Navigating the world of law
SUBHEADING: Insights from a legal practitioner
Legal professionals are committed to upholding justice, defending their clients' rights, and ensuring the fair and ethical administration of the law.
A law career involves practising and applying the principles of law to represent individuals, organisations, or governments in legal matters. Lawyers play a crucial role in society by providing legal advice, drafting documents, negotiating agreements, and advocating for their clients in court or other legal proceedings. They may specialise in various areas of law, such as criminal, civil, corporate, family, intellectual property, or litigation, among others.
Practising law require strong analytical skills, effective communication, and a deep understanding of legal systems and precedents. As legal professionals, they are committed to upholding justice, defending their clients' rights, and ensuring the fair and ethical administration of the law.
Karel Natangue Gaeb, an associate legal practitioner at Sisa Namandje & Co Inc, originally hails from Okahandja.
He commenced with practical justice training in 2018 and obtained admission as a legal practitioner of the High Court of Namibia on 5 March 2021.
A learning opportunity
His motivation to pursue a legal career stemmed from various factors, such as his desire to represent minorities and his vision of inclusion and diversity. His natural attention to detail and ability to critically analyse problems in search of solutions further contribute to his dedication to the field.
These, amongst other things, fuel my passion for law, which has crafted my path towards a prosperous future in the fraternity," he said.
"I regard myself as someone who likes taking on challenges. I do not conform myself to specific areas of the law only, as I see my career as a learning sphere; therefore, I enjoy venturing into different areas of the law."
He said most of his cases are linked to criminal law, law of delict, law of contract, labour law, and administrative law.
‘Survival of the fittest’
Gaeb explained: "The legal fraternity is like a jungle and an actual description of survival of the fittest. One is required to work hard and go the extra mile just to make it through. To thrive in this demanding industry, one has to be a critical thinker, and they have to be passionate about law and social justice."
He stated that being a lawyer is not confined to an 8-5 schedule; rather, it's a commitment that spans the entire day from Monday to Sunday.
"There are days when you will be required to give 110%. A great lawyer once told me that it is not enough to aim to be a good lawyer; you need to be 'the lawyer' and that can only happen if you read the law on a daily basis so that you distinguish yourself from the rest".
Based on his experience, excelling as a legal practitioner requires a range of skills. These include strong interpersonal abilities, critical thinking, adeptness in dealing with people, quick thinking, innovative problem-solving, meticulousness, robust analytical capabilities, and efficiency in legal research.
Additionally, crucial attributes for success in this profession encompass effective time management, a dedicated reading habit, keen attention to detail, and organisational competence.
Sacrifice, patience and relatability are some of the cornerstones to being a successful legal practitioner, he said.
"Being a legal practitioner is such a great experience, and there is so much exposure; one never stops learning, and you are exposed to new areas of law every day that would require you to read and expand your knowledge. One will never be bored while being a legal practitioner because every day is a new client with a different case, which keeps you going," Gaeb said.
"Therefore, I would advise anyone who wants to venture into a legal career to go for it; you will not regret it one bit. One of the misconceptions is that lawyers are liars. However, I would like to clarify that lawyers merely act on the instructions of the client to the best of their abilities. As a final thought, the profession allows me to leverage my strong analytical and research skills, which have further appealed to my personality traits, and if you share some of these characteristics, I advise you to venture on to this career path and not be misinformed that lawyers are liars."
Practising law require strong analytical skills, effective communication, and a deep understanding of legal systems and precedents. As legal professionals, they are committed to upholding justice, defending their clients' rights, and ensuring the fair and ethical administration of the law.
Karel Natangue Gaeb, an associate legal practitioner at Sisa Namandje & Co Inc, originally hails from Okahandja.
He commenced with practical justice training in 2018 and obtained admission as a legal practitioner of the High Court of Namibia on 5 March 2021.
A learning opportunity
His motivation to pursue a legal career stemmed from various factors, such as his desire to represent minorities and his vision of inclusion and diversity. His natural attention to detail and ability to critically analyse problems in search of solutions further contribute to his dedication to the field.
These, amongst other things, fuel my passion for law, which has crafted my path towards a prosperous future in the fraternity," he said.
"I regard myself as someone who likes taking on challenges. I do not conform myself to specific areas of the law only, as I see my career as a learning sphere; therefore, I enjoy venturing into different areas of the law."
He said most of his cases are linked to criminal law, law of delict, law of contract, labour law, and administrative law.
‘Survival of the fittest’
Gaeb explained: "The legal fraternity is like a jungle and an actual description of survival of the fittest. One is required to work hard and go the extra mile just to make it through. To thrive in this demanding industry, one has to be a critical thinker, and they have to be passionate about law and social justice."
He stated that being a lawyer is not confined to an 8-5 schedule; rather, it's a commitment that spans the entire day from Monday to Sunday.
"There are days when you will be required to give 110%. A great lawyer once told me that it is not enough to aim to be a good lawyer; you need to be 'the lawyer' and that can only happen if you read the law on a daily basis so that you distinguish yourself from the rest".
Based on his experience, excelling as a legal practitioner requires a range of skills. These include strong interpersonal abilities, critical thinking, adeptness in dealing with people, quick thinking, innovative problem-solving, meticulousness, robust analytical capabilities, and efficiency in legal research.
Additionally, crucial attributes for success in this profession encompass effective time management, a dedicated reading habit, keen attention to detail, and organisational competence.
Sacrifice, patience and relatability are some of the cornerstones to being a successful legal practitioner, he said.
"Being a legal practitioner is such a great experience, and there is so much exposure; one never stops learning, and you are exposed to new areas of law every day that would require you to read and expand your knowledge. One will never be bored while being a legal practitioner because every day is a new client with a different case, which keeps you going," Gaeb said.
"Therefore, I would advise anyone who wants to venture into a legal career to go for it; you will not regret it one bit. One of the misconceptions is that lawyers are liars. However, I would like to clarify that lawyers merely act on the instructions of the client to the best of their abilities. As a final thought, the profession allows me to leverage my strong analytical and research skills, which have further appealed to my personality traits, and if you share some of these characteristics, I advise you to venture on to this career path and not be misinformed that lawyers are liars."
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article