WHY I WANT TO BE A LAWYER

I have to confess that the answer to this question did not come easily to my mind when I decided to join the Faculty of Law. At that time the question “What is the law and who is the lawyer?” was still neglected. In my naivety I just thought about those swish lawyers in the American TV series, and the money and lifestyle which I could earn from it. It’s true- I made my mind purely on that basis. Fortunately, having spent a few years at university, such trivial dreams were soon dispensed, and the answer and reason why I am here seem now to be rather clearer.

I recognize the law as one of the important mechanisms in maintaining balance in society. Laws -and this includes good lawyers- should be regarded as powerful tools to resolve social problems and tensions. Many of my friends ask me the question why are laws so unclear and confusing- even lawyers argue among themselves about them! Some even say it’s deliberate- if we had clear laws we might need fewer lawyers? Sometimes there is no one acceptable solution, and we end up with more conflict within our society. The question is “Is law really good for our society?” Well, yes, of course, but we have to accept that laws are necessarily general in nature, so it is not possible to create laws that can fix all problems or provide justice and fairness in all cases. Given the imperfections and limitations of language, the lawyer has an important role in interpreting laws in specific situations in order to protect the underlying spirit of the law, and provide appropriate justice. So, though we may be blessed with good laws, justice cannot be done without good lawyers. To make a long story short, one of the diving forces which draw me to law is the desire to be part of this process, to use my own knowledge and wisdom to reinforce the spirit of law and help bring peace in my community.

Apart from dispensing justice, a second important role for a lawyer is of course his role in the function of business. This role is also interesting to me and is the mainstay of most law firms. In law firms, as the saying goes, the client is king and, of course, always right. The question then becomes “Who do we really serve?” So we see a contradiction between the role of a public lawyer (who serves society) and the law firm (whose first responsibility is to the client). Therefore, all lawyers inevitably must face moral conflicts within themselves.

Though I am not yet so familiar with the workings of law firms, I would like to be a lawyer who serves both the public and my clients equally. I know this tough job will be really challenging. I will have to solve the client’s problems and defend his benefits without damaging public interest. This two-sided mission is quite different from that of the judge. Whilst the lawyer has to identify arguments to protect the client’s interest under the law, the judge on the other hand simply determines whether such arguments are in compliance with the law, or not. Therefore, I think a successful lawyer has to be analytical, articulate, pro-active and imaginative. And that is why I am drawn to law as a profession, rather than the many other occupations through which I might also contribute to social justice.

In the end, I realize I do not yet have the experience to be confident that my thoughts and arguments are realistic and practicable. However, I do know that it will surely be very challenging. Nevertheless I am determined to work hard to realize my dream, which is to have an opportunity to contribute to the law profession, and to the fair dispensation of justice to all. •

CONSTITUTION ISSUE 1 JUN-SEP 2007 Kongkoch Yongsavasdikul 1st Year Lawyer, Alumni of Thammasat University Faculty of Law
		NEW GENERATION: WHY I WANT TO BE A LAWYER by Kongkoch Yongsavasdikul

		I have to confess that the answer to this question did not come easily to my mind when I decided to join the Faculty of Law. At that time the question “What is the law and who is the lawyer?” was still neglected. In my naivety I just thought about those swish lawyers in the American TV series, and the money and lifestyle which I could earn from it. It’s true- I made my mind purely on that basis. Fortunately, having spent a few years at university, such trivial dreams were soon dispensed, and the answer and reason why I am here seem now to be rather clearer. I recognize the law as one of the important mechanisms in maintaining balance in society. Laws -and this includes good lawyers- should be regarded as powerful tools to resolve social problems and tensions. Many of my friends ask me the question why are laws so unclear and confusing- even lawyers argue among themselves about them! Some even say it’s deliberate- if we had clear laws we might need fewer lawyers? Sometimes there is no one acceptable solution, and we end up with more conflict within our society. The question is “Is law really good for our society?” Well, yes, of course, but we have to accept that laws are necessarily general in nature, so it is not possible to create laws that can fix all problems or provide justice and fairness in all cases. Given the imperfections and limitations of language, the lawyer has an important role in interpreting laws in specific situations in order to protect the underlying spirit of the law, and provide appropriate justice. So, though we may be blessed with good laws, justice cannot be done without good lawyers. To make a long story short, one of the diving forces which draw me to law is the desire to be part of this process, to use my own knowledge and wisdom to reinforce the spirit of law and help bring peace in my community. Apart from dispensing justice, a second important role for a lawyer is of course his role in the function of business. This role is also interesting to me and is the mainstay of most law firms. In law firms, as the saying goes, the client is king and, of course, always right. The question then becomes “Who do we really serve?” So we see a contradiction between the role of a public lawyer (who serves society) and the law firm (whose first responsibility is to the client). Therefore, all lawyers inevitably must face moral conflicts within themselves. Though I am not yet so familiar with the workings of law firms, I would like to be a lawyer who serves both the public and my clients equally. I know this tough job will be really challenging. I will have to solve the client’s problems and defend his benefits without damaging public interest. This two-sided mission is quite different from that of the judge. Whilst the lawyer has to identify arguments to protect the client’s interest under the law, the judge on the other hand simply determines whether such arguments are in compliance with the law, or not. Therefore, I think a successful lawyer has to be analytical, articulate, pro-active and imaginative. And that is why I am drawn to law as a profession, rather than the many other occupations through which I might also contribute to social justice. In the end, I realize I do not yet have the experience to be confident that my thoughts and arguments are realistic and practicable. However, I do know that it will surely be very challenging. Nevertheless I am determined to work hard to realize my dream, which is to have an opportunity to contribute to the law profession, and to the fair dispensation of justice to all. •



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