LATIN AMERICA ... THE
ANDES ... THE IGUACU FALLS
Argentina is at once majestic and flamboyant!
Gain legal work experience in a law
practice in Buenos Aires. The practice specialises in most areas of law and has
been in existence over 40 years
Travellers
work with two well
respected firms of solicitors, both of which are located in Buenos Aires.
With all work experience placements we try to tailor your
placement to meet your own requirements, so what is available for you
will depend on your age, education, experience and level of Spanish. We
can accommodate you if:
You are studying for
a law degree or have a law degree but only a small amount of Spanish (FIRM 1)
You don't have a law
degree, but have a high level of Spanish (FIRM 2).
With all
work experience placements a high level of initiative is required.
FIRM 1 is a law firm founded more than 40 years ago which,
over the years, expanded its areas of practice to include the vast spectrum of
the law profession.
This firm
specialises in servicing corporations and commercial law. A mid-sized firm which
has grown significantly in the past two decades, it has over thirty professional
attorneys as well as certified public accountants and economists specialising in
different areas covering a broad range of services.
The practice offers
high quality legal services, specially in the areas of corporate and
commercial law, in addition to counselling on
accounting, management, tax, business and labor planning. The senior
partners are frequently called upon as expert witnesses in legal
proceedings, advisors to legislative committees, arbitrators and
counsellors to foreign governments.
Although
the main premises are based in the city of Buenos Aires, the firm
has
correspondent offices within the rest of
Argentina
and Latin America.
Members of staff are fluent
in English, Spanish and Portuguese,
because the company has clients in Europe,
North America and Asia.
In
mid 2002, they became a member of ACL International (the Association of
Commercial Lawyers).
The office in Buenos Aires is located in the heart of the Business area
and is within easy reach of the law courts.
The firm was initially centred around Commercial Law but has since
expanded to cover every field of legal practice.
All of the staff are
very friendly and full of energy - this is a great place to work and you
will meet many interesting people and become involved in some
challenging cases. As a lawyer, the more experiences you can get of
legal practices in different countries the better qualified you will be.
Firm 2
is a lawyers’ company devoted to rendering services both to individuals and
corporations in all legal-related matters, whether in or out of courts. The
firm is the Argentinean member of Integrated Advisory Group (IAG), an
association of independent professional firms throughout
Europe, Scandinavia, North, Central and South America (www.iagweb.com).
Additionally, they are also a member of “Grupo Brasil”, an association which
groups more than 190 Brazilian companies settled in Argentina as well as
Argentinean companies with interests all over South America.The firm’s premises are situated downtown in the heart of Buenos
Aires’ court district, so all transport links, such as buses, subway, trains
and taxis are available. This is a small-size firm with 12 lawyers and 4
administrative employees.
The law firm’s working hours
are, approximately, between 9.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. You will start work
around 9.30 in the morning and will be expected to be in the office for a
minimum of 4 hours at least three times a week. However, you will have the
opportunity to work on your own initiative and develop your work schedule
for more time than this. There is also the possibility of working in the
afternoons.
During your stay you will be able to perform tasks
such as:
Carrying out legal research
Attending
court to file reports and follow up cases
Tracking proceedings before administrative
authorities (e.g. Registry of Commerce, Labor Ministry, etc.)
Helping lawyers with their paper work and accompany them to meetings
Replying to e-mails or phone calls to clients (with the guidance of the
local attorneys)
Reviewing contracts and memoranda and translating them into another
language.
Because this is a small-sized firm, this will give you the chance
to have an important degree of interaction and involvement with the senior
lawyers as well as the opportunity to have a close approach to both cases
and clients. The ‘typical day’ for you as a volunteer will depend on your
level of Spanish and how much you ‘understand’ law – for instance, your
knowledge of legal terms and proceedings, etc.
"Living and working in a foreign country is not only a fascinating
experience, but also a great challenge. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in
Argentina with the law firm (2). Being exposed to Spanish
everyday in the context of a legal environment has been invaluable and I
have definitely learnt a huge amount both in terms of Spanish and law. The
people I have worked with have been extremely welcoming and friendly and it
has been a great pleasure to interact with them and form new friendships.
Anyone with a sense of adventure and an interest in other cultures will
definitely be satisfied with this programme!"
Tessa
Jones 2006 Argentina
WHO CAN APPLY?
Applicants should be able to meet the following
criteria:
Possess some background knowledge of Law and legal terms
For placements at FIRM 2 you must be
able to speak Spanish to Intermediate/advanced level (not all staff speak
English)
For placements at FIRM 1 you
must have a law degree or be and undergraduate in Law.
Be able to work on your own initiative – this is crucial to your success
on the placement.
You can take part in a Law placement at
all times throughout the year. However, during the whole of January and half
of July the courts will be closed due to vacation, and so this type of work
is not available. At this time the Law firm does continue working.
YOUR WORK RESPONSIBILITIES
Combined
Placements:
We can arrange for your to do a one-month intensive Spanish course,
followed by a two-month or three-month work experience placement.
When you apply for a work experience
placement, we will liaise with you to ascertain which areas of law you are
interested in and would like to work in, and what you're hoping to gain from the
placement. We then liaise with your host law practice to ensure that your
requirements can be met.
At that stage we will provide you with a detailed
description of what your work responsibilities will include.
