Mr Ho Meng Third took over the reins of the Professional Standards Department as its Director on 2 January 2002. Meng Third may be new to this job, but he's certainly not new to the legal profession. Having been admitted to the Bar since 1984, Meng Third was previously practising in the field of general litigation and solicitor's work. He has also been a familiar face at the Law Society, as he has been an active member of the IT Committee.
Although Meng Third is now not practising law, he still holds on to its noble ideals, in sharing that his objective of working at the Secretariat is to assist members to maintain and raise the level of service rendered during these difficult and tumultuous times. In so doing, he hopes to help our members ready themselves to take on the challenges of the new economy.
The past seven years have not been peaceful ones for the profession. The application of computers and subsequently internet in law firms together with the implementation by the Judiciary of the Case Management and Electronic Filing Systems, have left many members grappling with the demands of practice and clients, whilst keeping pace with technological advancements. Standards may suffer and this is where I want to be of help.
A true professional speaking indeed.
Meng Third carries his professional interest to the homefront as well, as evidenced by his hobby - reading up on and exploring the numerous features of software use in legal practice.
Mr Max Tay joined the Secretariat as IT Officer on 2 January 2002. This 24-year-old, fresh out of Monash University, is a trim and fit young man who owes his physique to his training in NS as a military policeman. Max has settled very well into his first job and is brimming with enthusiasm. No computer problem is unsolvable to him and he cheerfully and readily helps his colleagues with their computer glitches. After all, Max has the very important job of taking care of the servers and network of the Law Society.
Asked why he chose to work for the Society, Max says he relishes the opportunity to work as the Server and Network Administrator, as well as the chance to learn from the other experienced staff in the department. He thinks his greatest challenge here is to understand his job scope and get accustomed to his work environment. Luckily for him, the friendly staff have quickly put him at ease and he has settled comfortably into his role. In his short time here, this indefatigable young man has already come out with an 'IT Officer Manual' for the benefit of future IT Officers like him. Talk about being prepared!
Max describes himself as a 'computer and sporty kind of guy'. Well, the first has definitely been proven by the line of work he's in and the second is attested by the long list of sporting activities that he loves: soccer, basketball, badminton, table tennis, pool and ice skating. When he's not outdoors, Max relaxes at home reading, watching movies, and (you guessed it) playing on his computer!
Mr Graeme Burnett joined the Law Society as Director of Business Development
on 1 February 2002. Graeme hails from Wellington, New Zealand, and loves the
outdoors so much that it influenced his career choices. He spent 17 years in the
New Zealand Volunteer Army and another seven in the New Zealand Volunteer Fire
Brigade.
Love brought Graeme to our shores when he married a Singaporean and he has lived in Singapore for the past 10 years as a permanent resident. Whilst here, Graeme gained sales and business development experience whilst working for another professional organisation. Graeme will work on a commission basis for the Law Society based upon the advertisements and sponsorship he garners for the Society's programmes and activities referred to him by the Finance Committee of Council.
His work will enable the Society to develop the commercial and business opportunities of the programmes run by the Society. This will raise the profile of the Society and bring in additional revenue.
When asked why he chose to work with the Law Society, Graeme replied: 'For two reasons: one, because the position is new and therefore it is a challenge from the start, and two, because I believe that with the government promoting Singapore as a law hub, this could mean future growth for the profession'. Graeme thinks his immediate challenge is to help change people's mindsets about the marketing of the legal profession which is still a new idea to many.
Singapore's hot weather has not deterred this 'outdoorsy' guy from sporting activities. Graeme's passion for rugby, which he has played since the age of five, has seen him being appointed the Convenor of the Rugby section of the Singapore Cricket Club. Graeme also enjoys travelling and experiencing the seasons in other countries, for despite being here for a decade, he still sorely misses the four seasons.