trial.

Yesterday I attended a trial with three parties and four lawyers - the Plaintiff and his lawyer, the Defendant and its lawyer, and the Third Party and its lawyers, i.e. boss and me. 

Boss let me conduct most parts of the trial, stepping in only when I really needed help.

I watched the lawyers as they joked around about kangkung before trial.

I smiled as my boss gave the other lawyer hints about procedure during trial.

I observed their passionate but civil debate about whose client was in the right or wrong over lunch. 

I listened as they commented on my performance. 

I huffed and puffed as we climbed the court's steep (to me lah) flights of stairs to the top floor after lunch for another round of trial.

Today, I received news that a pupil-in-chambers's petition to be called to the Bar was struck out because members of the Bar objected to his admission as an Advocate and Solicitor. The pupil was deemed unfit to be an Advocate and Solicitor because he had previously been found to be an uncredible witness who had tampered with evidence and abused his power in a previous matter.

Despite us being the butt of jokes and the "lawyers can't be trusted" I hear every now and then, 

I must say, 

I'm proud to be a member of this profession.

And I'm especially proud to be a member of the legal fraternity in good ol' Malacca. 

People say nothing ever happens here, 

but I say everything I need to be a good lawyer,

is right here.

=)