Lawyers doing good: transforming their image in the community

LAWYERS are not always cast in positive light – often unfairly.

One of William Shakespeare’s most famous lines is the sentence from Henry VI, Part 2, Act 4, Scene 2, which says: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers”.

Contrary to the seeming suggestion of harbouring murderous thoughts in the elimination of lawyers, the Bard’s actual intention was quite the opposite.

As is often the case, context is everything: Those words were uttered by Dick the Butcher, a villainous character and the right-hand man of Jack Cade, who was leading a rebellion against King Henry.

These two individuals were aggressively anti-intellectual – they killed anyone who could read and burnt all the books and documents they encountered. Their goal was simple: It’s much easier to take over an ignorant population than one where everyone understood their rights.

Therefore, this strange quote would suggest that society could not exist in a state of fairness and peace without the protectiveness of both the law and its staunch guardians – lawyers.

Put simply, Shakespeare portrayed lawyers as having the ability to do good in society.

Negative views and stereotypes

So why do lawyers still wrestle with an oft-encountered negative image perception?

In the West, one of the most enduring stereotypes about lawyers is the notion of the “ambulance chaser”. Legal practitioners are often typecast as opportunistic individuals who actively seek clients at accidents or disaster sites to profit from the ensuing lawsuits.

Another popular (but incorrect) stereotype portrays lawyers as ruthless, unscrupulous people willing to do anything to win a case. This perception probably stems from courtroom dramas where attorneys engage in dramatic and cutthroat tactics.

While adversarial strategies are part of the legal process, most lawyers are dedicated professionals who approach their work with integrity and a commitment to justice and fairness.

The list of negative stereotypical views of lawyers goes on: From perceptions of lawyers as wealthy elites who are disconnected from the realities of everyday life to misconceptions of lawyers being troublemakers who sow discord and division, and create disputes.

In truth, lawyers play a vital role in preventing legal problems by providing sound advice and guidance to clients.

They use their legal skills and knowledge to help individuals and businesses navigate complex laws and regulations, ensuring they are aware of their rights and responsibilities.

Doing good

In countries like the United States, many individuals and small businesses cannot afford to engage a lawyer – even when the stakes are high. This is commonly referred to as “the access to justice crisis”. It is a scourge on the profession that is damaging to society.

Given the time-based fee billing systems, many in developed countries like the US are loath to contact a lawyer, deterred by the prospect of the expenses.

Lawyers in the US and some developed communities are viewed as very expensive service providers who seemingly bill for everything.

As Derek Bok, former Harvard University president who had also been dean of its law school, eloquently put it: “There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot.”

Fortunately, this is less of an issue in Singapore. Access to legal services and lawyers has a passionate champion in Pro Bono SG – a registered charity with the status of Institution of a Public Character – that started as a department within The Law Society of Singapore.

Since 2007, the charity – its board is led by senior lawyers such as Gregory Vijayendran – has expanded its legal initiatives and programmes, helping close to 150,000 people with legal awareness, guidance, and representation.

Pro Bono SG’s establishment reflects the commitment by Singapore lawyers to the mission of doing good in the community – serving the community by facilitating access to justice for the needy and vulnerable so that all may have access to legal support and justice in Singapore.

Other examples of lawyers doing good in the community include lawyer William Wan who spent more than a decade leading the Singapore Kindness Movement, focused on encouraging everyone on our Little Red Dot to start showing and sharing kindness.

The focus of the movement is to inspire graciousness one kind act at a time: By sparing a thought for the people around us, the hope and objective is to create a more gracious society, and thereby make life better for all.

The list of lawyers who have stepped forward and dedicated their personal time and energies to do good in the community is long. For instance, law firm partner Stephanie Yuen-Thio spearheads SG Her Empowerment (SHE), a non-profit organisation that seeks to empower and advance women and girls in Singapore, through advocacy, research and active engagement; while former lawyer Anita Fam leads the board of the National Council of Social Services, the umbrella body for over 500 social service organisations in Singapore.

Meanwhile, former lawyer Tim Oei helms the National Kidney Foundation providing patients with dialysis services.

The number of lawyers striving to do good and impact the community positively has been growing in Singapore – often not apparent to the layman nor given the prominence it deserves.

Possibly, the most remarkable model of a lawyer doing good in the community is best showcased by former president Halimah Yacob, who has used her stature, appointments, and roles to champion many social causes, including support for single mothers, children of lower-income families, people with mental health conditions, those with disabilities, and the elderly.

All these testaments of doing good were highlighted in the citation when she was recently awarded the nation’s highest civilian honour – the Order of Temasek – for a lifetime of devoted, distinguished service.

A new lens and mindset

The perception of lawyers is shaped by a combination of stereotypes, media portrayals, and personal experiences. It is crucial to remember that lawyers, for the most part, are dedicated professionals committed to upholding the law, advocating for their clients, and promoting justice.

The challenge is for lawyers to move beyond the law and invest their time, effort, and resources in doing good in the community.

To enhance their reputation beyond the law and become positive forces within their communities, lawyers must actively engage in efforts that showcase their commitment to social good. This requires lawyers to work towards transforming their image, counteracting erroneous stereotypes, and making a meaningful impact within their communities. The examples of lawyers mentioned above provide clear evidence that this is achievable.

In fact, the case can be made that lawyers – with their familiarity of the law, strategic standing in society and possessing the requisite social capital – have a unique position in the community that endows them with the capability and potential to be powerful agents of positive change within their communities.

By actively engaging in activities like pro bono work, education, collaboration with nonprofits, promoting diversity, participating in civic leadership – essentially doing good - lawyers can work to transform and firmly entrench their image for doing good, becoming champions for communities and social welfare causes.

It is through these individual and collective efforts that lawyers – and the legal profession as a whole – can earn the respect and trust they deserve, showcasing their vital role in building a just and equitable society beyond just the law.

As lawyers aspire and work towards this goal, one would submit that perhaps that sentence from Henry VI, Part 2, Act 4, Scene 2 should be revised with a new and positive angle:

“The first thing we do, let’s have all lawyers Do Good”.

The writer is the group general counsel and chief sustainability officer of Jardine Cycle & Carriage, a member of the Jardine Matheson Group. He is also the CEO of mental health charity Jardine MINDSET and serves on the boards of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, Mind Forward Alliance Singapore and the Global Guiding Council of One Mind At Work. He is an adviser to the sustainability panel of SGX association SGListcos.