The City Law School’s Global Engagement team meet Inns of Court Malaysia (ICM) Executive Committee Members and Judges of the Malaysian judiciary in Kuala Lumpur.
By City Press Office (City Press Office), Published
Dr Adrienne Yong (first from right), Nikki Walsh (third from right) and alumna of The City Law School, Mary Ann Ooi Suan Kim (second from left), with Justice Dato’ Mary Lim Thiam Suan (fourth from right).
The City Law School’s Global Engagement team – Ms Nikki Walsh (Associate Dean Global Engagement) and Dr Adrienne Yong (Assistant Dean, Internationalisation & International Recruitment) – visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in September 2022 as part of their continued strategic work maintaining the strong reputation of The City Law School in training the next generation of Malaysian lawyers.
The City Law School’s largest cohort of international students are Malaysians studying the Bar Vocational Studies (BVS) course, the professional legal qualification recognised by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board Malaysia. It allows returning Malaysian graduates to become admitted as advocates or solicitors in Malaysia after successfully being admitted to the Bar of England & Wales.
Ms Mary-Ann Ooi Suan Kim (standing), Ms Nikki Walsh (left) and Dr Adrienne Yong (right) meet in Kuala Lumpur to discuss The City Law School’s collaboration with the Inns of Court Malaysia.
During their trip, Ms Walsh and Dr Yong met with esteemed alumna, Ms Mary-Ann Ooi Suan Kim (Kim), Founder of O S Kim & Associates and Honorary Treasurer of the Inns of Court Malaysia (ICM). Kim has had a long-standing relationship with City and The City Law School. Following a successful virtual employability event with Kim and BVS Programme Director, Ms Simone Start, in November 2021 attended by various members of the Malaysian judiciary including former Chief Justice of Malaysia President of ICM, Rt. Hon. Tun Arifin Bin Zakaria, the CLS Global Engagement team was delighted to be able to meet Kim in person. They discussed The City Law School’s relationship with the ICM and greater collaboration as part of the employability strategy for students and graduates of the BVS who return home to Malaysia and become lawyers in their home jurisdictions after studying abroad.
From bottom centre front left, clockwise: Justice Dato’ Mary Lim Thiam Suan, Justice Datuk Seri Mohd Firuz Jaffril, Ms Kuek Yen Sim, Ms Jazreel Goh, Ms Nikki Walsh, Dr Adrienne Yong, Ms Mary-Ann Ooi Suan Kim, Justice Dato’ Indera Mohd Arief Emran Arifin, Mr Saravanan Meyappan.
Kim also organised a meet and greet over lunch with colleagues from the British Council Malaysia, including its Director, Ms Jazreel Goh and Regional Science Programme Manager, Ms Kuek Yen Sim and various Executive Committee Members of the ICM, including Justice Dato' Mary Lim Thiam Suan, Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia (the equivalent of UK’s Supreme Court), Justice Datuk Seri Mohd Firuz Jaffril and Justice Dato' Indera Mohd Arief Emran Arifin, both of whom are Judges of the High Court of Malaya. Mr Saravanan Meyappan, ICM Executive Committee Member, a Chevening Scholar and former Magistrate at the Criminal Court, joined alongside Kim, Ms Walsh and Dr Yong.
Plans for a City Alumni event hosted in Kuala Lumpur are also being discussed for Spring 2023. Given the legacy and reputation of The City Law School with the Malaysian legal profession, this event is highly anticipated.