From the Chief Editor
For many of us, the most natural thing to do after obtaining our LL.B is to join the legal profession as a lawyer in private practice. However, there is more to the legal profession than a law firm – we can work in the Legal Service, in the legal departments of government ministries and statutory boards, as an in-house counsel, in academia and even in voluntary welfare organisations, to name just a few.

An expanding legal market has brought about many challenges. Let’s see these challenges as opportunities, opportunities which we should seize and turn to our advantage. To do this, we need to find our passion in the law – we need to be inspired by it. Build upon the initial interest and motivation we had when we decided to study law. Take up internships to experience first-hand what legal work is all about. Speak to lawyers from different areas of the legal profession, lecturers, friends and seniors. Visit the Law Careers Fair from 12-16 February. And, of course, read this month’s Juris interviews with people from various legal fields.

Even if we decide to leave the legal profession altogether, our legal education and training is never wasted. I believe that our legal education and training enables us to be more methodical and analytical, skills which are invaluable in any profession.

A big thank you to everyone who entered the SLR Writing Competition. All the entries we received were excellent, and we had a tough time shortlisting the 6 finalists. The finalists will be presenting their entries to a panel of judges. The skill with which they respond to questions from the judges and audience will contribute towards their final results. So come on down to the Moot Court on Thursday, 15 February at 6pm for an exciting and stimulating evening of intellectual thrust and parry.

Enjoy the Lunar New Year break!

Maureen Poh

  • Interview with a Post-Graduate Student: Ajay Thomas

    A graduate programme in my opinion serves many purposes: it’s a great way to slow down the pace of life, to look at life from a different perspective; it provides a wonderful opportunity to rechargemy batteries, and most importantly, it acts as a refresher course to update my knowledge and aids me in focussing on an area of specialisation. Read the Rest of the Entry

  • In Conversation with a District Judge – Ms. Disa Sim, District Judge, Subordinate Courts

    Being a judge allows me to explore my academic and policy interests from another perspective, test how these ideas apply in practice and observe how they play out in a practical setting. Read the Rest of the Entry

  • Blazing the Entrepreneurial Front: TS Oon & Bazul

    Starting a new firm entails quite a bit of risk-taking. It involves asking questions like can I get clients? Can I make ends meet? Can I pay the salaries? Can I manage the firm? What if I fail? Only someone who has an entrepreneurial streak would be prepared to take such risks. As an employee, you would not have to face these questions as they are always taken for granted. However, we make it a point to teach anyone who works with us how to think like an entrepreneur. This is important as I believe that learning how to run a firm makes you more responsible, a better lawyer and a more well-balanced person. Read the Rest of the Entry

  • Decriminalising Homosexual Acts by Mohan Gopalan

    I read with interest the article entitled “Re-scoping s. 377A: A Juxtaposition of Views” (Juris Illuminae, January 2007) in which Muhammad Aidil sought to argue for the continued criminalization of homosexual acts. His arguments left me unconvinced. Read the Rest of the Entry

  • The Life of An In-House Counsel with Ms Angeline Joyce Lee, President of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA)

    In-house counsel are employed by a single company. They provide legal advice and other services relating to the business of the company. Technically, the company is their client but of course in practice, in-house counsel provide their services to the board of directors, the management, and the business units or departments of the company they work for. Read the Rest of the Entry

  • For a Good Cause: The Cat Welfare Society with Ms. Dawn Kua, Director of Operations, Cat Welfare Society

    [A legal education] helps also when we are appealing to the authorities to try and change their policies, for example in the case of the HDB by-laws. And, of course, it helps when looking through contracts and the like. Most importantly, I think that a legal education has made me more methodical and better able to analyse situations. A legal education is a good grounding for whatever field you may find yourself going into. Read the Rest of the Entry

  • Law Careers Fair by Kyle Lee, Law Careers Fair Committee

    Well, Law Careers Fair basically is, as its name suggests, a one-week siesta where law firms come to the Law Faculty to promote their respective firms. For one whole week, groups of lawyers will bandy together to out-wit, out-pitch and out-sell their law firms to you. Yes, you, the ordinary law school student. Read the Rest of the Entry