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Old 06-11-2018, 01:46 AM
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I've been following this thread for a long time, and as a graduate from one of the UK 'degree mills' that are so maligned here, I'd like to speak up for us.

First, I think many of you misunderstand what it takes to get FCH from one of these schools. In most cases it's not a walk in the park. I didn't study at KCL (a school which for some reason everyone thinks churns out FCH) but having studied in London, I think a fair assessment of KCL is that though in truth its exams may not be as rigorous as the other London schools, the FCH graduates it produces are of as high a quality as those you'd find anywhere in the UK. Many of them go on to take the BCL/Cambridge LLM. Conversely you see PSC scholars at KCL who don't manage to get a first. All that is meant to say that it's not as easy as everyone seems to think.

Second, even if I'm wrong and in fact FCH from these schools don't mean anything, I don't know why people think Part A isn't a sufficient screen for overseas graduates. Correct me if I'm wrong, but around half of us failed the most recent Part A exams. So for each UK grad that's 'stealing your jobs', there's another UK grad that didn't even qualify to practice in SG. And that's not something that having connections can help with.

Third, it's not like all of us have connections. In fact I would say most people don't have connections strong enough to get them a TC with a big firm. In most cases, that "connection" means that you might get an internship that you otherwise might not. True, it's an advantage to get your foot in the door, but after that you still have to impress lawyers at the firm enough that they'd want to work with you. And we certainly lose out to Singaporean students, who by virtue of living in Singapore can attend open days, networking events, reach out to lawyers for coffee, etc.

But to be honest, I don't really think making all these comparisons between UK/SG is worthwhile. In some senses it's an apples and oranges comparison. UK grads might have an easier time in law school, and in some cases enjoy privileges and connections that make it easier to get a job, but Part A is difficult, and not being in SG makes it harder to connect with SG lawyers and firms. SG grads have a tougher time at NUS/SMU, may not have as many connections, but don't face the Part A obstacle and can network much more effectively in SG. Who's to say which group is better off, can find jobs more easily, or will become better lawyers? Take a quick look at the CVs of leading lawyers in SG, and you'll find that they vary greatly. Not everyone got FCH, or went to a top law school, or studied overseas. But each of them, by some combination of hard work and fortuitous opportunity, managed to succeed in their own way.

My advice to anyone, UK or SG grad alike, who thinks that the system is stacked against them, is this: take ownership of your life. Don't be resentful - that gets you nowhere. Everyone's story is different - there's no reason to think that someone's a better/worse lawyer simply because they're from a UK 'degree mill' or NUS/SMU.
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