Big, medium or small firm? Corporate work or litigation? Private practice or Legal Service? Local or offshore firm?

Addressing a packed lecture theatre of students, the six panelists who graced “Pupillage and You”, a talk organised as part of the NUS Pro Bono Group’s Annual Seminar Series 2009, sought to shed light on the common dilemmas that confront students deciding between pupillage options. The talk was organised by the NUS Pro Bono Group in partnership with KhattarWong.

“Litigation is destructive and corporate law is constructive. I never liked destroying things as a child – that’s why I chose corporate,” said Mr. Daniel Tan, a Senior Associate at Clifford Chance.

The six panelists came from diverse  backgrounds within the legal landscape, and painted for the students a varied picture of what to expect from a career in law.  Perspectives from insiders within large firms were given by Mr. K Anpasaran, Deputy Managing Partner of KhattarWong, and Mr. Darell Low, Senior Associate at Drew & Napier LLC.  Meanwhile, Ms. Nicole Tan, a partner at KhattarWong, shared her experiences in the different fields of litigation and corporate work.

Not only veterans were given a voice. Ms. Grace Tan, a pupil at Khattar Wong, spoke candidly of her workload. “Don’t make plans on weekdays, because you never know what’s going to come along at five,” she said.

But exceptions are possible in the Legal Service, opinioned Ms. Gillian Tan, a Deputy Public Prosecutor. According to her, the Legal Service offers the best work life balance that a career in law can offer.  ”Some of my colleagues are even offered a chance to work from home,” she added.

Ultimately, all agreed that choices must be made to suit the individual. Certainly, when it comes to charting potential careers, law graduates have no shortage of options.

The second seminar in the series entitled ‘Criminal Law and Pro Bono’ will take place on 5^th March 2009, 4pm-6pm. Panelists include Mr. Tanguy Lim and Mr. Subhas Anandan.