SMU Lexicon: Airplane Accidents – Understanding your rights under Article 17(1) and 21(1) of the Montreal Convention

Reading Time: 8 minutes“People who board planes are not afraid of flying. They are afraid of not flying.” – Winne Micah. Introduction October 29, 2018. Flight 610, Lion Air smashes into the Java Sea off Indonesia, killing all 189 souls aboard.[1] This is swiftly followed by Flight 302, Ethiopian Airlines, which crashes in Bishoftu, Ethiopia.[2] Again, no survivors […]

How Do I Represent Myself In A Criminal Case—And Should I Do It?

Reading Time: 9 minutesImagine that you’ve found yourself in a sticky situation: you’ve been arrested for a crime. Shoplifting, arson—maybe even vandalism. As you’re sitting in the interrogation room, one thought flashes across your mind: you need to get a lawyer.  But it’s possible that you might also have considered a very radical alternative—DIY justice. Maybe you’ve just […]

why the law is so convoluted: it's a feature not a bug
Why The Language of the Law Is So Convoluted: It’s A Feature, Not A Bug

Reading Time: 7 minutesDense, convoluted and utterly impenetrable to the layperson. One need only cast one’s eyes upon the Penal Code’s six-line, 102-word definition of ‘cheating’ to understand why this is the common perception of most legal documents.  It seems intuitive that having laws isn’t very helpful if the only way you can understand them is by taking […]

Online Bullying

Reading Time: 6 minutesThis article was written by Nadia Moynihan from August Law with the assistance of Annette Liew, an L.L.B. undergraduate at Singapore Management University’s School of Law. Cyberbullying as a phenomenon has grown exponentially over the last two decades and Singapore apparently now has the second highest incidence of cyberbullying in the world. This should not be surprising, […]

This Side of the Fence: #2 – The Client

Reading Time: 5 minutesIn this monthly series, a young litigator shares insights into his work with accused persons, especially those facing the death penalty. Each edition will walk through a particular phase of the criminal litigation process. It is his fervent hope that one day, we can all learn to empathize with, and not just vilify, those accused of […]

Lawyer Feature: Viviene Sandhu, Partner in Clifford Law, shares how she admires the Obamas, and how she takes pride in mentoring aspiring lawyers.

Reading Time: 5 minutesViviene is an experienced advocate of more than 21 years who has represented clients in all areas of civil litigation, with a primary focus on insurance and family law. Viviene has handled a broad spectrum of cases ranging from simple cases to complex and contentious matters at all levels of the Singapore Court hierarchy. From […]

SoSmall Series: Consider pooling resources with others

Reading Time: 2 minutesSoSmall Series: This series focuses to cover various technology topics for championing solo, small businesses and professionals in the legal industry.   A few months ago, I met a new law firm with two principals. They spent about US$100,000 renting and fitting out their place of business (even before they rendered their first bill). The […]

This Side of the Fence: #1 – The Charge

Reading Time: 4 minutesIn this monthly series, a young litigator shares insights into his work with accused persons, especially those facing the death penalty. Each edition will walk through a particular phase of the criminal litigation process. It is his fervent hope that one day, we can all learn to empathize with, and not just vilify, those accused of […]

SoSmall Series: Build Collaborative Relationships

Reading Time: 2 minutesSoSmall Series: This series focuses to cover various technology topics for championing solo, small businesses and professionals in the legal industry. Some months ago, I met a SoSmall regulatory services business owner who lamented about clients he had lost to others. A regulatory body had advertised a capacity/competency development scheme for his potential clients but […]

Hard-selling of beauty services and treatments gone wrong? Here’s how you can get your refund.

Reading Time: 4 minutesThe beauty industry received the highest number of consumer complaints compared to other industries in 2018. Based on Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) reports in 2018, the number of complaints totalled a shocking 1,829. Out of these complaints, 50% were concerned about the loss of prepayments due to abrupt business closures and aggressive sales tactics. Asia […]

SoSmall Series: Make your SoSmall online presence a big deal

Reading Time: 3 minutesSoSmall Series: This series focuses to cover various technology topics for championing solo, small businesses and professionals in the legal industry. An online presence today is considered essential for marketing any business. Your website may be one of the first points of contact with your client. This becomes even more critical if you are a […]

Australia: Andrew Douglas, Managing Principal of FCW Lawyers addresses why wellbeing in law firms has to be a top priority.

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe fourth Regional Law Firm Management Forum organised by The Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA) is happening in Singapore on 18 October 2019 at the Mandarin Oriental. Leading up to the forum, ALN had the opportunity to conduct an email interview with one of the speakers, Mr Andrew Douglas, the Managing Principal of FCW […]