ACICIS Law Professional Practicum in Jakarta, Indonesia | Summer 2025
Emma, Sophie and Geoff visiting the Asia-Africa Conference Museum in Bandung.
The Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS – pronounced Ah-chee-chis, as an Indonesian would say it) is a non-profit international educational consortium. As Monash Law students, we were introduced to ACICIS through invitations to enrol in the Law Professional Practicum in Jakarta, Indonesia. As three students who recently completed the program over summer 2025, we want to share our experience and give this amazing program the recommendation we think it deserves!
The ACICIS program ran over 6 weeks from January 2nd - February 14th, with over 100 students from different cities and universities across Australia coming together for a variety of intensive courses, including Business, Agricultural Studies, Creative Arts, Journalism, and of course, Law. This truly was such a memorable experience that we encourage all Monash Law students who can to take advantage of.
Explore Law opportunities in ACICIS
Two weeks at Atma Jaya University with ACICIS
The first two weeks of the ACICIS program were academically and culturally adventurous. Hosted by Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, we began immersing ourselves in the Indonesian social and legal landscape through intensive days of language classes, seminars, field trips and cultural activities.
The seminars provided an interactive opportunity to learn from and engage with academics and professionals across various legal and policy specialties, such as:
- refugee law and Indonesia’s position as a transit state,
- the criminalisation of drug offenses and the constitutionality of the death penalty, and
- the unique legal pluralism of Indonesia as a state balancing national, Islamic and Indigenous law.
Our field trips to Museum POLRI (the Police Museum) and the Supreme Court gave us first hand insight into the operations of some of Indonesia’s most significant judicial and executive institutions. The opportunity to paint wayang and batik saw (most of) us boast our creative flair, whilst others shamefully shielded their creations away from cameras.
Emma, Sophie and Geoff painting wayang puppets, as part of their cultural immersion at Atma Jaya University.
Underpinning all of our adventures was our daily language class, where our masterful Indonesian teachers impressively boosted our reading and conversational skills. This newfound linguistic prowess made us especially dangerous at the Atma Jaya canteen, where we could order our fruit smoothies, gado-gado and mie ayam with confidence! For some of us, this was our favourite part of the day, with the allure of being able to try a new stall every day and the reality of lunch never costing more than $5 being way too exciting.
Explore Law opportunities in ACICIS
Four weeks of legal internships with ACICIS
During the internship portion of the program, we were assigned to various organisations and firms based on our preferred areas of law, which we submitted beforehand.
Geoff’s Internship with ACICIS
I interned at a leading commercial law firm called Soemadipradja & Taher (S&T).
Over the four weeks I had there, my work primarily consisted of proofreading English contracts and client updates written by the firm’s lawyers, simplifying their written expression into plain English. I was able to gain exposure to the local M&A environment and the current state of ESG regulations in Indonesia, as well as the legal barriers that foreign companies face when establishing a business in Indonesia.
I also had the opportunity to help a Partner at the firm, who luckily for me was from Australia, coach a leading local university’s moot team with their preparation for the Jessup and Vis Moot. Having only ever done the First Year Moot at Monash, I felt quite out of depth, both by the need to familiarise myself with a 40 page scenario and ask questions to the mooters. However, with lots of support from other lawyers at the firm, this turned out to be a really educational experience where I was able to see the hard work and dedication that goes into an international moot.
However, what I enjoyed most about my time as an intern was the lunchtimes. The street outside the office would be lined with food carts during lunch time, and I loved going out with the other Indonesian interns and having them introduce me to local dishes. Most importantly though, lunch was when I would get to have conversations with the other interns, translators, secretaries and lawyers at the firm. As with any workplace, it is the people who make it fun and welcoming, and the people at S&T truly made the internship worthwhile. The conversations that flowed during lunch were filled with laughter and were no doubt the best part of my day. The best way to learn about another country is by engaging with locals directly, and being able to learn about their daily lives, different attitudes to work, uni and politics (turbulent!), as well as getting their recommendations for places to eat and travel, was truly invaluable.
S&T was a great place to intern. Despite being an international intern, I was welcomed with open arms. The opportunity to be in an foreign working environment, and see the differences with what I’ve experienced back home, was truly invaluable. I miss my time at S&T!
Geoff and his co-workers at Soemadipradja & Taher (S&T).
Sophie’s Internship with ACICIS
I interned at Indonesia’s National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM). I was honoured to be placed at Komnas HAM - it was such an amazing opportunity to explore my interests in human rights, particularly in a developing country like Indonesia. I worked in the Investigation team alongside a big team of hardworking and passionate individuals. Their work is impactful, life-changing and so vital, especially in Indonesia’s current political climate.
Each week of the internship was different. For starters, my fellow ACICIS intern, Ella, and I took the time to learn the structure and complex organisational map of Komnas HAM. In doing so, we met so many people from different teams and were able to fully appreciate the crucial role of Komnas HAM in protecting and promoting human rights, as well as investigating violations of human rights in Indonesia.
