Nor was I aware of the importance of their work in the legal world and to society at large. Read on for a brief overview on Notary Publics, my journey to gaining a clearer understanding of a notary intern’s duties, and my experience interning at Ravenscroft & Schmierer!
Author: Amenah Aslam, Intern
A second-year law student might wonder, "What exactly is notary work?" Sure, they might be familiar with terms like associate, partner, and commercial lawyer, but what really is a notary public, and how is it related to a law degree at all? I had the same thoughts when I first encountered the term. It wasn't until I started my internship that I began to understand the relevance of notary work. This internship turned my curiosity into a robust understanding of how notary work relates to all different areas of law.
Notaries play an important role in the legal system by ensuring the authenticity of documents and their responsibilities include witnessing signatures and verifying documents. Many legal documents like contracts, wills and deeds must be notarised to be valid in courts or to be used in other jurisdictions. Notaries also keep detailed records of the notarised documents which is often helpful in the case of disputes. The responsibilities of a notary are both meaningful and interesting, and they are undoubtedly more connected to law than it may initially seem.
Wide-ranging assignments as a notary intern: wills, apostilles and AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
My primary duties as a notary intern included assisting Ravenscroft & Schmierer's Notary Public, David Ravenscroft with a variety of tasks. Each day, we would engage with a diverse range of clients, from individuals to corporate entities, who wished to notarise and apostille their documents. One of my primary duties involved drafting wills for private clients. This experience introduced me to the basics of Probate and Will Law, which I found fascinating and hope to further explore in my remaining legal studies and career.
Alongside my primary responsibilities, I was also responsible for handling miscellaneous tasks such as responding to clients' inquiries, generating invoices, and helping them with their apostille applications. Parallel to my notarial duties, I was also tasked with ensuring that all the clients were AML compliant, which involved conducting due diligence checks for each client.
The everyday relevance of notary work: applying new-found knowledge to my own apostille quest
Having experience in notary work has proven to be highly beneficial for me. Practically speaking, l was able to make use of my internship experience to get personal documents apostilled at the High Court. If it weren't for my notary experience, I would have been far less familiar with the apostille process. Fortunately, my theoretical and practical training in notary work meant I had sufficient knowledge to complete the task on my own and ensured that my documents were properly authenticated.
The growth of a globalised society and international trade has increased the demand for and elevated the importance of notarised documents. We are frequently required to notarise our documents to travel, attend international universities, and even establish a business overseas. It is always beneficial to know the notary process, which allows you to handle your own documents effectively. Notary work, in my opinion, is not just a legal requirement: with some knowledge of and experience with it, it also provides a useful life skill.
Developing soft skills through my internship: communicating clearer and appreciating feedback – both received and given
My internship at Ravenscroft & Schmierer provided me with undeniably important hard skills as well as the opportunity to develop the important soft skills that are essential for a career, be it legal or in another industry. I have noticed significant improvement in my communications skills. For instance, I have become more efficient in writing concise yet detailed emails to clients.
As the firm engages with numerous clients daily and handles strict deadlines, I also learned the importance of time management. Since picking up the habit of creating daily to-do lists, I have found that my ability to structure my days has improved because they help me prioritise tasks according to deadlines and ensure I don’t forget smaller, but equally important, tasks.
Additionally, I have more gained more confidence when voicing concerns to colleagues and seeking their assistance. For instance, I was new to the AML compliance tasks, I found that asking for help from my colleagues and supervisor allowed me to complete my duties more efficiently. This approach proved to be far more effective than attempting to figure everything out on my own. Furthermore, working closely with other interns who are also navigating the start of their careers enabled me to access an amazing support system and made me feel welcome. We were able to consult other young solicitors at the firm for their career advice and directions.
The firm's supportive atmosphere further enhanced my teamwork skills and taught me not only to receive guidance and support in every aspect in my work, but also to provide it to others when needed.
To my fellow university students considering a notary internship at Ravenscroft & Schmierer, I recommend you apply, regardless of your major. Having prior legal knowledge is not required, but can be helpful, particularly when researching through legal databases.
If you are considering applying for any internship at Ravenscroft and Schmierer - not just a notary one - feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. I'd love to chat and help you through the recruitment process.
Amenah is a second year LLB student at City University of Hong Kong. As an aspiring solicitor, she is eager to explore opportunities in different areas of law. Recently, Amenah spent her winter term at Ravenscroft & Schmierer as a notary intern.
Amenah Aslam
Intern
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