When I was in law school, I was seriously concerned about how lawyers managed their lives and careers. How would they juggle being a parent in such a dedicated and demanding legal sector? Personally, as someone who wanted to start a family and bring children into the world, I was seriously concerned about how I could manage that as a lawyer back in law school. I confided in my sister many times, feeling anxious and worried that being a lawyer might prevent me from realising that dream.

During my time as a clerk at several law firms, I encountered people with various attitudes and perspectives on life. What saddened me was that many lawyers I met had strained family ties. They were so absorbed by their legal careers that their families were often sidelined. I came across many who were divorced and unable to maintain a basic work-life balance – and they seemed to accept their fate that the profession was like this. Sometimes, they would expect me to do the same. For me, this was something I could not accept. It was my destiny to grow with my family alongside my career, and having worked in a few firms, I wondered why the legal landscape was like this and maybe those working in the law could share more.

Maybe you can share more about what happened during the lockdown and COVID. Maybe you enjoyed the future of comfortably working from home and being with your families, but I could be wrong. I'd love to hear from those who continue to work from home a few days a week and how it has benefited them!

I genuinely believe that we can have families. We can come home to our loving partners at the end of the day and provide the love they need. We can be happier. We can be more fulfilled in our careers without being overworked. We can deliver the justice people need efficiently. We can find the right workplace that understands us as people. We can grow as individuals. I believe you can lead a better life as a lawyer, and you should believe that too. After all, you are human, and you deserve a life too.

Lawyers, I feel, just want to focus on bringing justice and positive change to their clients - to feel like they have made a difference in the world. Unfortunately the cause is firms continue to be bogged down by tedious tasks such as: legal documentation, client management, filing, marketing, and more. Legal tech has shown how easy this is for firms embracing the future and investing in more value to their clients. I think it is beautiful to see lawyers uniting with tech, breaking barriers to justice and creating better ways of living for themselves. 

I invite you to think about this positive and bright future of your profession because I think it will come soon. 

How do you think legal tech will improve your life?

I remember making the decision to study law instead of pursuing my dream of becoming an electronic engineer, a path I thought I was destined for. My family, friends, and even I were surprised, considering all the times I had helped them fix their tech, invent something cool, or astound them with my tech genius. My sister, as she sat next to me while I examined my degree options, said something like, "You're already amazing at tech. Why don't you challenge yourself and do law?" I sat there, considering her suggestion, feeling both challenged and scared. After a day or two, I made my final decision: "Yeah, why not?" My journey into the law was an absolute rollercoaster into a deep and dark abyss.

Fresh out of high school, I quickly realised I wasn't the best at everything as I had once thought. Law demanded impeccable English, clear speaking, presentation skills, and much more - skills I did not have. Studying law made me feel like an idiot! I nearly failed my first semester because I couldn't connect the dots, and just as I was on the brink of leaving law, everyone around me believed I could succeed. Maybe fate was pushing me in this direction, and the challenge is what life said I had to face.

Studying law put me at my lowest and left me feeling lost. I noticed myself slowly detaching from my existence, becoming ungrounded as I studied tirelessly every day until 2-3 am. I found it hard to connect with everyone around me, even though many would say I knew a lot of people on campus and was friendly. My emotions were buried within me, overshadowed by sorrow and uncertainty about whether law was the right choice. I've always wondered if there were other students suffering the same way. My mistake was that I never asked. I never connected with those around me and opened up. I thought I had to deal with it on my own and so I pushed people away.

This is only part of what I have to say. Of course, studying law provided me with many positives, however I believe it's about time that lawyers and law students are more open about their experiences. By sharing your personal experiences as a lawyer or law student, you contribute to shaping a more efficient, supportive, and fulfilling legal profession for yourself and others in the field.

If you are in the dark right now, the light is within you and a journey lies ahead of you. You have to ground yourself. Allow your mind, body, and your soul to release the burden. Sit there in the discomfort and vulnerability a little bit each day. Feel the emotions rise and understand them, and then let go. Talk to your most trusted friends and family. They will bring you closer to your true self and direct you to the help you need.

I will be sharing more of my personal experiences about studying and working in law, and so can you. The future of your fellow law students and learned friends depend on it, and I dare say it is your our turn. Our turn to make a change.