Godwin Tan, an LLM graduate from Queens’ College, discusses his journey to becoming a Trainee Solicitor at Allen & Overy, a global commercial law firm
I grew up in Singapore and, after two years of military conscription, I came to the UK to study Law at University College London
I was later encouraged by lecturers there to apply to Cambridge for further studies. I started the Master of Law (LLM) programme at Cambridge in 2017 and studied a range of modules including International Commercial Litigation, International Financial Law, and International Investment Law. Cambridge’s reputation draws legal experts from around the world. My classmates on the LLM included judges, professors and practising lawyers who were bright, incisive and passionate about the law. They brought with them insights from a wide range of jurisdictions (e.g. Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, Singapore, etc.), which made discussions vibrant and challenging.
I found myself growing very quickly in such an intellectually stimulating environment…
As a Masters student, I assisted the Cambridge University Law Society and Queens’ Bench Law Society with judging mooting competitions (where undergraduate law students competed against each other) and attended guest legal seminars (where distinguished speakers travelled to Cambridge to speak about particular legal topics). Whilst the cut and thrust of sharp legal discourse is often memorable, my best memories involved time spent with my classmates cooking ramen in winter, icing gingerbread cookies for a Christmas potluck, and rushing after morning lectures to the (underrated) Thai food truck in the Cambridge Market Square. I also have fond memories of singing with the Queens’ Graduate Choir and the Trinity Singers and being serenaded by The King’s Singers and various college choirs. In 2018, I graduated with First Class Honours and was admitted as a Foundation Scholar at Queens’ College.
Don’t try to be amazing at everything; very few of us are, and none of us really need to be
I am now a Trainee Solicitor at Allen & Overy (A&O), a global commercial law firm in London
My father is a mechanic and my mother is a nurse so, growing up, I did not know of anyone who went to law school or worked in a law firm. In this sense, it was never part of my plan to be an international commercial lawyer. However, I soon realised in law school that I was more interested in subjects like contract law and trusts and equity, and through attending career events, became more exposed to commerce and business. Therefore, I decided to apply for training contracts and ultimately accepted A&O’s offer.
I am currently seated in the Project Finance, Energy and Infrastructure group and will rotate departments once every six months. In the past few months, I’ve worked on infrastructure and energy projects (e.g. involving roads, trains, buildings, and tunnels). On a ‘typical’ day (if there is one), I’d be analysing finance documents (e.g. looking at clauses in a loan agreement and determining if they’re commercial, practical, legal and bankable) and project documents (e.g. amending concession agreements to ensure that the parties are compliant with data protection regulations). The A&O team is widely recognised as the market leader in project finance and expectations are high at all levels, which makes my job exciting.
In addition to this, I sometimes advise at free legal clinics, represent vulnerable applicants at benefits hearings, and sing with the A&O choir.
My advice to upcoming graduates who may be stressed about deciding what they want to do:
First, you’ll be working for a considerable amount of time, so there is no need to rush into any profession.
Some people know what they want to do very early on and that’s fine. But if you’re not like that, that’s fine as well because in the grand scheme of things, it won’t mean much to take more time to decide what you want to do. The trainee solicitors in my intake have different backgrounds. Some have worked for years before applying to be a solicitor. Others are fresh out of university. We all have our own paths to take.
Secondly, the best way to know what you want to do is to actually do it.
Apply for open days and vacation schemes, even if you’re not sure that’s the profession you want to join. Also, talk to people from various professions, and find those who will be honest with you. When I was at university, I invited senior students and alumni out for coffee to learn more about their careers and sought tips on how to stand out in the application process.
Thirdly, while it’s satisfying to obtain high grades, you don’t need a First to be great in most professions.
Decent grades will reflect discipline and tenacity (given how gruelling Cambridge’s examinations are) and will widen your career options, but also remember to do a few interesting extra-curricular activities for personal development. You will also have more to talk about in application forms and interviews.
Lastly, as a general rule of thumb, choose a profession or company that you are proud of and work that you are genuinely interested in.
After all, it’s the pride in your work and the intellectual satisfaction you derive from it that will motivate you.
Academic excellence can be very helpful when you’re looking for a job, but once you’ve started working as a trainee solicitor, more is required, e.g. interpersonal skills, attention to detail and composure under pressure. Don’t try to be amazing at everything; very few of us are, and none of us really need to be. I’ve learnt from senior lawyers that it might be better for young lawyers to focus on one or two key strengths and to hone those strengths into unique selling points. After all, we all have certain things we are better at, or more passionate or knowledgeable about. Become the go-to person for such things.
Furthermore, remember that your academic training at Cambridge will be valued in legal practice. More often than not, precision in black letter law is crucial in adding value as a newcomer in the profession and will help one to stand out. The important thing, however, is to always balance academic rigour with commercial thought. Think, from the client’s perspective, how a certain legal point would help the client and, crucially, whether the extent of benefit is worth the time and money spent dwelling on the point.
Something few people know about me…
I write poetry, and a few of my poems have been published. They’re not wildly popular but have their loyal following.