Tales from a junior lawyer

Perhaps my stories can shed some light on the high dropout rate of junior lawyers

Link to the full article is here. And yes, I am one of the 538 lawyers who left the profession in 2021. People often ask me why I left practice when I share that I graduated with a Bachelor of Law from SMU. These questions often bring back many memories of my time in the field. I would like to share some key moments with you, and perhaps you will have a better understanding of what junior lawyers go through.

There are certain memories that are especially scarring. Although I had only been practicing as a junior lawyer for slightly less than 3 years, those 3 years have deeply molded my work ethic and laid the foundation for who I am today.

I graduated with poor grades from law school, and therefore I was never given a chance for an interview with any mid-sized or big firms. However, I am extremely grateful to have worked at JC Law Asia and Wilberforce TJC Law Corporation under Mr Joseph Chai (Mr Chai) and Mr Cheng Tim Jin (TJ) respectively, in those few years.

Both firms are small in size, but the experiences and lessons I learnt under the tutelage of Mr Chai and TJ were huge and invaluable.

Yes, we had a photoshoot once and I am still on their website.

JC Law Asia specialises in general litigation and corporate work. I spent my first year of practice there and got the opportunity to run files on my own from the get-go.

One of my best wins as a criminal lawyer was when I single-handedly managed a road accident case and helped a client reduce his sentence from one week’s imprisonment to one day. This client was so grateful that we kept in touch even after I left practice.

I also especially enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life and listening to their stories. When you deal with the rough side of society, your world view is expanded beyond what you see or read in the news. You see the ugliness of human nature through divorce, and also the craftiness or creativity of people when they try to find ways around the law.

However, the heavy burden a lawyer bears also weighs on your shoulders, especially when you are inexperienced and naive. As a fresh graduate with little experience, I made so many mistakes that I would go to court multiple times a week, or multiple times a day, just to rectify them. I remember being told off by a judge in open court, and having to amend my mitigation plea outside the courtroom and return to the stand a few hours later to make my case.

I remember the anxiety and self-doubt that I had to talk myself through every time I went to court, even for the smallest matters. I remember going to the bar room (a resting room with coffee and snacks for lawyers to rest) after a hearing one day and just sitting on the sofa, trying to clear my mind and collect myself after a stressful morning.

Once, I missed the hearing for a deputyship matter because I did not know that I needed to personally attend in court. I missed the hearing twice, and the judge struck out the case. This meant that everything had to be filed in the system again and the worst part was having to explain to the client why the case had to be refiled.

That was the one and only time Mr Chai really reprimanded me and for the first time I felt the true weight of practice on my shoulders. It was suffocating.

Another time, I was poor in my work ethic for a divorce matter. Because of my naivety and lack of thoroughness, we left out on an important piece of evidence that could have made a difference for the client’s division of matrimonial assets. Mr Chai spoke to me very seriously about the matter and how I needed to change in my work ethic. After the hearing ended, we both knew that I may have caused the bad outcome for the client. That knowledge was hard to bear.

What made the first year of practice so much more enjoyable were the many good meals that Mr Chai brought us out on, as well as the great colleagues. This photo was taken at Beauty in the Pot when the team celebrated my birthday. I felt really blessed.

This was another team photo taken after a successful hearing and we celebrated over Korean BBQ!

Mr Chai was firm as a boss. He gave me the space and opportunity to take ownership and grow. But he would not hesitate to discipline if necessary. One thing that I am grateful for is the exposure he would give to me, sometimes at his own expense, for my growth and development.

I will always remember when he took on a disciplinary hearing case against another lawyer on a pro bono (voluntary) basis. It would take up extra time and even a weekend for him, but he did it because I wanted to learn.

Alas, the various aspects of my first year of practice left me gasping for air, and I found myself wondering if corporate law would be better suited for me.

Mr Chai had a look of disappointment when I told him that I wanted to leave. After our conversation, he was silent for a long while. Mr Chai told me that he viewed me as his daughter. He did not expect me to leave so soon. I felt regretful, but I knew that I could not bring myself to stay.

When I met TJ for the first interview, I remember thinking that this was a really kind man. It was special because TJ found out I was also from Chung Cheng High School (Main). I was many years his junior, and that formed an instant connection.

TJ and his wife run the firm, along with the Associate Director Emily. All 3 of them were exceedingly kind to me, and I enjoyed their company and tutelage.

Specifically, TJ and his wife had been through exceptionally hard times in their personal lives. They are one of the strongest people that I know.

Some key highlights of my time at WTJC were helping a non-profit organisation obtain charity status within months of me taking over the file, when their case had dragged for years; helping a client obtain Singapore citizenship when she also tried and failed to obtain the status for years; and recovering a debt for a client from a recalcitrant debtor.

I also enjoyed meeting the corporates and international clients. TJ is skilled at business structuring and coming up with creative solutions to solve problems. Through my time with him and the firm, my eyes were opened to the exciting world of business.

This also introduced me to clients and companies that I did not agree with. When I told TJ about it, he said that it is not our place to judge the client, because we never know the full story. Our job is to give our best to help them with their case.

At the end of the day, being a lawyer is about good customer service. The customer is always right.

I struggled with slogging for someone or something that I did not fully support with my heart.

Then, covid hit. I appreciated the job security with WTJC, and TJ as always found ways to keep on meeting clients. I enjoyed the many meetings he brought me on to see different business associations and different types of entities.

One thing I also appreciated at WTJC was how TJ and Emily tried not to engage in litigation as much as possible. While clients with litigious cases came, TJ and Emily always tried to find ways to settle out of court or settle it at the lowest level of court as possible. This approach was more in line with my personality.

As time passed, I found myself wondering if there was something else out there that I could give my heart and efforts to completely without resenting or second guessing the people that I am working for (clients). Also, I did not enjoy putting in so many hours just to go back and forth on a particular area of law. I wanted to see the world. I wanted to meet people. I wanted to learn all that I could about everything out there.

Then, someone approached me to join their startup. It was my ticket out of the law. After praying and consulting my husband and family, I decided to give it a shot.

I was nervous when I told TJ about it. I knew that he valued me in the firm. To my surprise, TJ actually said that I could work on the startup while continuing as a lawyer, so long as it did not affect my work! This was testament of his kindness to me.

Alas, I could not cope. TJ had to let me go. He was also disappointed at my decision, as he also said that he viewed me as his daughter.

I am blessed to have two bosses in my short legal career who cared for me and trained me. I am glad to also still keep in touch with TJ and family, and even be able to bring Enya to meet them!

As Adrian Tan, President of the Law Society of Singapore mentioned in the article above:

"It takes years, maybe decades, to be any good at this job. Law requires sustained focus and dedication. Law is not a gig but a calling."

The steep learning curve in the law has made me grow up much quicker as a working adult than expected. But I gained skills that are transferable, and I am clearer of what I want in my career.

Thank you Mr Chai, TJ, Jennie and Emily. Your investment and training has laid a strong foundation for my future.

*This article is posted with the permission of Mr Chai and TJ.