It is hard to believe that my month-long exchange working in the legal field in Tours, France has almost come to an end. I am currently working in a private law firm specializing in construction law, and I've even had the opportunity to stand in front of the Court of Civil Appeals during closing arguments—alongside my supervising lawyer, of course! |
| Over the last month, I have worked along side a "comissaire de justice," otherwise called a "huissier de justice". This legal position does not exist in Canada, except in Québéc, which understandably operates under a civil legal system similar to France's. I have also worked under a lawyer who has her own firm specializing in family, civil, and criminal law on first appearances. |
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On top of the professional endeavors, I have had a lovely time building my relationships with my two host families—one I live with during the week and another on the weekends. They have been so generous with me, and I have had the opportunity to visit attractions and cities that I would have never known existed. To name a few activities, we went to Pornichet for a weekend where I saw and swam in the Atlantic for the first time, I tried famous French foods like le steak au poivre et les galettes de blé noir, and we visited tourist attractions like la Château du Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci lived and "Les grottes pétrifiantes". And of course, I have attended Rotary meetings every Monday night. My "week day" host dad is actually the president! |
| I have learned so much and my French, although I was already fluent, has significantly improved. I am trying to soak up my last week here as much as possible before returning to Canada next week. I will always remember this experience for the validation it has given my choice of law as a career path, but more importantly, for all the amazing people I have met. À la prochaine! -Mercy Trinh |
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