Last Saturday I had the pleasure of participating in a sharing / discussion session – “OPKopiTML” organised by the amazing OfficeParrots and had the opportunity to meet and speak to the founders of the popular legal website themalaysianlawyer.com – Mr. Lee Shih (herein LS), Partner at SKRINE, and Mr. Marcus Van Geyzel (herein Marcus) of Peter Ling & van Geyzel.
With permission of OP, I hereby share some of the discussions we had as well as some key takeaways for the benefit of those who couldn’t attend (that’s why do make sure you follow OP on Twitter or FB to avoid missing out on similar events in the future!).
Let’s jump straight into it.
Law School – the Difference with Legal Practice and What should be the Focus?
Firstly, LS stated that while certainly it would be different between what you study in law school with what is actually practised in the profession, legal studies nevertheless shouldn’t be taken lightly. LS said that what you learn during law school forms the foundation to your legal career and the substantial laws (cf procedural laws) that you learn do come into play during legal practice. Not only would you be more effective during your research, it also makes you much more appealing to employers as they don’t need to train you from the ground up. LS went further to state that one must learn beyond the rules during law school and should strive to understand the principles behind and around them.
In regards to this Marcus agreed that legal principles taught in law schools are important but emphasised that when it comes to legal practice, it is all about practical application of those principles. He mentioned that his firm prides its work for being commercially practical and sensible; he says in actual practice no clients really care if you could quote cases with perfect citations but are instead simply interested in how they can achieve their goals through the law.
Forming your career – How to and How did the Lawyers form theirs?
The next topic we went in depth was how did the lawyers get to where they are now and what influenced their decisions along the way.
On this LS said that he becoming a partner at Skrine could be simply by chance as he initially planned to return to Singapore. However, LS advised that one should always make the best out of all the opportunities presented to him and always try to do more than what is asked. In short, his achievement is a culmination of his consistent, smart, over-and-above effort.
On the other hand, Marcus stressed that it is important for one to be intentional in doing what they do, as opposed to simply flowing with the current. He said that many lawyers just go “cruise-control” mode and let the external factors (ie their firm and their bosses) dictate their decisions which eventually led them to feeling lost or burnt. In contrary, he himself understood the need to create his personal brand (apart from his firm) and form his own career path which is why he has left firms to pursue greater independence and eventually, starting his own.
Advice to Young Lawyers and Pupils in standing out in this Profession
LS mentioned that one problem concerning the legal industry lately is the falling standards in younger lawyers. One of their biggest weaknesses according to LS is poor proficiency of English. LS stated that young lawyers are expected to write with good grammar as seniors are supposed to correct the drafts of juniors on substance and structure, instead of grammar.
On the other hand, Marcus stressed on the need to putting in extra effort and not to be sore when asked to do more than your peers. He stated that those extra effort add up over time and they will pay off eventually.
Further, the Lawyers agreed that it is common for lawyers to face a plateau during their 3rd year of practice but advised that perseverance, self-believe, and finding balance through hobbies outside work would help one get through that period. For example, LS does dragon-boating while Marcus does a lot of non-legal reading. Both lawyers agree that there is no shortcut to excelling in the profession and the grind is inevitable.
Practical Tips
Finally here are some short and sweet practical tips by the Lawyers.
- Network with your peers and grow with them.
- While you may be juniors at your respective fields now, as you grow into a senior lawyer, they may just be senior executives or even CEOs.
- On Applying for chambering / internship:
- Be yourself.
- Grades are not the “be-all-and-end-all” – personality and attitude are as, if not more, important.
- Cover letter is critical as it shows what a person you are behind the certs and grades.
- If you can make an impact immediately, make it.
- For example whenever there is the need to make a call, just make it on the spot than holding it till later.
- Be kind to everyone.
- Not only to the Partners but also to the associates, pupils, legal secretaries, tea ladies, dispatch riders etc.
- It is more apparent to outsiders of what a person you are than you think. You can’t really hide it if you’re a nasty, selfish person.
- When considering a firm , think not only of perks and pay but also the culture and environment.
- Ask yourself. “Do you want to be at where the senior lawyers in that firm are in ten years time?”
I hope you enjoyed this article and the tips shared by both of the respected practitioners.