First day of my law attachment @ Cheang&Ariff

Just two days ago, I accepted an offer to complete a law attachment in Cheang&Ariff, a law firm located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

This is part of a program KDU is organizing to encourage students to be exposed to the working world and find out what the legal eagle life is all about. Haha.. I’ve heard many sides of many stories and here I am on my first day to find out working at a law firm would be like.

Welcome to Cheang & Ariff, this is the first day of my one month stint in the famous Loke Mansion.

Took the KJ Station LRT ride to Dang Wangi and had a nice 15 mins stroll pass Sheraton Hotel along Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Me waiting at the front reception area (pardon the quality of the pictures, shy shy la bring camera on the first alredy meh.. haha.. used my Nokia 5220 cameraphone)

This firms had about 11 partners and 11 lawyers and in total 50 over people working there including the tea lady, librarian, client care partner and even a full time cleaner!

Today, I will not introduce anyone as of now as the HR secretary introduced me to majority of the people in the whole firm in 15mins! It felt that I was introduced for namesake, haha.. how to remember all their names, they're people from the ground floor, first floor, balcony side, library, HR/Operations room and so on..

My temporary working place at the library, right in front is the 'Moongate'. Special designated area for VIP clients. The music stand thingy are before-after shots of the Loke Mansion. Basically the firm bought this heritage building for a 15-year lease and refurbished and renovated the whole place.

This is one half of the library where all the law journals, reports and acts are kept. Most of the time you’d see attachments students or chambees slaving for their lawyers. =p

1/4 of their filing rooms. Yes, it goes to the thousands. It's compilation of all the Corporate & Securities, Banking & Conveyancing, Litigation and Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property and Information Technology work that they do.

I had to wait for a lawyer who would introduce me to this one month structured plan which he prepared for attachment student but he did couldn't come to office, held up in court so I explored the firms internal website, read their 59-page handbook and browse through pictures of their trips and parties (yes they even have a portion for recreation). Checked the court lay-outs and read some pretty long-winded guideline on having good English in letters and submissions. Yes, I was too free.

Went for the hour-long lunch with a lawyer and two chambering students having Indian 'Chap Fan' but not 'Chap Fan' prices la.. super $$.


While waiting I spent the time I had there checking some law journals and interesting acts. Of course, I managed to check out the once controversial Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971. Gist is, the act doesn't allow students to get involve, show interest, sympathy or concern with 'outside' societies and political parties. It's long story but if you have the time, check out LKS and Jeff Ooi talking about it.


After that, I headed to the HR/ Operations room to learn the filing system there. I jot down the details and KIV dates of about 70 files, it's for lawyers to refer too.

It's an e-filing system. Very well planned out and organised. Every morning, a team would carry the designated files up from the containment room to the lawyers' office (1st floor) and in the evening you'd see them carry down the completed files. Some days they're up to 300 files to settle! There's all sort of cases, property agreements and banking in the files.

Here's a look of the Mansion at Jalan Medan Tunku before leaving, more pictures when I bring my camera there!
Part of the hustle and bustle of KL life, an average 615pm scene of Masjid Jamek Station.


All in all, it looks like a promising one month, can't wait to find out what would entail nexts!

It's late and I need sleep for tomorrow, tell me what you think about it!