Saturday, July 07, 2007

Admitted!!! Finally:) ...終于是律師了... やっと弁護士になる...

I've finally been admitted to practice in Australia!!!!!!!!! This is the highlight of my study life and the final end product of all my years of studying. Basically, my FIVE years of Law School+THREE months of Grad. Dip in Legal Practice+OVER THREE months of formal legal work experience=Admission as a Solicitor of New South Wales, Australia...yes!!!!!

The Admissions Ceremony was held on July 6th 2007. I was informed of my approval in late June and i attended the ceremony which are on fixed dates each yr at the Supreme Court of NSW. I've been there a couple of times before already on errands during my legal clerkship days (being a lawyer/law clerk means u get so used to going to courts and govt departments that it really isn't exciting as it may be with the average person) so i knew how to get there as well as the usual security procedures..in fact nowadays, i'm pretty quick at getting thru the security checks, u just get used it:)

It was a very formal ceremony with suits and ties,etc and the judges came in to admit us newbies and we had to stand and nod to them when our names were called out...it was pretty cool...one thing that did surprise me was that out of the three student attendants they had (the attendants basically open the doors and push the chairs for the judges) two of them were Chinese!! I was like wow...and most of the newly admitted Asian lawyers were also Chinese (by their names) with Indians coming next...as a note, the Chinese male attendant was pretty cute (he had a very model-type face but so-so body)...after we all went to sign our names on the roll and got our Official Certificate of Admission to Practice Law in New South Wales.

So i am happy!!! I mean its what i've been working towards achieving my whole studying life and there are not many professions where you actually attend such a formal ceremony to recognise your occupation right? Certainly not accountants, business majors, architects, engineers, or even doctors for that matter! In fact, i think only the legal profession requires such an elaborate ceremony with the others either having no ceremonies(just official exams) or a minor private ceremony...

Anyways, i still don't know whether i want to practice law or take up a legal career as a job as believe me, its so dull and boring in real life...NOTHING like the american tv shows you see...even criminal law is so boring, if u've ever attended a court hearing on murder or rape, u'd know what i'm talking about...the legal career seems glamorous and all ( i mean almost the first reaction anyone gives me when i tell them i study law is that 'wahhh...you must be so smart, law must be soooo hard' kind of look) and don't get me wrong i love the prestige and respectability associated with having been in law school and being a qualified solicitor....but seriously, the average lawyers life, for me at least, seems sooo dull and monotanous.....hhhmmm...
Let's see how it goes!

Do congratulate me:)


July 7th , 1937- July 7th, 2007: 70th Anniversary of Start of Sino-Japanese War and WW2:
On another note, today is the 70th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge incident (盧溝橋 事件)that sparked the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War and WW2 and the start of Japan's full-scale invasion of China( 抗日戰爭 ) to last till the end of WW2. This date holds significance for the Chinese and is similar to the date Sept 1, 1939 in significance to the Europeans. For the western world, WW2 may have started in September and in 1939 (history being essentially still quite euro-centric which really pisses an Asian historian like me off Real bad...but anyways, for the Chinese, WW2 will ALWAYS start on July 7, 1937 (and Japanese aggression in China starting in 1931 with the annexation of Northeast China). So u won't find me EVER saying WW2 starts in 1939 cos thats just an 'America/Europe historical view' as far as i'm concerned.

WW2 starts in 1937. Started on July 7, 1937 and ended on August 15, 1945.

This date is commemorated every July 7th with this yr being a special yr in it being the 70th anniversary of both the start of Japanese invasion as well as the Nanking Massacre. It was notably low-key this yr with only one official event, being a new exhibition of the Sino-Japanese War and accompanying photo exhibition of warcrimes committed by Japan at the Marco Polo Bridge and no official speeches from Chinese government officials. It is clear the Chinese government didn't want any commemorations to harm Sino-Japanese relations which are just getting better since a change of PM last year.
A new completely American made and funded Sundance documentary on the Nanking Massacre 'Nanking' with Ted Leonsis, vice-President of AOL coming up and funding the project was also released in China on July 7th. I'll post more on this documentary as well as other forthcoming films dealing with the Nanking massacre later in August with what has become my annual ritual post commemorating the end of WW2.
links to Marco Polo Bridge Incident (Start of WW2) 70th Anniv.: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070708a4.html
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1026/5959212.html

16 comments:

Philosophical Anarchist said...

congratulations...you have finally achieved your life dream....what would your next goal be....would you consider settling permanently in Australia itself?

Anonymous said...

Congratulations and welcome. Could be all downhill from here, though.

Philosophical Anarchist said...

What other nationalities or ethnicities do your fellow lawyers come from? just out of curiosity...thank you

hcpen said...

hari deepak: thanks, thanks:) Others are from various places, too many for me to list includng Caucasian Australians of cos...by the way, where are you from hari deepak? How old are you?

hcpen said...

marcelproust: yeah, i've been warned..haha..thanks for ur congrats and i had a look at your blog, you write pretty eloquently, one that befits a barrister.

Philosophical Anarchist said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
hcpen said...

hari deepak: why no answer? i'm sad:(

Philosophical Anarchist said...

i am from india. my age is 21 years. i am a final year engineering student.....

hcpen said...

hari deepak: Namaste! Good to have a reader from India:)

Anonymous said...

Reminded by your link, I just clicked on BeijingorBust. Great to see that 吴皓 is "finally officially free!"

lucas said...

Congrates Dude

hcpen said...

marcelproust: Yes!!! I didn't know you also read his blog..thanks actually for bringing it up as i didn't know that he had started writing again as i checked so many times before but he never wrote a new post for an entire year!

nineteenseventyfive: Thanks 1975:)

Kihu said...

congrats eh ! :)

Anonymous said...

congrats hc... well done.

hcpen said...

famezgay: Thanks:) I haven't seen your comment in ages!! Come visit and leave me a comment more lar..!

hcpen said...

jw: Thanks, as always:)