Johannes Classen, Germany / October-December 2008

Johannes Classen

Berlin, Germany

Education: Humboldt University Berlin; Kammergericht Berlin
Languages: English, French, German

From October to December 2008 I worked as an intern at Heskia-Hacmun Law Firm in Tel Aviv. I arrived in late September with high expectations since I had heard and read only positive things about Heskia-Hacmun. And I must admit, my expectations and hopes were entirely met and my positive experiences at Heskia-Hacmun even exceeded my expectations.

Everyone at Heskia-Hacmun made me feel really welcome and it did not take very long for me to feel very comfortable in the office. I received advice and help when I asked for it. But in addition I was given also a lot tips on daily life issues in Tel Aviv or Israel, on where to travel, in general on how to do things the best way. This made my life here a lot easier. Everyone was really helpful and even as an intern who stayed only for three months I felt like a part of the law firm. I was surprised how easy-going the communication and interaction in the office between all of the employees were. There was always time for a little chat about personal stuff or non-legal topics. In addition I had the opportunity to work with other intern from the USA, Brazil and Australia. There is always a good chance that one meets interns from all over the world at Heskia-Hacmun.

Since Heskia-Hacmun is among other things specialized in German Israeli legal relations, I as a German law student had to work on a lot of projects involving German law. Especially the issuance of legal opinions concerning civil law issues was one of the assignments I received. On the other hand I was also given the task to submit legal opinions on possibilities to gain or regain German Citizenship. This was an entire different task but nevertheless very interesting for me.
I was taken to court hearings and got a little bit of an insight on how the court procedures are in Israel.

Heskia-Hacmun not only gave me the opportunity to travel around the country but the really supported me in getting to know Israel. I got to know Israel as such a divers and yet dynamic country I would not have thought of although I read a lot about it before I came. For me as someone who is very interested in politics my time being here was, of course, enriching.

Tel Aviv with its fantastic city beaches is a great, vital city which has an amazing night life but also a lot of recreation opportunities and cultural events to offer. The mild climate in Israel and the amazingly fast changing landscapes in this rather small country are often breathtaking.

I can only invite everyone who is interested in Israel to come visit this land that is full of surprises and get to know it apart from the media coverage it gets in the world.

I am very thankful that Heskia-Hacmun offered me the opportunity to spend my stage in Tel Aviv and to get to know Israel.