As a senior lawyer, I almost always work with a junior or two on a matter. By junior I mean a fresh or less experienced lawyer or a pupil. The junior would be the one that has to do the ‘getting up’ for the case. To ‘get up’ a case is to prepare a case for hearing or trial. It is not a phrase often used these days. In getting up a case, the junior …
My father’s firm once had a litigious client. She was in her late thirties or early forties when I was first acquainted with her. I was a few years into my practice. She was beautiful. She was also fiercely intelligent, aggressive and articulate. She was corporate-savvy and ran several businesses she owned. Since it was litigation, it meant my immediate boss dealt with her. And since my immediate boss dealt with her, I was on …
May it please your Lordship, The Petitioner is the elder of the two sons of Mr M Visvanathan and Madam Ong Puay Hioh. There are many paths to the practice of law. Some of us came here because of parental expectations; some because they do not know what to do, others because of a natural inclination for the study of law. Then there are those born and bred for the practice of law; I would …
In my years of practice, I discovered that there is a natural resistance to giving the young, the fresh, and the inexperienced opportunities to do a matter. By matter, I mean conducting a hearing of an application or a trial, conducting a client interview, or even just attending case management. I knew some of my peers in larger or prestigious firms who went for several years before they were allowed to conduct matters on their …
May it please your Lordship, It is with great pleasure and some anxiety that I move a call in the presence of a great man and outstanding jurist, Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Yunus. My Lord, there are many paths to the practice of law. Some find the path because of a desire to do justice. Some have their path set out for them and need only follow through. Others discover that path out of inspiration. And …