GUIDANCE FOR FUTURE LAWYERS

TIPS WHILE CHAMBERING [ office politics]

1.NEVER OUTSHINE YOUR SUPERIORS.

 Always make the lawyers  above you comfortably superior. You are a new arrival- and your new colleagues will remind you (not openly)of  your position in a thousand subtle ways in the office.In your desire to please or impress them do not go too far in displaying your intellectual knowledge or talents OR you might accomplish the opposite - trigger off fear and insecurity.If you become the victim of your colleague's envy-, remember this-you have only yourself to blame. Make your superiors appear more brilliant than they are and and  no one will bother you. In fact sometimes they will come around to see how you are coping.
2. NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT
Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or moral weakness.Envy creates silent enemies.It is smart to occasionally display defects and to admit to harmless vices in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable.Only the gods and the dead can seem to be without any problems. On the other extreme- don't appear stupid in the office. They will use you like the  office help- "photostat or type this or that..."tah pau lunch for me"... and the list is endless.

APPEARANCE IN COURT.

1. Always check your Case No. with the Court interpreter first whether it is listed. Then you can go and sit down and wait for the Court to begin session. Do not be in a dreamlike state when Court is in session. When your Case no is called- be ready with your file papers.[ The Judge may want to ask you some questions, and if you start fumbling with your file then- it is a sure sign of an imcompetent, ill prepared lawyer]
 Two Situations

(a) When the Defence lawyer is present. This is how you must adddres the Court  [ contoh]

" Dengan Izin Yang  Arif . Ali Imran untuk Pihak Plaintif dan rakan bijaksana saya Encik  Jeganath untuk pihak Defenden. Hari ini sebutan pertama. YA. Saman telah diserahkan  pada ...................dan Afidavit Penyampaian taleh difailkan pada .................Pihak Defenden telah memasukkan Notis Kehadhiran. Hari ini kami memohon dari Mahkamah ini satu tarikh untuk memfailkan 'Ikatan Dokumen' ( or untuk arahan mahkamah- Summons for Direction)


From the Bench: Yang Arif directs Court Interpreter..................... Court Interpreter gives you the next date.
(b) When the Defence is not present and not filed anything.

 " Dengan Izin Yang  Arif . Lee Kar Kheng  bagi Pihak Plaintif  dan saya percaya pihak Defenden tidak menghadiri sebutan ini.Saman telah diserahkan  pada ...................dan Afidavit Penyampaian taleh difailkan pada .........Memandangkan pihak Defenden tidak menghadiri untuk menjawab atau mempertikaikan tuntutan ini, saya memohon dari Mahkamah yang mulia ini untuk merekodkan satu Penghakiman Ingkar terhadap pihak Defendan.

From the Bench the YA will order- Penghakiman Ingkar.   

Be ready with a draft copy of the Penghakima Ingkar and give it to the  Court interpreter.You will get the Sealed Order  between 3-4 weeks. If you have not prepared a draft copy,then  you have to go back and draft it and come back another day to file it at the Courts Registry.( Court Interpreter will not accept) Time -3- 6 months.

From the desk of VJ