Dressing for work
At the firm atelier, the lawyers have a dynamic but relaxed dress code. What we have to wear depends on what we have scheduled for the day. If we have …
The Piece of Art known as ‘The Malaysian Bar’
‘The Malaysian Bar’ resides on the 4th floor of the Wisma Badan Peguam Malaysia, 2, Leboh Pasar Besar, 50050 Kuala Lumpur. It was officially unveiled by Marisa R Ng, the …
Upfront and personal
‘How is it you dare to be so upfront and personal on your blog?’ A friend of mine asked me the other day. ‘Really? I’m just relating what I learned …
The Soul of a Litigator
Litigation is a drag these days. For the most part. A primary reason for that is regrettably my colleagues at the bar. Not all of them, of course. There are …
Wryding the Bar Stool | Celebrating my 204th Post
I started From the Bar Stool (FTBS) on 6 October 2020. Today is 9 June 2023. I have been posting my essays every Friday. I haven’t missed one since. It’s …
Concise, Clear and Cogent
To be concise is to be brief. To be clear is to express something we have a thorough grasp of in an easily understood way. To be cogent is to …
Why Legal Awards Don’t Interest Me
Don’t get me wrong. I think legal awards serve a purpose. To need an extrinsic indicator of success or recognition for their self-esteem is common. Legal awards serve this need. …
In Avoiding Small Talk
There was a period in my life when I equated small talk with tedium. I don’t think I had a problem with it prior to that or found it so …
Selective Amnesia and the Imposter Syndrome
My father once recited Rudyard Kipling’s If to me. I loved it and resonated with every line in that poem. But some of those lines I hold fast to. One …
Mentoring the Mediocre
For a long time now, I have not been discerning about whom I teach. The gifted, talented and brilliant naturally find equally competent teachers who wish to mentor, tutor and …
When I feel down, miserable and beaten
it is usually a sign that I have not got enough sleep or lost my sense of gratitude, often both. The former often leads to the latter. It happens when …
Notes about a 5-Year Bar Council Plan
For the last few years, I have been thinking that the Bar Council (BC) needs a long-term plan that articulates the spirit of its statutory duties as encapsulated in the …
The Secret to Extrinsic Success
Extrinsic success is the acclaim, awards and accolades society bestows on us. Or discretely purchase, for the less scrupulous. It is the laudatory honours that commemorate our societal or communal …
Taking Time Out
These days I don’t like saying that I am taking a vacation or going on holiday. Two reasons. Firstly, these days, there is the expectation that if we go on …