Patricia Lam
After obtaining an LLB from CUHK with First Class Honours, with the benefit of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowship for Overseas Studies Patricia Lam gained her BCL from the University of Oxford and then returned to CUHK for the PCLL which she passed with distinction. She was awarded the Bar Scholarship and the Charles Ching Memorial Scholarship from the Bar Association in 2012 and was called to the bar in 2013, joining the Chambers of Warren Chan SC where she has developed a practice in civil and public law and has additionally taken on the role of contributing editor to the White Book.
Asked about her time at CUHK, she describes having “wonderful memories” and says that, looking back, the thing she most appreciates was “the ability to study law in its political and social context” which has served her well in her subsequent career – she also now sits on the Hong Kong Bar Association Special Committee on Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights.
Patricia says she has found life at the bar “filled with fascinating challenges and excitement” – challenging because it is very competitive but at the same time exciting because of the thrill of appearing in court, citing as an example the obtaining of an urgent injunction at the time of Occupy Central.
Her advice to law students considering the bar as a career? “Get as much experience as you can as early as you can to broaden your horizons by undertaking mini-pupillages, internships and overseas exchange programmes.”
Nancie Nishigai-Zhu
Nancie Nishigai-Zhu took a BA in French, Spanish and journalism in 2006 and then started her career as an on-line journalist and news anchor for Asia Television. In 2008 she took up a JD course at CUHK where she was ranked first in her year winning a Gold Scholarship for academic excellence in consecutive years, followed by completion of the PCLL during which she won further academic distinction, including the HKSAR Government Scholarship for Outstanding Academic Achievement and the Hong Kong Bar Association Prize for Trial Advocacy She plays the piano and in her student days won a number of singing contests, considering at one time a career as a professional singer. She is now an associate at the US law firm Skadden Arps, working in the corporate finance department.
Says Nancie “I look back very fondly on my time at CUHK, not only did it set me off well on my chosen career path but I also made some great friends, including some of my teachers who have been mentors to me throughout my studies and beyond.” She found TV journalism to be a “tough, ruthless business”, confessing that the seeming glamour of television disappears very quickly when you have to get down to the nitty gritty of a reporter’s work or handle the high-stress atmosphere of a television newsroom. “Because we were a small team running a live newscast daily, not only did I have to produce at least two stories every day, I also had to multi-task and voice-over stories and video-edit them, all of which had to be done before 6 pm so I would have time to get my makeup and hair done to present the 7:30 pm evening news!”. After this, she says dealing with difficult clients or demanding partners came a little easier than she expected.
Asked for her advice to potential corporate solicitors, she says that quickly gaining an understanding of accounting and finance principles is important for working with investment banks and multinational corporations on mergers and acquisitions and initial public offers, but adds: “enjoy your time as a student and soak up as much information and knowledge as you can while you have time, life is about to get busy”.
Justin Ho
With a BA degree (Cum Laude Honours) in Political Science & International Relations from Tufts University already under his belt, in 2009 Justin Ho went on to obtain a JD degree from CUHK, ranking first overall in his class and receiving Outstanding Graduate of the Faculty of Law at the 67th Congregation of the University. Then to Oxford where he obtained a BCL with Distinction and finally Harvard Law School in 2011 for an LLM, before returning to CUHK to sit the PCLL course in 2012, which he passed again with Distinction. Among his many honours and awards Justin says that he prizes most his 2012 Bar Scholarship, which he says was a “considerable honour”.
After completing his pupillage, Justin Ho commenced full practice at the Bar in 2013 becoming a member of Temple Chambers. He says that his focus has been mainly upon civil and commercial disputes and he has appeared either as lead advocate or junior in several reported cases at First Instance, Court of Appeal and Court of Final Appeal.
Asked about his time at CUHK, Justin considers that of greatest benefit to him were the small informal student study groups (he says that the members of his group still remain friends) and also the mooting experience – he participated in both the Vis and Jessup mooting competitions, becoming Hong Kong Champion in the latter in 2012. He says that mooting is something all would-be lawyers should try to do, providing a number of benefits such as increased self-confidence and experience in legal analysis and presenting a case outside a purely academic environment.
When questioned about his other interest there is a bit of a pause “well, I am a keen sportsman, particularly basketball – or at least I was. Nowadays I don’t have time for much apart from the law” he confesses. But he hopes to resume his sporting interests at some point in the future.
His advice to those considering the bar as a career? “Do it if you really are really interested in the law. It is challenging but worth it, although you have to be comfortable working independently”, says Justin.