ACCOMMODATION
The hostel is decorated in a modern
style throughout and is a very homely place The TV room
There are two choices for accommodation in Buenos Aires. Depending on
your preferences you can either stay in the modern hostel, in the young
and trendy neighbourhood of Palermo, with other volunteers or, if you
would prefer a more cultural experience, you can be placed with a host
family and be fluent in Spanish is no time!
HOSTEL: You will be accommodated in a small,
modern
hostel situated in trendy Palermo, a beautiful area located near to the
heart of the city.
Palermo is the young people’s capital of Buenos
Aires and is full of restaurants, bars, and boutique style shops. Even
though on each block you can find the latest fashions and nightlife
hotspots, the neighbourhood is traditional with wide streets and old
colonial style houses. Many of the streets are cobbled and tree lined
and to the west you’ll find a huge park (similar to Central Park in New
York).
The hostel has recently been renovated with new decor and furniture.
Features such as high ceilings, wooden floor boards and friendly staff,
help create what is a chilled and relaxing atmosphere. Big enough to be
sociable and fun, yet small enough to feel at home - the hostel receives
a great deal of positive volunteer feedback. Even though the hostel is
open to the public, you will have your own room, shared with other
Travellers volunteers of the same sex. You could be sharing with 2 or 3
other volunteers.
At time of writing the facilities at the hostel include; Reception area
with open fire and sofas: a large living room with cable TV, air
conditioning, sofas and huge bean bags; two computers with FREE internet
access 24/7 with Skype and MSN; a large dining area with music/stereo:
kitchen with full facilities: private and enclosed garden/patio, with
garden furniture: ping pong table, table football, board games, and
books: local DVD store with hostel account: access to telephones for
outgoing calls and emergency services, and a London telephone number for
incoming calls: staff 24/7: security cameras outside: soft drinks and
snacks for purchase.
A traditional Argentinean breakfast will be provided every day at the
hostel and an allowance for your evening meal! We have this
arrangement in place to give our volunteers the flexibility to sample
the great Argentinean food! Right on the door step of the hostel there
are many cafes and restaurants with great priced menus just waiting for
you….the choice is yours! This means that you will only need to pay
for lunch out of your own money.
Your accommodation is ideally situated only two blocks from the subway,
trains and just around the corner from a major buses route, thus making
it very easy to get to and from your placements and around the many
tourist attractions: the Obelisco, the Casa Rosada, the Congreso, La
Boca neighbourhood and San Telmo district.
HOST FAMILY: If you would prefer a more cultural experience, we can arrange for
you to stay with a local Argentinean Family. Host family accommodation
gives you the opportunity to become more integrated with the local
community and is ideal if you want to practice your Spanish
(Basic/intermediate Spanish is required to stay with a Host Family). You
will be integrated into the family and will be provided with a
comfortable and clean private room and will have use of the kitchen.
Breakfast will be provided every day and for dinner (optional) you will
usually share a typical Argentinean meal with your family. Facilities in
host families do vary, but you will have the opportunity to express your
preferences regarding the type of family that you stay with (for
example, a family with/without children, pets etc). If you
stay in a host family you will be provided with the contact details of
other volunteers living in Buenos Aires at the same time as you so that
you won't miss out on any socialising!
Cost of living: The currency in Argentina is the Peso and
at the time of writing the cost of living is very cheap. Can of coke
costs: 2 pesos /40 pence, One Bus trip costs: 80 centavos /15 pence, One Subway
trip costs: 70 Centavos / 13 pence, A Taxi journey across the city
costs: 10-20
pesos / £1.60 - £3.30, Lunch in a café with drink costs:
13-17
pesos/ £2.10 - £2.80, Evening meal costs:
20-30
pesos/ £3.30 - £5.00.
There are approximately 3 Pesos to the US dollar, and 6 Pesos to £1
Sterling. Exchange rates are subject to fluctuation, so please check these
regularly as the figures quoted may differ.
WHAT
IS REQUIRED OF YOU:
As with all our destinations, the
Argentine culture
and heritage, although European in flavour, is different to Anglo-Saxon cultures and this must be borne in
mind.
Self-reliance and independence are highly
appreciated in all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this
wonderful opportunity!
Once you have applied for a placement, we will send you a very
detailed Argentina Information Book, as well as an equally detailed Safety Guide
- both of these will help to make your stay in Argentina one that you will never
forget!
This is a truly awesome, elegant and beautiful
country.
TRAVEL AND SUPPORT:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of
your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and
wondrous country
You will fly into Buenos
Aires where you'll be met by either Melina or Adriana Saccal,
our local organisers. From the airport you'll be taken to your accommodation.
Several days later, once you have settled in and recovered from the flight, you
will be taken to your host work organisation.
To see what Support
& Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
The Subway
VISAS:. Visas are not required for a stay of 90
days if you are a British Passport Holder. If you are not a British Passport
Holder, we will liase with you about specific requirements, if any, and will
make the visa process very easy for you.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our
volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination
country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket,
of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get
a changeable ticket.
PRICES:
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in Argentina, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation (excluding lunch)
while on your project,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
Please note that if you'd prefer to live with a host family, there is an
additional supplement of £45 per month for bed-and-breakfast and £75 for
half-board.
.
+44 01903 502595
