Published on:
29 May 2024
4
min read
https://www.sal.org.sg/blog/2024-Khelvin-Xu-Covenant-Chambers-JLP
On certifications, careers, and crossroads.
The Singapore Academy of Law has just published a member feature¹ to spread the word about the new Junior Lawyers Professional Certificate Programme ("JLP").²
For the unacquainted, the JLP was announced by the Chief Justice at the Opening of the Legal Year 2024. It aims to equip lawyers of less than 5 years PQE with practical skills for disputes or corporate practice, impart management skills, and reinforce principles of professional ethics.
I think it's a great initiative. The training received by a young lawyer largely depends on the actual matters they end up getting assigned to, or what their seniors choose to expose them to. Young lawyers have little control over this process, and such an unstructured approach can lead to blind spots and unknown unknowns even after years of practice.
It therefore makes sense to implement a more structured programme that ensures at least basic grounding in what lawyers of a certain seniority are expected to be able to handle.
--
As it turned out, the SAL member feature also touched on my career so far, my recent professional pivot, and my aspirations for the future.
Many of you would know that I joined Covenant Chambers LLC in February this year.³
And if I had a nickel for every time someone asked me why I embarked on my recent professional move...
...let's just say that I'd have way more than 2 nickels.
But the story of my move is quite a personal one,⁴ and is a story which I feel is unnecessary to shout from the rooftops.
After all, I don't think my story is that special. I'm hardly the first practitioner to leave a big firm to join a chambers setup.⁵
But the interview did force me to reflect on and share some of my motivations for leaving the safety and security of a big firm to venture into the unknown.
Of course, the interview doesn't cover everything. That wasn't the main point of the feature after all. And frankly, publicly sharing all the nitty-gritties of the thought process that led to my decision is an embarrassing level of navel-gazing.
But if there's one reflection that I think is worth sharing, as I near the 4-month mark,⁶ it's this:
There's never a perfect time to take the plunge that you've been considering.
So if, you're finding yourself at a crossroads, as was the case for me some time back...
...feel free to reach out for a chat.
Mind you, I'm not saying that we should jump off a cliff without a parachute.
But sometimes, when we jump...
...we might fall...
...but we end up flying.⁷
Disclaimer:
The content of this article is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
¹ Article: https://www.sal.org.sg/blog/2024-Khelvin-Xu-Covenant-Chambers-JLP. I am indebted to Ashutosh Ravikrishnan and Mathangi Elangovan for the patience and efforts, and to Tris Xavier for the kind suggestion.
² https://www.sal.org.sg/jlp.
³ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/khelvin-xu_on-new-beginnings-today-marks-my-first-activity-7159012746640990208-Pe04; https://www.covenantchambers.com/articles/covenant-chambers-welcomes-former-rajah-and-tann-partner-khelvin-xu; https://www.covenantchambers.com/community/interview-with-khelvin-xu
⁴ And as if to prove the point - compared to my usual irreverent case notes, I have spent far longer on and struggled far more with this post.
⁵ Although in all fairness, I acknowledge that most folks don't spend 15 years at the very first firm they pupilled at, and then proceed to hang up their own shingle, without any other professional moves in-between.
⁶ That's 1/3 of the year gone, which is a fraction that holds significance for many practitioners in private practice.
⁷ For the avoidance of doubt, I make no representation or warranty as to the consequences of throwing yourself off a cliff. Please don't do that.
