Freshmen get a Taste of “The Practice of Law”

More than 200 NUS freshmen attended “The Practice of Law” Panel Discussion held at the Auditorium on the 1 August 2013 as part of their matriculation week. They learnt first-hand about the challenges and the realities of being in the legal industry from a panel of established lawyers from the different areas of practices ranging from criminal practice to public international law.

Moderated by Asst. Prof Goh Yihan, the panel discussion began with a round of introductions by the nine panelists: Mr Eusuff Ali (Tan Rajah & Cheah), Mr Yap Teong Liang (T L Yap & Associates), Ms Gloria James-Civetta (Gloria James-Civetta & Co), Mr Lawrence Teh Kee Wee (Rodyk & Davidson LLP), Ms Stefanie Thio (TSMP Law Corporation), Ms Kala Anandarajah (Rajah & Tann LLP), Mr Arvin Lee (Rajah & Tann LLP), Mr Tan Ken Hwee (Economic Crimes and Governance Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers) and Mr George Hwang (George Hwang LLC).

During the discussion, the lawyers shared their experiences both as students and working professionals, offering words of wisdom on what to expect from a future career in law. “This session is very helpful for freshmen to gain an account of what practice is about before entering law school. This will equip them with the necessary perspective so that they can decide how they want to approach law school,” said Asst Prof Goh Yihan.

Thereafter, an intimate networking tea reception followed at the LKY Oei Tiong Ham lobby where the students split up into informal groups to ‘interrogate’ the seasoned professionals, nibble on some light refreshments and learn more from the particular practice areas of law that they are interested in pursuing. When asked about her thoughts, freshman Chong Kai Xin felt the “networking event gave her deep insights about the expectations employers in law firms have towards fresh graduates and how she and her course mates can better prepare to thrive in such a demanding environment.”