My younger cousin is applying to law school as her first choice. I am pretty sure she can get in, with her results and track record. As I have mentioned, everyone in my family on my mum’s side is a genius, and their other halves are even better, with the numerous PhD scholars around.
I am the black sheep, and still trying to prove myself as capable as everyone else. And I do not even have an other half that is better than them (not saying that he is not good). Maybe it is true – if one is established, intellectual and high-flying, then one can meet someone matching. If one is not, one can only settle for someone who is not.
Anyway, for a period of time I have been contemplating whether I should just continue my law studies and get a practicing license once and for all. Then I would not be in the “halfhouse” – not a practicing legal officer so limited in the kind of work which I do even though I crave for something more challenging and not so mundane, but at the same time too “high-ranking” to do anything lower. And the remuneration and prospects for a practitioner is definitely much better than one who is not.
But then I prefer to go with my interests, which is why I am studying something I like, instead of something more useful. Despite the fact that my mum and my cousin and almost everyone else I know have been bugging me to get my practicing license once and for all, still I refuse because I remembered how hard I struggled in law school and I never wanted to go through that again!
But then again, that time was what, ten years back? I was young, inexperienced and not working yet. There were still so many things I did not know, so many things I was naïve about. Now I ought to be more mature, more experienced and quicker in understanding things. So if I do go back to law school, perhaps things would be better? Perhaps with my working experience and exposure, I would be able to handle things much better this time round?
Still, I can never go back to the university I studied, so if I wanted to do it, I had to do it on a part-time basis under an external program from a United Kingdom university. And that would also not be recognized to cross the Bar here. Which is why I hesitate in taking it up even though it may be more relevant to what I am doing. Why should I take up another law course if I am still not qualified to practice?
Recently, out of curiosity, I went to check if there are any updates to the law courses here. I checked out the two universities offering law to make a comparison. And I found out that one of the universities is offering a J.D. program – the Juris Doctor, or the Doctor of Jurisprudence.
What is that? J.D. is essentially an American post-graduate law course. In the American system, those intending to practice law must first graduate with a first degree in whatever discipline, then later do a J.D. in order to become a lawyer. Same goes for doctors there – a first degree then later a M.D – Doctor in Medicine.
Whereas in the British and Commonwealth system, law is a first degree. One must graduate with a L.L.B. or Bachelor of Laws with high honours before one can practice law. At least here, in order to practice law, one must first graduate with a L.L.B. with at least a second class honours from the local university before one can even be called to the Bar. Overseas law degrees from certain recognized British universities must have a second upper.
But now the regulations are getting more lax. Because of the rigidity and strict regulations on the limit for lawyers, more and more young lawyers are leaving the industry. But I must say, lawyers are a talented lot. Besides being smart and articulate, they are very good in other areas like cooking, baking, theatre, singing, music and even yoga. Many ex-lawyers open restaurants, bakeries, go into theatre and opera, and open yoga schools.
So in order to curb the dwindling supply, the regulations have been revised. Overseas law graduates from recognized British universities who hold a second lower can now achieve their practicing license by going through a conversion course.
Even the better law graduates from certain universities in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and even Malaysia are being accepted into the local Bar. And for the first time, J.D. qualifications are recognized to be called to the local Bar.
It started with just a handful of universities in the United States, but when one of the universities here started the J.D. program, the graduates of that program would by default be recognized to be called, after going through the Bar examination and a period of six month pupilage in a local law firm or legal department of an organization.
I checked out the J.D. program and it is open to second class upper graduates of any discipline. It can be taken three years full time or two years accelerated. Even though it is a J.D. program, the syllabus is exactly like the syllabus of the L.L.B program. So it is like a fusion of both British and American systems.
Besides lectures and tutorials, there would also be a period of internship with partner companies that include top law firms and top companies, as well as a period of pro bono or community service. Just the kind I like!
I never really like the kind of structure where one just studies and all the emphasis is on the end of year examinations. I prefer a more well-rounded structure where besides academics, there is creative and critical thinking, no spoon-feeding and incorporation of community service and other aspects of life.
Furthermore, the J.D. program is already a post-graduate course on its own, unlike the L.L.B. So if I do take up the course, I will be able to get a direct post-graduate qualification as well as a practicing license at the same time. What a good deal!
The catch is I do not hold any second upper. Hence no matter what, I still have to finish my current course (which I do want to) and then apply with my transcript and job experience. Who knows, I may just get my lawyer dream fulfilled soon! So all the more I must achieve a first-class honours in order to go places!
