This issue, we invited Mr Benjamin TSANG, a graduate from the Bachelor of Social Sciences with a major in International Studies at Lingnan University in 2012. Initially drawn to the TV industry as a scriptwriter, he eventually became a barrister-at-law after various twists and turns. During the interview, he demonstrated a humble and pragmatic attitude, let’s share his unique journey of becoming a barrister-at-law.
Reflecting on University Life and Balancing Growth Benjamin described himself as a normal student who is not an outstanding grade-A scholar. He spent a considerable time finding his own learning style and ultimately achieving an unexpected satisfying public exam result that allowed him to enter Lingnan University. He explains the reason of choosing Bachelor of Social Sciences, "Those who want to become doctors would choose biology and chemistry from high school, but I never had a clear concept of career planning. I selected language, social science, and philosophy in JUPAS based on my interest."
In Year 1, Lingnan University required social science students to cover various fields, including politics, economics, and psychology. When it came time to choose a major in Year 2, Benjamin hoped to broaden his horizons and therefore picked “International Studies”. This programme includes courses like Foreign Policy of the United States, International Relations in Northeast Asia, and more, allowing him to gain widen exposure to international relations in the aspects of politics and economics.
During his university years, Benjamin lived in Hall B for one year, participated in a short-term exchange programme in Beijing, and joined AIESEC. To this day, he remains in touch with his hostel mates and AIESEC friends. He points out that the geographical advantage of Lingnan allowed students to develop closer relationships, as it was easy to run into different classmates whether in the canteen or classroom corridor. He recounted one impressive study experience: "There was a course related to North Korean politics, and right before our group presentation, North Korea had launched a missile that impacted other countries. My teammates and I immediately revised our report to stay current with the latest events."
He also shared a small regret from his student days, which was his first lesson in personal growth. "Lingnan University had offered me an exchange opportunity in New York, but due to financial constraints, even though the SSC (Student Services Centre, now the Office of Student Affairs) provided a subsidy for exchange students, I could not afford the remaining costs and had to reluctantly give up the opportunity." He encourages the students to try oversea exchange programme if the financial situation allows, as it is difficult to escape from work for such an experience later in life.
Experiencing the Layoff: From TV Scriptwriter to Law Student In addition to majoring in International Studies, Benjamin was deeply impressed by his minor in Chinese Writing. This subject had a significant impact on his career development after graduation. Creative Media Writing was part of the curriculum, which included an assignment to write a novel. Benjamin incorporated his three years of university experiences into the novel, using his personal growth and struggles as the theme, and he achieved a near-perfect score. When he was about to graduate in Year 3, he accidentally discovered that the media company "HKTV" was recruiting crews and he submitted the assignment he was proud of. After multiple rounds of interviews, he secured his first full-time job after graduation - as a TV scriptwriter. At the time, all his supervisors were the acclaimed creators of the TV series he had been watching since childhood, such as A Kindred Spirit, The File of Justice, Armed Reaction, and War of the Genders. During his employment, he also joined an action-comedy team, and his supervisor recommended him to refer to Old Time Buddy for inspiration. He gained a lot of insights and even discovered that the main writer of the show, was the senior colleague sitting in the next room.
The TV industry and law industry may seem unrelated, but it was this experience that triggered his decision to pursue a law degree. After working as a scriptwriter for a few years, the TV license application was rejected by the Government of Hong Kong, and HKTV applied for a judicial review for the rejection but unfortunately failed, leading to the decision to lay off all employees of the TV production, including Benjamin. He was deeply confused and helpless, and felt the impact of the law on people's lives. Initially, an experienced senior had invited him to work at another TV station, but after considering the instability of the job and the labor disputes experienced by his family before, he made a bold decision to study law, hoping to help himself and others.
This path was not easy and it could be described as " blood, sweat, and tears". Most typical law students in Hong Kong enter the Faculty of Law directly after the public examination, but Benjamin, who was already a university graduate, chose to re-enroll in a three-year part-time law degree programme, working full-time to support live while studying in his spare time. "The course started with about 200 students in Year 1, but by Year 2, only half remained, as most of the students were working full-time and unable to balance their studies. By Year 3, only a few dozen remained." After persevering for three years, Benjamin successfully enrolled in the one-year full-time Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (P.C.LL.) at the University of Hong Kong, followed by a year of serving pupillage with pupil masters at various chambers, culminating in a five-year transformation into a barrister-at-law.
