Flotsam & Jetsam

Small law firms are really miles apart from big law firms. The ones you see in Raffles Place with showy signboards mounted on the front of buildings are obviously the biggies. Unlike smaller firms which are cram, dilapitated spaces tucked in Chinatown and Bugis, big firms have super posh offices that scream “Come here if you’re willing to pay big bucks for my service!”

Justice is for the rich. I’ve realised that after leafing through the ongoing case files in the office. The client has to pay the lawyer $450 per hour plus a string of disbursement costs which chalk up faster than my phone bill. Transport fare, despatch services, court fees, filing fees, expert witness fees (e.g. an opinion from a doctor can cost up to $5000) and other nitty gritty sums. Yes, just charge it to Client. In fact, every cost incurred when working on a case can be attributed to somebody. Let me illustrate this with a shocking example. As part of the discovery (gathering evidence) process, lawyers of both parties must exchange the evidence they will use in court. Hence today ended in a flurry of binding and checking 10 thick binders of photostated receipts and cheque vouchers. I had to deliver a copy of this stack of evidence to a big firm in Raffles Place. The firm had to pay $438 for 2920 pages at 15 cents per copy. I balked at the hefty amount. I mean this was just evidence for a minor part of the whole case. Oh, there’s a rule that the maximum amount a law firm can charge for a photostated piece of paper is 30 cents. Pure extortion. While bundling some papers today, I exclaimed that lawyers are the number one tree killers after students. Nobody cared. It’s quite scary to see piles and piles single sided paper being churned out from the photocopier. I’m seriously considering Environmental Law as an elective next semester.

Working as an intern is not that bad. Maybe it’s because I expected the worst. I’m still not used to sticking around in the office the whole day though. The lighting of the room is soporific; I’m perpetually nodding off to sleep. I’m not given any research to do yet. It’s mostly secretarial work for now and I’m embarrassed to say that such menial jobs appeal to me since I’m always half asleep. The people there are extremely friendly and easy going. It was a surprise to see the lawyers joking with the secretaries and interns over lunch. It’s always nosiy in the office. We just celebrated a birthday today and forced a intern who’s leaving to give us a lunch treat!

I must introduce an indispensible character in our office life. It’s a 60 something year old woman working in the office next door. She is a whirlwind of energy, the bossiest and most caring person in our drab office. I keep forgetting NOT to call her ‘auntie’ but by her name instead. She comes into our office all the time and commands us to her wishes. Today, under her directions, I had to try the oat milk from Magnolia, finish up the fried rice and bring my work to do next door cos “there’s more space in my office”. I joked that she’s the boss of the law firm. Can’t say that I’m looking forward to sacrificing another of my holiday tomorrow but I’m glad I’m not feeling depressed. Only tired.