For the remainder of my internship, I engaged in extensive research in different areas. In the second week, Ella and I prepared a presentation about migration law and refugees in Australia. It was fascinating and insightful to compare Australia and Indonesia’s roles in the refugee crisis.
My main project for the internship was writing a research paper about the use of less-lethal weapons by the Indonesian Police, with a focus on the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy of 2022. In writing this paper, I sought help from staff who directly worked on the investigation of the tragic incident, where more than 130 people were killed in a stampede triggered by the firing of tear gas after a tense soccer match.
Ultimately, the greatest part of my internship was immersing myself in an international workplace. The Komnas HAM office was welcoming, diverse and incredibly fun. Ordering lunch together, sharing snacks, practicing English/Indonesian, talking about our weekends and hobbies - the vibe was immaculate. I miss Komnas HAM so much!
Sophie and her co-workers at Indonesia’s National Commission for Human Rights.
Emma’s Internship with ACICIS
My internship was at Imparsial, a non-governmental human rights monitor founded in the early 2000s with specialisation in:
- death penalty abolition, security sector reform,
- freedom of religion and beliefs,
- freedom of peaceful assembly,
- Human Rights Defenders, and
- the Papuan conflict.
Whilst Imparsial was only a small team of 10, the team was committed to a dynamic agenda of surveillance and advocacy for pressing and emerging human rights issues in Indonesia.
I was afforded considerable independence during my internship and was tasked with conducting comparative research of Indonesia and Australia’s recognition of Indigenous Land Rights. My research was extremely thought-provoking, and I developed a greater appreciation of the inevitable influence that colonial histories and political interpretations have on policy-making for Indigenous issues. Most of all I enjoyed engaging in discussions with my coworkers about Indonesian history, law and politics – especially when I could successfully integrate a little bit of my Bahasa Indonesian!
Outside of my research, I had the opportunity to attend various collaborations with other non-governmental organisations. In one meeting of the Koalisi Kebebasan Bersikat (Freedom of Speech Coalition), I was encouraged to contribute my perspective in the robust discussion of how to strengthen the role of young people in democracy. It was a privilege to see the creativity and insight of so many passionate minds and I really enjoyed being able to participate in brain-storming for such an important topic.
Like most ACICIS interns, the highlight of my experience was getting to know my incredible coworkers. Although it was a bit daunting at first, I believe that the value of undertaking a placement by yourself in a small team is unparalleled in terms of opportunity for inclusivity and involvement in the workplace. I truly think that the best experiences happen when you step outside of your comfort zone, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to intern at Imparsial!
Emma and her co-workers at Imparsial.
Assessments in ACICIS internships
Whilst the program was a dream in many ways, unfortunately the dream of an assessment-free unit does not exist! However, the assessments for the unit were very manageable, and actually enhanced our overall experience by forcing us to improve our language skills and to gain a deeper understanding of the Indonesian legal system.
Assessments for the unit included:
- A small language test; and
- Weekly 500 word reflections over the period of our internships; and
- A 2000 word report due at the end of the program about any topic of interest in Indonesian law.
Cultural experiences with ACICIS
With our weekdays taken up by full time work or uni (although thankfully we had minimal study to do outside of that), we took advantage of the free weekends we had!
We were able to explore the nearby cities of Bogor and Bandung, which provided us with some much needed greenery and respite from the chaos of Jakarta. However, if we stayed in Jakarta over the weekend, we would take full advantage of “car-free day” on Sundays where main roads in the city centre are closed for vehicles to make way for runners and walkers alike!
Running on the main streets of Jakarta on car-free day!
We also had the opportunity to have an overnight beach getaway at the nearby Thousand Islands, just a short 90 minute boat ride away from the coast of Jakarta. This proved to be one of the most enjoyable weekends we had together, as we snorkelled, swam at some of the most serene and stunning beaches, enjoyed an evening seafood barbecue, played beach games with local children and danced our hearts out at a local Indonesian concert all on the agenda.
A stunning sunset during our weekend getaway to Thousand Islands.
Why should you do the ACICIS program?
The upsides to this program are enormous! In a nutshell, by signing up for this ACICIS program, you are:
- completing a unit overseas,
- being able to learn another language,
- intern in an overseas law firm,
- immerse in another culture,
- have the opportunity to travel around South East Asia afterwards,
- do a mini 6 week exchange (great for those who can’t fit in a semester exchange),
- making lifelong friends and memories.
And all at a cheaper cost! Many students are also eligible for the New Colombo Plan for this program – making it even more affordable and accessible.
As university students, we’re always on the lookout for budget-friendly activities, accommodation, and experiences—all while having the time of our lives. And what better place to do that than Indonesia?