Maintaining a Humble Heart: An Unforgettable Moving Case Benjamin still remembers the competitive environment when studying at the University of Hong Kong. Most of his classmates were top students, which put tremendous pressure on him to work harder. He found that most of his peers had already received offers of training contract or pupillage, so he mailed the application letters to different chambers, hoping to secure an offer before it as too later. During the pupillage interviews, he was tested on his legal knowledge and problem-solving abilities through various legal scenarios. On one occasion, the interviewer thoroughly questioned him about his resume and working experiences, with the intense interview lasting over half an hour. Ultimately, Benjamin's sincere and thoughtful responses earned him the pupillage opportunity. He followed five different barristers during the period of pupillage, learning different specialties from each, including land, arbitration, human rights and constitutional law, and criminal defense and prosecution. Regarding the choice between becoming a solicitor or a barrister-at-law, he admitted that his personality is better suited for the in-depth case analysis and litigation focus of the barrister-at-law path.
Benjamin shared an impressed story of a drug trafficking case he faced as a pupil. The defendant was a woman in her 20s, accused of trafficking over 20 kilograms of drugs. After investigating the case, it was revealed that she had been framed by her ex-boyfriend, who had converted their house into a drug manufacturing center. Despite the unfavorable evidence, with the strong defense by Benjamin's pupil master, the jury unanimously acquitted the woman. Witnessing the woman being "rescued" from the dock, seeing the gratitude of her elderly and disabled parents who came to court and support their daughter every day, profoundly moved Benjamin. This case made him even more aware of the need to exert maximum effort, no matter how small the case, as the fate of defendant relies on their lawyer.
Diligently Serving Society, Utilizing Legal Expertise to Help Others After officially becoming a barrister-at-law at Albert Luk’s Chambers, Benjamin's greatest realization is the ability to use his knowledge to help others. Typically, people only seek out lawyers when they are facing difficulties, such as marital problems or labor disputes. When clients choose to entrust him with their issues, this sense of being needed and having the capability to help others brings him the greatest work satisfaction. "I have handled some small claims cases, although the maximum is only HK$75,000, but for some people, this might be their entire life savings. They chose to sue because they feel they have been wronged, so I could never abandon helping them assert their rightful interests just because of the low counsel's fee or small case."
In addition to being diligent, Benjamin also demonstrates care and understanding in his work. He explains, "For every case, I really want to understand the perspective of the defendant, what factors drove their actions, especially when handling criminal cases, which often involve societal issues. For example, the upbringing of the defendant may have led to a tendency to commit crimes. Although my primary role is to resolve legal problems, I hope to go beyond that and consider the effects of sentencing on the rehabilitation from multiple angles. Harsh punishment is not always the effective solution."
Avoid Distractions During Advance Studies or Career Transition Regarding career transitions, Benjamin suggests attempting them during a less burdensome period of life. If choosing to pursue advance studies, people better consider whether they have the ability to study full-time. If their capacity only allows for part-time study, the workload in the workplace must be able to accommodate the time and effort required for studying. Especially for law students, the learning process must fully grasp all the cases and ordinances, as the work of a lawyer is to help others, which is related to the interests of others. Therefore, Benjamin states that the prerequisite to becoming a lawyer is a love for the law and a willingness to invest time in research. For his own expectations, he hopes to accumulate connections and experience in this early stage of his career. Although he has left the TV industry, he still occasionally provides opinions when former colleagues write legal series, which he hopes to have the opportunity to become a legal advisor for TV series in the future.
The post-graduation experience of Benjamin may be circuitous, but he has gained much. He believes that although Lingnan University may have more liberal arts students, one should not limit their social circle. Try to get to know people from different backgrounds, such as engineering, computer science, and medicine. This not only broadens your horizons but also helps you recognize your own value. Secondly, for students without a specialized degree, they shall consider the jobs they can do after graduation, and put in the effort to understand the nature and requirements of different fields. Lastly, everyone must learn to accept their own background and not overly compare themselves with others or complain about their upbringing. If people want improvement, they must rely on their own efforts to carve out a path. "Lingnan students must work hard and not sell themselves short. No one can look down on you except yourself. No success can be achieved without trying."
