Law Careers Fair 2018

Law Careers Fair 2018 took place on the 26th of January at NUS Law. Representatives from the various law firms, as well as the Singapore Legal Service, set up their booths in the Moot Court and at the Oei Tiong Ham Building. Students had the opportunity to learn more about each law firm as well as their culture, people and working practices.

Organised annually by the NUS Law Club, this is a rare chance for students to get up close and personal with the firms present. In fact, Justified had the privilege to interview 5 law firms in particular to learn more about their firm as well as their experience. The interviews are linked as follows:

During the event, students also had the opportunity to attend seminars conducted by the law firms. These included Internships and Careers in an International Law Firm, conducted by Dechert Singapore and helmed by their Managing Partner, Dean Collins. During the seminar, the panel of Partners and Associates discussed their experiences in working for an international law firm, and in particular, a local branch of such a firm. The panel also shared their experiences of working abroad and about career development opportunities in international law firms. Nicholas, a Partner in Beijing, and Timothy, an Associate, also shared their experiences as alumni of the NUS Law Faculty with attendees.

Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP held a talk titled The Early Years: Launching a Successful Career, helmed by various partners of Dentons Rodyk: Corporate Senior Partner Hsu Li Chuan, Corporate Partner Seow Jia Xian and Litigation Partner Shobna Chandran. The panel emphasised the importance of differentiating factors, such as communication skills, people management and good commercial awareness. This was particularly pertinent given students’ concerns about the volatility of the legal industry and the effect of the rise of technology.

WongPartnership LLP held a panel titled How to Get that Training Contract You Want, chaired by Ms. Audrey, a Partner in the Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions Practice as well as Mr. Jared, a Partner in the firm’s Commercial and Corporate Disputes Practice. During the talk, the students learnt more about how to stand apart from other prospective candidates, from preparing a CV all the way to during the interview. Further, the panel discussed the common mistakes people make in their application process and the factors that Recruitment Partners look out for. They also talked about how to find the area of law that one should practice in – an ever-relevant question in an increasingly competitive employment market.

Last but not least, Tan Kok Quan Partnership gave a talk titled Making the Most of Your Internships. To many a year 1 or 2 in the audience, this might be more relevant than ever. The panel was helmed by Senior Associates Geraint Kang and Eugene Low, who are involved in intern recruitment. Many students know that it is important to apply for internships, but not everyone knows how exactly to go about it. How should the students choose which firm to intern at? How do they get in? Once in, what do they do to make the most of their internship? Geraint and Eugene not only shared tips on writing one’s cover letter, but also revealed how interns at TKQP receive edifying work once in the firm before sharing their sentiments regarding people development and the future of the firm and industry.