Lawyers work in many different industries but lawyers also often specialize in a particular area. Here are some examples of the different types of lawyers that specialise in specific legal areas:

After completing a law degree (LL.B) from the recognised universities, graduates can qualify to be admitted to the Malaysian Bar by sitting for and passing the Malaysian Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP), or passing the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) in UK. After passing these, law graduates are then required to go through a nine-month training called 'chambering' or 'pupillage'. During the chambering period, aMaster (the qualified lawyer) and pupil (the law graduate) relationship must exist. Upon completing your 9 month pupillage, then you will be admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court after which, your name will be entered on the Roll to be called to the Bar and become a qualified lawyer in Malaysia.

Note: Students who graduate with a law degree from Universiti Malaya or other institutions as stipulated by the laws are not required to sit for the CLP exam. A credit in Bahasa Melayu at SPM level is required by the Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board to practise law in Malaysia.

Depending on where our lawyers graduate from, their degree might be for 3 years or for 4 years. If they graduated from local universities such as University Malaya, then their degree course takes as long as 4 years. On the other hand, if they graduated from Malaysia private universities or overseas universities such as from the UK, Australia, or even from an external programme, their course is typically 3 years long.

Attention to detail
As a Lawyer, you need to backup your client to defend his or her truth. This would take a lot of research and studying the case. You will need to question your client and other parties as well. As such, you need to be particular when framing these questions because you want that person to provide a specific answer that will help in your quest to find out the truth. Perhaps the person in question keeps changing his answer so you need to detect whether it’s the truth or a lie. Every little detail counts.

Communication skills
Are you a grammar Nazi? Do you have the gift of the gab? Besides memorising, understanding and practicing law, you also need to be an excellent communicator so that you can present your case to the judges. The way you structure your sentences, fluency in speaking and level of confidence you exude will affect your job. A professional Lawyer is one who is able to debate without allowing his or her emotions get in the way and get into an argument.

Ethical
Those in the legal profession act as a guardian of the law in preserving the harmony of the nation. Hence, it is the obligation of a lawyer to, first and foremost, uphold the highest standards of integrity, dignity and ethical conduct.

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