[1] Fail as much as you can
It goes without saying that adequate due diligence, research and hard work should go into any task assigned to you. You should always, to the best of your ability, try to anticipate potential shortcomings and solve novel challenges with resourcefulness — whether by referring to samples or simply taking a moment to think!
The crux of this point is this — don’t be afraid to take up challenges where you might fail (or fall short at).
Why?
Because if there’s ever a time in your legal career where it is “okay” for you to fail — it is now.
This includes:
Taking on a brief (perhaps from a different lawyer) on an area of law which differs from your bread and butter; and
Offer to prepare the first draft for pleadings, submissions, or affidavits. Assure your Master that your draft will be ready well before the deadline to provide sufficient margin to correct any rudimentary mistakes.
In this context, think of practice as a video game — consider pupillage the “training mode” for you to button smash combos and learn from errors before you enter the “real” game.
In addition to learning from your own failures, it is also important to learn from the mistakes of others. The next time you hear about something that went wrong from your fellow pupil mates — ranging from forgetting to sign a form to being late to court — maybe take a moment to empathise, reflect, and be reminded not to repeat the same errors.
[2] Start documenting and creating your personal “library”
No, not a physical library of books — but a digital library of every case, piece of research, submission you work on day in and day out.
Conduct a simple thought experiment and try and reflect or count the number of research or drafting tasks, be it small or big, you have handled in the last 2 months. Chances are, it’s more than you think. And chances are, you will forget about them, or struggle to locate them with ease if you were to come across the same matter 3 years from now.
My advice is to document everything — and I mean EVERYTHING. Some examples of things I’ve found particularly useful to document:
Cases used in a submissions — down to every sub-point.
Different types of letters you send to court, clients, opponents, government bodies etc.
Good templates for submissions, affidavits, pleadings, etc that you come across — it will come in handy in the future
Record your observations about the different judges and court staff you deal with — their temperament, demeanour, pet peeves, and what stuck them as important.
Long story short — investing in this “personal library” of accounting for every day of your legal journey will pay off in the future as you continue to build and grow your own personal encyclopaedia of your practice.
The tangible effect here is that you end up saving time and energy having to start from scratch on a similar matter and you avoid making the same mistake twice.
[3] Treat your work as if you’re a partner
Far too often, pupils think in tunnel vision — thinking that your job is to finish your task and that’s it.
So how does this defer from a principal/partner’s mindset. They tend to think beyond the immediate tasks. Some additional questions may be ‘what does the end look like for this case?’, ‘How do you plan your weeks and months ahead with all upcoming deadlines in mind?’ ‘When and how do we bill and chase the client?’
What I have come to learn is that even though as a pupil or junior associate, you’re essentially a salary man — working for a pay check. If you adopt a different mentality to treat each brief and each client with the responsibility and pride as if they are your own.
Three things will change:
You will take a deeper interest in your work — you are likely to think about the most efficient and pragmatic solutions.
You will become more decisive in your writing and less of a perfectionist because you come to the realisation that time is your most precious commodity; and in order to oversee multiple aspects of practice at once requires focus and the efficient use of time.
You develop a deeper sense of fulfilment because you’re no longer working for your boss, for a salary, or for the firm – you are part of the firm and a win for the firm is a win for you.
I see no better way to organically develop professional contentment and gratification.
[4] Learn to be a reliable Second Chair
It’s important to understand one of your primary roles as a pupil and/or junior lawyer is to assist and ease the burden of your master, or when in court, your lead counsel. Essentially your job is to ask yourself how you can make their life easier and their submission as seamless as possible.
Your lead counsel may not be able to immediately locate all the facts, all the references used, and every piece of evidence. This is where you come in — it is your role to have them at your fingertips. It is equally essential to understand your lead counsel’s style and manner so that you can complement them during submissions.
Some practical steps are to:
Prepare a tabulated reference sheet for important documents;
Have a general roadmap of where every document is located within the bundle; and
Discuss the matter with your lead counsel prior, to familiarise yourself with their flow and approach to be better equipped to anticipate their needs.
The key to being an efficient second chair is to understand the way your master/lead counsel works. This is because every advocate has their own style, idiosyncrasies and blindspots. It falls upon you to analyse, observe and come alongside them to ease their burden.
[5] Find a Mentor
Navigating the legal profession as a young practitioner without proper guidance is like stepping into the dark. We are all in need of help, especially in our tender years. It is therefore crucial to not try to do it alone, but find a mentor who aligns with your values and principles.
While it can be a challenging task, but the importance of finding the right mentor is profound. It allows you to model traits you wish to develop, as well as to observe and cultivate good habits early on in your legal career.
Mentorship, however, must not be conflated with seeking after “great lawyers” — it is also about finding someone who is genuinely interested in your professional growth.
When you are fortunate enough to form a mentor-mentee relationship, you must also strive to not abuse the time and trust invested in you, but proactively work towards developing a symbiotic dynamic of mutual respect and camaraderie. On this note, I am blessed to have been given a nurturing environment as such to grow.
[6] Give back
Throughout the few interactions I’ve had with Bar Council, it is evident that our fraternity is built upon the shoulders of those who came before us. As beneficiaries of their contributions, it is our duty and obligation to give back to the fraternity and the generations to come.
Whether it’s taking up YBGK cases, writing academic articles, giving legal talks, teaching or mentoring law students, or volunteering for the Bar — find an avenue to contribute to the community.
Why?
Firstly, because there is an unexplainable joy in contributing to someone else’s growth, or making a difference in the lives of others — no matter how small; and
Secondly, I firmly believe that the more you teach or engage with a subject matter, the more proficient you become.
All in all, life is far too precious and profound to be lived solely for oneself.
[7] Stay grounded
As a pupil, humility may come naturally with the lack of seniority and financial background — you’re still broke, wearing the worn-out blazer you had since Form 5. You greet the kakak cleaners with respect and address the Tuan Registrars with deference.
However, with time and hard work, the rewards of the profession will inevitably follow, and before long, you may find yourself in the shoes of your Masters.
At that point, as I am constantly reminded by a wise guru in the profession — it becomes crucial, if not the most pertinent thing, to constantly stay grounded and ensure you never let your ego get the best of you. The humility you possess as a pupil is a treasure — guard it closely. Allowing pride and arrogance to take root can lead you down a perilous path, lest you fall down a rabbit hole of pride and arrogance.
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