Participating in a Work Experience
placement is a unique way to observe experts in your field and learn how
they work in SRI LANKA.
The experience you gain will be
invaluable to you in the future and totally different to what you're used
to in your home country.
We’ll make it easy, safe and fun for you to do a Law Work Experience
Placement in Sri Lanka. You don’t need any qualifications or experience
for this project, just an enthusiasm to learn and an interest in how law
works in Sri Lanka.
The office is situated in an amazing location right
next to the Negombo fishing beach – all the houses here are
typical of Colonial Sri Lankan style, and the streets are lined with
trees. It is very picturesque and brimming with atmosphere.
You will be working at a Lawyers firm situated in the middle of Negombo. The head Partner is
also an acting judge in Negombo.
The lawyers you will work alongside are very friendly and speak good
English. The judge is often in the office also.
The office is small but neat and professional with air conditioning, two
main rooms and a staff of three local lawyers. There are two computers and books lining the walls.
Negombo has a great vibe about it: from the intense
aroma of fish from the local market, to the sound of cawing crows and
the sight of ladies taking rest in the shade along with the sleeping
dogs.
Negombo is a popular tourist resort and is the closest beach to Sri
Lanka’s international airport. This fishing village was very lucky and
avoided the impact of last years tsunami with just a few hotels being
damaged but no fatalities suffered.
The beach is beautiful with long stretches of orange sand, palm trees
and some beach front hotels. A little further back and there are many
boutiques selling Sri Lankan handicrafts, markets and the general hustle
and bustle of Sri Lanka.
In a world of competition for jobs, spending a month or
more working at a top institute in a developing country would set you apart from the crowd.
ABOUT YOUR WORK
Although they speak Singhalese and Tamil in
Sri Lanka, the official language of law is English. All court hearings
take place in English, as does all legal documentation. Much of your
work in the office may involve proof reading and drawing on your native
language skills.
You will become involved in the current
cases and you will also have the chance to sit on the bench at local
courts observing hearings and trials.
It's possible you will work at both the
magistrates court and the high court (where murder trials take place).
These are both within 2 minutes walking distance of the office and
situated practically right on the beach!
You will work from approximately 08:00am to
5:30pm from Monday to Friday. Volunteers will live in Ja-Ela with all
the other Travellers volunteers (doing teaching or conservation
projects) and you will commute daily. Negombo is about 45 minutes from
Ja-Ela.
Daily Schedule
The office day starts around 8am and volunteers will
get to go to the courts some days where they will sit on the bench and
listen to the proceedings. All court proceedings take place in English,
including the paperwork. For ‘court days’ you will be in court from 9-10
am and then again from around 2-3:30pm with a break for lunch in
between. You will then work in the office again until 5:30pm. On non
court days you will stay in the office with the lawyers and help with
writing deeds and day to day legal duties.
Exactly what your office work will involve will vary from day to day,
case to case and volunteer to volunteer. You will be able to help out
with everything that goes on in the office and you will gain an
extraordinary insight into the operations of law in Sri Lanka - a first
hand insight into international law.
ACCOMMODATION
AND LIVING
IN SRI LANKA:
We cannot BEGIN to tell you how
beautiful this
paradise island is! Nor how cheap to live and get around. It is almost
too good to be true! But it is true. And there are so many fascinating places to visit.
The tea plantations are a must, the lace making, monuments and
architectural splendours, etc., but the most
appealing is the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala.
Accommodation:
Travellers has a traditional Sri Lankan
house in Ja-Ela. It is spacious and comfortable, with a garden, several
balconies, two lounge rooms and many bedrooms. You will most likely
share a room with other Travellers volunteers. There is a TV and DVD
player for evening entertainment, in the upstairs lounge area and with
the latest DVD copies just a pound to buy locally, there is usually
something to watch!
A chief will cook all your meals and we
have other staff at the house 24 hours a day for cleaning, assistance,
security and comfort!
Teaching, Work Experience and the Colombo
Zoo placements are all based in Ja-Ela and so the house is often full
and offers a lively, sociable atmosphere – there will be no shortage of
friends to spend weekends at the beach with! Ja-Ela volunteers also have
the advantage of easy access to Colombo’s facilities, major bus stations
and also the Airport Gardens Hotel - a luxury hotel which offers
facilities that include a fantastic swimming pool. The hotel is only a
short trip away from the volunteer house: perfect for those lazy
afternoons!
There is a local live-in chef at the
Travellers house who will prepare your breakfast, lunch and dinner each
day, throughout the week. The food is usually local cuisine which means
lots of curry, rice and salads. Whether a curry fan or not, you will be
by the time you return as Sri Lankan food is delicious! You can buy
snacks and treats, including a growing variety of Western tastes
(chocolate!) from the local store. There is also a KFC in Ja-Ela for
those who need a fix of home!
The area of
Ja-Ela is an industrialised town and although it is not one of the
paradise beauty spots, it's a good point at which to start your
exploration of the island's many beaches and beautiful inland resorts.
TRAVEL
AND SUPPORT & BACKUP:
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.
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. We meet you at the
airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.
You will fly into Sri Lanka be met at Colombo
Airport by our Organiser. He will then take you to your accommodation
where you'll be introduced to all the other Travellers volunteers.
You'll also be taken to your place of work and introduced to
everyone.
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!
VISAS:. You don't need a visa for the first month in Sri Lanka.
For longer stays in the country, our Sri Lanka Manager or one of his staff will arrange for your visa for the rest of your
stay. We make the process very easy for you.
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
PRICES
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in Sri Lanka, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation 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.
.
+44 01903 502595
