A few pointers from a lao jiao who remembers how painful it can be to be a junior. Not the most zai in my batch (not even close) but surviving. I'm a corporate / transactional lawyer so this might not be applicable to you if you intend to be a disputes lawyer.

- Most things you've learnt in law school are useless. It's useful background knowledge at most.

- Be as meticulous as possible. Seniors are counting on you to be their safety net. Yes it's a little unfair but that's unfortunately how it works.

- Know your role as a lawyer - it's not just to recite / apply the law. The law is just one of the tools that are at our disposal to achieve the client's objective.

- Read widely. Understand the context of the matter as much as you can (e.g. what does the client want to do, and why?). Often times I got "lost in the sauce" because I didn't understand the objective of the work well - the work came back less-than-satisfactory. Understanding the matter will inform your work.

- Expect to get your work torn apart. Expect setbacks and scoldings. These are just part and parcel of the learning process. You can feel bad but don't feel sorry for yourself. The best thing you can do is to bounce back and learn as much as you can from your mistakes.

- No one is expecting you to be brilliant or get everything from day 1 (those who do are ****ing crazy). But what they expect from you is enthusiasm, good attitude, and to try to be at least a little hardworking.

- I like to tell my juniors to be like a duck - in 2 ways. One, setbacks should roll off you like water off a duck's back. Two, paddle really hard underwater and stay cool on the surface. Not always practical advice... But I suppose it's aspirational.

- Try to find outlets for your stress. These will save your life.

- Therapy is not taboo.

These are some just to start...