Coffee with Mr Wendell Wong

Manpreet K. is an alumni MILK Scholar who is currently pursuing her passion for law. This is a short reflection written by Manpreet after meeting with Mr. Wendell Wong, a highly respected civil, commercial and criminal lawyer and MILK’s Honorary Secretary.

During the coffee meeting with Mr. Wong, we discussed topics such as the law and giving back to society. As someone who is very keen in the practice of Criminal Law, I had highlighted to Mr Wong that there is a lot of stigmas against being a Criminal defence lawyer. He then mentioned something that left an impression on me – a defence lawyer’s job is akin to that of a storyteller, our job is to tell the Accused person’s side of the story. If he did it, he did it, our job is not to lie.

He used the following analogy, something I will always remember – Imagine the scenario where an Accused person has been charged with theft. You, as his lawyer, tell the court his story,

“I’m not saying he didn’t steal. Yes, he stole, but he only stole a toothbrush.”
“Yes, he stole the toothbrush, but it was because he couldn’t afford it.”
“Yes, he stole the toothbrush, but it was because he couldn’t afford it and his mother was ill and she needed it.”

I was amazed at how by the end of the scenario, my impression of the situation had significantly changed. This “toothbrush analogy” is something I will always carry with me, especially in times of doubt. Furthermore, something that pleasantly surprised me was Mr. Wong’s strong desire to serve the community despite having an extremely busy schedule. This is also my biggest takeaway from the meeting -- a person is never too busy to give back to society! While there are many ways to give back, I learnt that the best way is to advocate and volunteer my time in a cause that I feel strongly for.

To translate my learning into action, I intend to gain different perspectives and experiences of the practice, before I enrol in university. I am also motivated to continue doing my best in assisting the MILK Scholars Ex-Co. I regard Mr Wong as an inspirational figure in the industry and hope to continue a nurturing learning relationship with him through having regular coffee meetings to seek his mentorship and guidance as I embark on my journey towards being a practising lawyer one day.