Personally, I am interested in, and passionate about, all aspects of the
law, be it litigation, corporate, drafting, counselling, or alternative dispute
resolution, and as such, is open to a wide range of opportunities.
However, I hope to someday be given the opportunity to work in the field
of public policy and law reform, helping to draft legislations, rules, and
policies, and to help execute them. I feel that I would be able to perform
best in this role, as it’ll allow me to put the skills I’ve garnered through
years of debating and running the Law Review to good use.
I believe that in the age of disruption, it is important for legal practitioners
to keep an open mind, as the law is fast becoming a multi-disciplinary
profession. Legal professionals can no longer afford to maintain a rigid
mentality and harbour assumptions that they can merely specialize in one
area and stay in that niche until retirement. Legal practitioners of
tomorrow would need to possess a large and diverse skill set in order to
remain competitive.
As a conclusion…
We live in exciting times, with new opportunities and challenges. The
shape of tomorrow will be heavily influenced by the legally educated
youths of today, and complacency is a luxury we can hardly afford.
Ultimately, whether one decides to work in the legal field or non-legal
field, it all boils down to personal preferences. Both fields do not have
inherent disadvantages and offer the same amount of opportunities and
chances to succeed. However, regardless of whichever field you may
choose, I would highly recommend setting goals and charting a way
forward towards your eventual destination, such as acquiring skills
relevant to your ambition. However, do keep in mind that paths are not
set in stone, and not all who wander are lost.
Go above and beyond the lecture hall – there are thousands of law
graduates going through the same system, listening to the same lectures,
taking the same exams. To stand out, set yourself apart by doing more.
Interested in the legal field? Attend legal conferences, join moot
competitions, write for a Law Review. Passionate about non-legal sectors?
Join related conferences, camps, scout out opportunities for law
graduates in your intended field, follow and try to interact with leaders in
the industry, join debates, and participate in activities that will help to
cultivate your leadership, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills, traits
which are welcome in any industry.
In 2013, Stephen Colbert, a hugely influential American television host,
when giving his commencement speech at the University of Virginia’s
graduation ceremony, gave a piece of advice which impacted me deeply,
and which I think is now more relevant than ever. He said: "Society has no
more idea of what you are than you do, because ultimately it has only
your brains to think with. Every generation must define itself and so make
a world that suits itself.” I look forward to working together with all of you
in the monumental task of defining our generation.