Monday, June 11, 2007
The Fun Group?!
This is odd. SCMP had a profile about the mock trial for PCLL last Saturday, and Group 10 was coined the "Fun Group." But why Fun? Why not the "Profound, Sophisticated, Thoughtful, Intelligent Group?" Had me wondering....
Life's a trial for young lawyers
Nick Gentle
Updated on Jun 10, 2007
Someone once said the only reason young lawyers hang around the courts is because they have nothing else to do, and they may have a point.
That person may have been surprised, then, to discover that the 330 or so aspiring lawyers wandering about the halls of the High Court yesterday actually had something to do.
They were taking part in the mock trial - or, more specifically, trials - of a man charged with serving an alcoholic drink to someone who was already intoxicated, a completely fictitious offence (in Hong Kong at least) designed to test the advocacy skills of the soon-to-be graduating students.
The trials were organised by Vandana Rajwani, a teaching consultant and barrister, as the final test for those studying the postgraduate certificate of laws (PCLL) at the University of Hong Kong.
Ms Rajwani likened organising the event to a military operation, co-ordinating the students, a host of volunteers and the various barristers and members of the judiciary who trained them.
"The Law Society has said they want everyone [undertaking the PCLL] to do this," Ms Rajwani said.
The students had rotated through the various roles of lawyer, counsel, judge and clerk.
As the students gathered after the conclusion of their trials, the members of Group 10 - they called themselves the "Fun Group" - seemed very happy with how their hearing had panned out.
The students said they had not been phased by the court setting, as they had already had a few oral exams in courtrooms.
Leo Hoye, from the HKU geography faculty, played the part of the accused barman and also was a witness for both the defence and prosecution.
"I thought the quality of the students was very high, not just because of their English but their technique and their knowledge was excellent," he said.
Copyright © 2007 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All right reserved
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Life's a trial for young lawyers
Nick Gentle
Updated on Jun 10, 2007
Someone once said the only reason young lawyers hang around the courts is because they have nothing else to do, and they may have a point.
That person may have been surprised, then, to discover that the 330 or so aspiring lawyers wandering about the halls of the High Court yesterday actually had something to do.
They were taking part in the mock trial - or, more specifically, trials - of a man charged with serving an alcoholic drink to someone who was already intoxicated, a completely fictitious offence (in Hong Kong at least) designed to test the advocacy skills of the soon-to-be graduating students.
The trials were organised by Vandana Rajwani, a teaching consultant and barrister, as the final test for those studying the postgraduate certificate of laws (PCLL) at the University of Hong Kong.
Ms Rajwani likened organising the event to a military operation, co-ordinating the students, a host of volunteers and the various barristers and members of the judiciary who trained them.
"The Law Society has said they want everyone [undertaking the PCLL] to do this," Ms Rajwani said.
The students had rotated through the various roles of lawyer, counsel, judge and clerk.
As the students gathered after the conclusion of their trials, the members of Group 10 - they called themselves the "Fun Group" - seemed very happy with how their hearing had panned out.
The students said they had not been phased by the court setting, as they had already had a few oral exams in courtrooms.
Leo Hoye, from the HKU geography faculty, played the part of the accused barman and also was a witness for both the defence and prosecution.
"I thought the quality of the students was very high, not just because of their English but their technique and their knowledge was excellent," he said.
Copyright © 2007 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All right reserved
Labels: Fun group, Group 10, HKU, PCLL, SCMP
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Friday, March 30, 2007
Heart of gold
I wrote this in November 2005:
"Some things that put a smile on my face:
Dunkin Donuts coffee
Egg tarts when they're hot
People arguing in Lebanese
Food joints that are open way after 11 p.m. when you're hungry
Congee
Craving for diner breakfast food
College students doing homework and hanging out in library at 2 a.m.
