Students at the Qatar University’s College of Law attending the programme.
DOHA: A two-day Externship Fair opened at the Qatar University (QU) yesterday which allows its law students to learn more about practising law in Qatar.
About 100 law students of the university will meet with lawyers representing more than 20 organisations in Doha at the fair being organised by the College of Law.
The annual fair showcases the university’s Externship Program which was launched in September 2011 and brings together undergraduate law students and law firms and legal departments within state and private organisations.
During the 10-week long program, students work for 120 hours in a legal department or law firm, alongside completing the remainder of their studies.
The programme has been so successful that applications for the fall 2013 program are already closed, with more than 35 students signed up to take part, said a QU statement yesterday.
The purpose of the program is to prepare students for a world of work, giving them an insight into life as a practising lawyer and allowing them to practically apply their academic theory.
It also enhances students’ professional skills and boosts their confidence so that, on graduation, they can compete for the best jobs locally and internationally.
The 27 organisations which took part in the 2012-13 program were honored at a ceremony attended by QU College of Law Dean Dr Hassan Okour, lawyers, QU faculty and students.
College of Law Dean Dr Hassan Okour said: “The Externship Program has really gone from strength to strength as more organizations – and students – want to take part. It gives students an excellent opportunity to understand what it is like to work as a practicing lawyer and they pick up important skills such as confidence and teamwork which are only properly learned on the job. And employers get to meet and nurture Qatar’s young legal talent.”
Fourth-year law student Dana Al Muhannadi has just completed a placement with Qatar Foundation for Combating Human Trafficking (QFCHT): “The externship helped me to understand properly about human trafficking – we went to legal clinics, the public prosecution office, the Ministry of Labor and other organizations, speaking to victims and understanding their stories. I learned how to deal with cases professionally and not to get too emotional. I saw the world in a different way,” said Al Muhannadi.The Peninsula
