Networking Breakfast with Winning Team of Malaysian National Rounds, Jessup Moot Court Competition 2022

What is the hardest part of legal practice? What does it take to thrive as a lawyer today?

These were some of the discussion points raised during the networking breakfast in March this year between Thomas Philip and the winning team of the Malaysian National Rounds of Jessup 2022 from University of Malaya (UM).

The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, or Jessup, is the world’s largest moot court competition. The competition simulates a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, with moot participants from around 700 law schools across 100 countries and jurisdictions.

Two of the firm’s Senior Associates, Voon Su Huei and Rachel Ng, were pleased to meet up with 4 out of the 5 members of the winning team – Nevyn Vinosh Venudran, Akhmal Amaluddin, Iffah Afrina and Ignatius Joel Nathan, at the firm’s communal library cum café, Barrister’s Brew.

As part of Thomas Philip’s regular outreach programs, the breakfast was organised to scout bright legal minds, as well as provide an opportunity for students to have a casual chat with lawyers on the realities of legal practice.

Over tea and sandwiches, the well-spoken UM students revealed their painstaking preparation which led to their victory in the Malaysian National Rounds, including the special equipment they had set-up for a competition that is now conducted virtually. They shared their career aspirations and what they hoped to achieve in their legal journey.

In turn, the members of the firm relayed their experience in civil litigation, explaining that there is a unique quest of dealing with at least four entities at any given time – bosses, clients, judges and opponents. Alongside sharing the joys of practice such as the intellectual challenge involved and the sense of fulfilment in assisting a client, the Thomas Philip team did not shy away from speaking about the challenging parts of the profession. These include handling cases that have significantly altered their outlook on life, the time and energy required to thrive in legal practice, and the need to set yourself apart in the age of social media.

The conversations were rewarding to say the least, and hopefully sparked new ideas and musings on legal practice for everyone. On a parting note, one common thought shared among the breakfast participants was how the lack of social contact during the pandemic felt isolating, and how uplifting networking in person felt. It is hoped that these industrious UM students benefitted greatly from the meet-up, and that more sessions such as these can take place in the future.