Older people who are young at heart
Water fountains"
Still true. Especially the college student part. I'm fortunate again to be in school and I treasure every minute I'm on campus. The intellectual discourse in and out of classrooms. The idealistic minds looking for justice and democracy. The protests. The naivete. People dancing in the hallway of K.K. Leung at 8 pm and the smell of their sweat. The water fountains. The high profile speakers being invited to speak. The late night gatherings outside of library. It all reminds me of the good old days of Cornell. The fact that I'm once again surrounded by impressionable young people and ostensibly profound discussions puts me at ease.
School is the polar opposite from the real world. The real world is full of deceit and lies and people doing terrible things to each other. If you do something stupid, you may even go to jail. And all those parking tickets too. The real world can still be fun if you have a positive mindset. But people lose interests there. They are not passionate about what they once longed for. They lose sight of the important things in life. And most of them have to take care of the cash business. Friends start to drift apart because of lack of time. Therefore, it's imperative to set your priorities straight.
Tomorrow is my last advocacy assessment. I must say I'll miss it. I must admit that I went from feeling indifferent about advovacy to really loving it now. I enjoy telling a story in front of a judge that shows my side's point-of-view. The last few advocacy exercises really made me realize I belong in the courtroom. I take great pleasure in the submission, leading the judge through the documents and cases, and presenting a clear and cogent argument. Most importantly, I've received quite positive comments from the assessors, and that really boosted my confidence. This shows how constructive comments can help a person grow. The key word here is "constructive," not "positive." I don't need praises all the time. I just need someone to acknowledge my effort. So I'll enjoy my one last presence at the High Court tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be a frequent visitor when I start my practice in August.
Someone wrote me last year saying I'm "talented, smart and have a heart of gold." Well, needless to say, that was quite a compliment. I don't care if I'm talented or smart. I DO care if I have a heart of gold. I don't want to be remembered for my contributions to society. I just want to be remembered as being a nice person. And even THAT is hard sometimes.
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"Some things that put a smile on my face:
Dunkin Donuts coffee
Egg tarts when they're hot
People arguing in Lebanese
Food joints that are open way after 11 p.m. when you're hungry
Congee
Craving for diner breakfast food
College students doing homework and hanging out in library at 2 a.m.
Older people who are young at heart
Water fountains"
Still true. Especially the college student part. I'm fortunate again to be in school and I treasure every minute I'm on campus. The intellectual discourse in and out of classrooms. The idealistic minds looking for justice and democracy. The protests. The naivete. People dancing in the hallway of K.K. Leung at 8 pm and the smell of their sweat. The water fountains. The high profile speakers being invited to speak. The late night gatherings outside of library. It all reminds me of the good old days of Cornell. The fact that I'm once again surrounded by impressionable young people and ostensibly profound discussions puts me at ease.
School is the polar opposite from the real world. The real world is full of deceit and lies and people doing terrible things to each other. If you do something stupid, you may even go to jail. And all those parking tickets too. The real world can still be fun if you have a positive mindset. But people lose interests there. They are not passionate about what they once longed for. They lose sight of the important things in life. And most of them have to take care of the cash business. Friends start to drift apart because of lack of time. Therefore, it's imperative to set your priorities straight.
Tomorrow is my last advocacy assessment. I must say I'll miss it. I must admit that I went from feeling indifferent about advovacy to really loving it now. I enjoy telling a story in front of a judge that shows my side's point-of-view. The last few advocacy exercises really made me realize I belong in the courtroom. I take great pleasure in the submission, leading the judge through the documents and cases, and presenting a clear and cogent argument. Most importantly, I've received quite positive comments from the assessors, and that really boosted my confidence. This shows how constructive comments can help a person grow. The key word here is "constructive," not "positive." I don't need praises all the time. I just need someone to acknowledge my effort. So I'll enjoy my one last presence at the High Court tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be a frequent visitor when I start my practice in August.
Someone wrote me last year saying I'm "talented, smart and have a heart of gold." Well, needless to say, that was quite a compliment. I don't care if I'm talented or smart. I DO care if I have a heart of gold. I don't want to be remembered for my contributions to society. I just want to be remembered as being a nice person. And even THAT is hard sometimes.
Labels: advocacy, college, Cornell, heart of gold, High Court, HKU, school
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