Chiti reflects on her pathway into a career in law – from lunchtime university visits at SJS, to attending university in Australia and mentoring from members of our community.
As many aspiring lawyers may say “I always knew I wanted to become a lawyer” – and I did. By Grade 9 I had my mind made up that I was going to pursue a career in law. As the years progressed, my decision to pursue law solidified. So much so that I started to consider the undergraduate law pathway, which led me to research and apply in the UK. That said, I was not destined to go to the UK just yet.
Australia Calls
I never paid attention to the university visits hosted during our lunch breaks. However, on this one particular day, Ms. Chang mentioned to me in passing, a school in Australia that offered law. She encouraged me to attend and see what it was all about. Stuart Floyd, an Aussie guy with a dual degree in Law and International Relations himself, sold me on the process. I chose Australia over the UK because of the specialized Canadian programme with well-renowned Canadian professors, trimester intensive system and of course, the beautiful weather all year round.
I will forever cherish the time I spent at Bond University; I was always the youngest of my classmates, but never felt out of place. Our professors knew us by name, and the faculty was always kind and supportive, willing to help whenever we needed it. My favourite part was my time spent with the CLSA and BUIA. Bond University has an amazing Alumni mentorship programme in which I was connected with Ramone Petgrave early on in my degree.
I still remember the misconceptions everyone had about Australia. The big spiders, not being as advanced as Canada, and even racism. To my luck, I did not experience any of these. My classmates and teachers thought I was out of my mind going halfway across the world at 18. But I did it and I loved it.
Beyond University
I have had the pleasure of connecting with some of our fantastic SJS parents, Richard Pearce, Brian Lee and Lana K. Li – all partners at their respective firms. I am thankful to have such successful and supportive mentors from our community. I highly recommend taking advantage of our Alumni and parent network.
Since completing my degrees at Bond University, I have completed my accreditation process in Canada and am currently pursuing my Articles. As I reflect on my journey securing Articles, I pride myself on my resilience facing many challenges—graduating from a Covid class, being an undergraduate law student from abroad and a female of South-East Asian descent.
I attended several networking events and coffee meetings with lawyers. This allowed me to make fantastic connections and gain insights on the types of specialties and pathways to becoming a lawyer as well as workplace factors to consider. I took my unique experience and used it as a tool to connect with others in the field.
I am currently practicing Corporate and Commercial, Wills and Estates, Property, Civil Litigation and Family Law with INC Business Lawyers and Dominion Law.
I have had the pleasure of connecting with some of our fantastic SJS parents, Richard Pearce, Brian Lee and Lana K. Li – all partners at their respective firms. I am thankful to have such successful and supportive mentors from our community. I highly recommend taking advantage of our Alumni and parent network. Thank you, SJS!
