PROF GOH YIHAN: “THE WORLD WILL STILL BE VERY INTERNATIONALISED”

Does overseas exposure count for something in a post-pandemic world? Absolutely, says the Dean of the SMU School of Law.

 

Listening to Professor Goh Yihan’s memories of his three months in London is like hearing someone talk of a bygone era, when terms like “coronavirus” were the stuff of medical journals, not daily chatter. But while the times are radically different, the value of such an experience hasn’t diminished, shares Prof Goh, the Dean of the Singapore Management University (SMU)’s School of Law. “Say what you will, but the world will still be a very internationalised one, especially to a country like Singapore, even after COVID-19.”

Prof Goh’s own time in the British capital was a result of the Singapore Academy of Law Post-Qualification Overseas Attachments, which he was offered in 2014. These attachments offer bright young lawyers an opportunity to gain international experience and exposure from short stints at leading British barristers' chambers. As he recalls, he had applied for the attachment to get a better sense of life in practice—despite his commitment and fondness for academia.

“I’ve always believed that to be a good academic and teacher, you can’t just know about the law from a theoretical point of view. There is a need for academics to connect with practice,” Prof Goh explains. “Having an idea of what’s going on in practice, the practical considerations and concerns a practitioner has, and how he or she makes arguments in court … these actually make you a better academic, so long as you don’t lose sight of your primary role as an academic.”

LESSONS ALL AROUND
Armed with this belief, he applied for the programme in 2014 and flew to London for a three-month stint that year. During his time there, he was rotated between barristers. “By the end of the stint, I had a chance to work and interact with six barristers with varying styles,” he shares. “Some would ask you to sit in their office with them, as if you were their pupil, discussing cases in detail and involving you in every part of the process. Others will be more hands-off and just share their case files.” Irrespective of the approach, Prof Goh said there was still an element of learning, because they always welcomed questions.

He adds that the barristers do a good job of gauging the experience and contribution of those attached to their chambers. “So although someone coming fresh out of law school may contribute very differently from someone who’s had five years in practice, the barristers will be able to sense this and tailor their teaching accordingly,” explains Prof Goh.

But he stresses that those making their way to such attachments must know what they want to get out of them. “Time will fly by very quickly and before you know it, you’ll be back home. Go there knowing what you want to see and do, so that you make the most of your time—and share this with the barristers!”

OVERSEAS STINTS POST-COVID
Our initial chat with Prof Goh was in the early days of COVID-19, at a time the halt of travel still seemed unfathomable. To complete this piece, we spoke to him in the middle of June, by which point the unfathomable had become the norm. We then asked him how he felt about overseas exposure given the events of the past few months.

“Although the world has certainly become more closed due to the pandemic, if history has taught us anything, it is that the world was gradually open up again. This is especially important for a small country like Singapore, which must remain connected with the rest of world, in every sense of the word. The value of being able to hone our lawyering skills by an overseas experience, and to experience a different culture, will thus always remain valuable.”

Interested in landing yourself some time overseas as well? These are some of the Singapore Academy of Law’s various initiatives that can get you there:

·        The Christopher Bathurst Prize honours the memory of Christopher Bathurst QC (1934-2009) and invites young lawyers and legal students to submit written arguments for a given problem. The contributor of the best entry will win an all-expenses-paid 2-week internship with Fountain Court Chambers in London. The internship will take place at a mutually agreed between the winner and Fountain Court within a year of the announcement of the winning entry. Applications for the Christopher Bathurst Prize 2020 are now open. Learn more.

·        The Singapore Academy of Law Post-Qualification Overseas Attachments that were mentioned in this article were inaugurated in 2011 to expose deserving young lawyers to best global practices in litigation or arbitration. However, in light of the present situation, SAL regrets to inform that no attachments will be offered this year. 

·        The ECC-SAL International Mooting Competition, co-organised yearly by the members of Essex Court Chambers (ECC) and SAL allows young lawyers to showcase and hone their skills as advocates. The winning team will be offered an all-expenses paid two-week internship at Essex Court Chambers in London. Learn more.

A LIFE IN THE LAW

Professor Goh Yihan
Called to the Bar: 2011

Goh Yihan is Dean and Professor at the School of Law, Singapore Management University. His research focuses primarily on the law of contract and torts, with a secondary interest in the principles of statutory interpretation and the legal process.