Pupillage

Professional Recruitment

What you can expect

At RDL, we believe that pupils are here primarily to hone skills and develop themselves on the way to becoming full-fledged lawyers. Learning is therefore the objective of the pupillage period. Our pupils learn to acquire practical skills in, amongst others, research, drafting, preparation of opinions, case analysis and file management, all of which will stand them in good stead in the real world of legal practice in Malaysia.

  • Under our dispute resolution practice, our pupils work on files, attend conferences with clients and attend court either to assist lawyers or on their own for non-contentious matters.
  • Under our corporate and commercial practice, pupils may find themselves helping to vet agreements, conduct research, prepare opinions and participate in due diligence exercises.
  • Under our intellectual property and ICT practice, pupils may take part in enforcement work, assist in preparing reports and submissions for the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia and research points of law.

In addition, we organise in-house Continuing Legal Education talks when partners and associates speak on various aspects of practice.

Your pupil master will be a true mentor, responsible for your progress and development and who will provide you with the necessary guidance throughout your pupillage. At the same time, a partner specifically designated as being in charge of Pupils’ Welfare meets the pupils on a regular basis to discuss any problems or issues that the pupils in the firm may have.

This stage of your growth is the best time for you to be exposed to as many areas of practice as possible. During the first 3 months of pupillage, a pupil will be assigned to each of the Practice Groups in turn so as to ensure that he or she obtains at least a taste of the various areas of practice in the firm. Thereafter, a pupil is encouraged to take the initiative to approach lawyers to seek work, taking advantage of the diversity of practice areas in RDL. We believe that this self-help approach is an essential part of a pupil’s training as this will require self-management and independence and assist our pupils to improve their self-confidence.

Retention Policy

Our policy is to recruit our associates from the pool of pupils within the fold, as far as possible. Indeed, at present, the majority of the partners themselves are home-grown (i.e they started off as pupils in the firm).

FAQ

Q: How many pupils does the firm take in a year?
A:
On average, we have about 12 -15 pupils at any one time.

Q: Does the firm discriminate between local graduates and foreign graduates?
A:
Absolutely not. We recognize that each and every one of you is unique and will evaluate each candidate individually based on his/her credentials and personality. However, a good command of the English language would be an asset, whatever your background.

Q: What do I need to submit when making an application?
A:
A covering letter and a Curriculum Vitae (or a Resume) supported by your transcripts and academic certificates will suffice. Bear in mind that the covering letter and the CV/Resume will be your first point of contact with us. You will want to create a good first impression.

Q: What is the interview like?
A:
 Interviews are conducted by a partner of the firm. We prefer to make the experience fairly informal so that you are at ease and we get an opportunity to know you better. The objective of the interview is not just to find out about your academic achievements, but also to get to know you as a person.

Q: Do I need to read up on the law prior to the interview?
A:
The interview process is meant to assess not only your understanding of legal principles, but also your thought process. Inevitably, questions about the law will crop up, although we promise not to harp on any area of the law that you have not studied. You would also be well advised to update yourself on developments in the Malaysian legal scene.

Q: What are the firm’s expectations?
A:
A good grounding in the law, the determination to learn and improve, a commitment to do one’s best would be among the things we would look at.

Q: How much allowance will I get?
A:
For pupils, the firm will pay a monthly allowance and will pay for all fees and charges associated with the filing of your call papers. The sum is comparable to other similar sized firms.

Applications may be submitted to our Recruitment Partner –

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