hi all!!
i’m van, and i was just called to the bar during the mass call in aug 2023. i’ve always been asked a few common questions about being a lawyer, and decided to share them here!
💬 what kind of law do you do? do you represent criminals?
i’m currently working as a disputes lawyer, doing mostly commercial / construction-related work! contrary to what people usually think, law isn’t just about representing criminals or divorce proceedings – there are numerous different practice areas even among the disputes team – i.e restructuring and insolvency, insurance, medical negligence, etc! there are also corporate lawyers, which focus on front-end work – i.e mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, capital markets.
💬 how do you become a lawyer?
– for me, since i studied in a local uni, the route to becoming a lawyer was this: 4 years undergrad law degree, 6 months of part b course (and part b bar exams), 6 months practice training before getting called to the bar. for foreign grads, they must take the part A exams for the bar, as well as undergo an additional 6 months relevant legal training period!
💬 is being a lawyer tough?
– it’s definitely not an easy job, with loooong hours and weekends burnt during peak periods. unlike Suits, the job isn’t v glamorous and i’ve seen many of my seniors feeling burnt out and many leaving the industry because they are disillusioned w their career. being a junior, i also feel like there is less control over my time and it has impacted my rs w my fiance (as he often feels that we aren’t able to spend as much time together as before). at the same time, i have learnt so much within the past 10 months of training and work and i feel like it’s been a v good learning experience as well.
