PROGRAMMES | LUMEN
19
SJI Professional Speaker Series :
Mr Lok Vi Ming
By Keith Law Bing Bing Feng and Regine Ng Rui Jing
On 6 March 2019 , the Year 6 students were privileged to attend a talk by Mr Lok Vi Ming , a distinguished Senior Counsel with more than three decades of legal experience . He was the President of the Law Society of Singapore in 2013 and 2014 , and is currently the managing director of LVM Law Chambers . He was the first speaker to launch SJI ’ s Professional Speaker Series which aims to inspire and ignite the youths at SJI to reach our fullest potential but , at the same time , to stay true to our call to serve the last , the lost and the least . Despite his outstanding resume and a list of generous accolades of the effectiveness and incisiveness of his advocacy skills as a litigation lawyer , this renowned silverhaired lawyer addressed us in a humble and conversational fashion , sharing with us all sorts of anecdotes from his youth and during his pioneering years in the law industry .
To many of us , it was a unique and motivating experience witnessing such an eminent figure recount all sorts of relatable yet intimate experiences , showcasing his admirable passion for living life not just as a lawyer , but as a fellow human himself . Not only does he uphold all of his responsibilities , but he also goes the extra mile by setting his goals high and enacting all sorts of measures to ensure they are realized , be it concerning his school , work commitments and his marriage . While he may currently epitomise the career success which every one of us covets , during the talk we learnt about the various hardships which he had to overcome – an equally important facet that many frequently dismiss when idolising someone successful . He also believed in the divine intervention of God in both his entry into the legal profession and throughout his distinguished career .
Aligning itself with this notion , during the talk Mr Lok shared how his career path into law was a spontaneous and unexpected one . Having initially set his sights on studying Medicine , he pursued a science-centric course in Junior College to attain the relevant qualifications . However , having lost interest in becoming a doctor along the way , he made an unplanned change and applied for the Law faculty . And he thought he failed in his interview for admission to the National University of Singapore as he told Professor S Jayakumar , then Dean of the Law Faculty , that the Law course was a “ leftover choice ” since he also disliked Engineering . Mr Lok felt very foolish after the interview but he passed the interview and began his training to be a lawyer .
He was determined to use his craft as a lawyer to do work that was meaningful . Despite this sudden change in career choice , he put his best foot forward and eventually excelled at his new environment , a testament to his power of determination and diligence in staying focused amid unexpected adversities and problems – a takeaway many of us students identified with . Mr Lok was particularly committed to the cause of justice for the weak and helpless in society . As such he was actively involved in taking on pro bono legal cases and was also actively involved in many meaningful fundraising activities which started from his university days .
While the anecdotes he shared revolved around his personal life more so than his working life , we students were not any less inspired by his work ethic , exemplified not just through his professional career but rather through every single task that he undertook . To us students , the stories belonging to his youth resounded with us the most , reminding us that age is not a limiting factor ; that as long as we commit to our goals , persevere when challenges strike , remain humble and grateful , we will be able to achieve them eventually . Mr Lok also ended his address with a tribute to our generation , that he had faith in us because we represent a passionate generation that would rise to the occasion for the worthy causes that we believe in . An excellent speaker , Mr Lok ’ s words certainly acted as a driving force for the student body , and his invaluable life experiences will indubitably propel us forward in our academic journey and beyond .
This page ( top ): Mr Lok Vi Ming , MD , Senior Counsel
This page ( bottom ): Mr Lok speaking to students after the talk