Wanted! Nice-Looking Lawyers

During the old days, advertisements looking for lawyers or chambering student had few details about the law firm. An example would be,

“Local law firm seeking for litigation lawyer with 1 – 2 years experience. Call Ms Sek Si at XXXX”. With the relaxation of the publicity rules, particulars of the law firm are fully disclosed and it is now possible for lawyers or chambering students in West Malaysia to look for jobs online. One of them would be the Malaysian Bar website.

The Malaysian Bar website has gone through a face lift which resulted in a 5 digits hits a day. Everyday, it updates the public and also members of the Bar of important news and interesting events.
One law firm Kuala Lumpur posted an advertisement seeking for lawyers with the following description:-

“We are looking for a smart, self motivate, can work as a team, hardworking, nice-looking, pleasant and friendly as conveyancing legal assistant. All races, male or female are welcome to apply.”
As harmless as it seems, this description caused an uproar and even placed itself on the Malaysian Bar website, in par with important news such as the Linggam gate!

NYLC takes objection to a job advert
Contributed by Chandrika Bhaskaran (Executive Officer)
Monday, 07 April 2008 12:14pm
KUALA LUMPUR, Mon: The new Chairman of the National Young Lawyers Committee, Roger Tan said he was not too happy with a job advertisement posted by a Kuala Lumpur law firm on the Bar Website seeking for a conveyancing legal assistant who must, among other things, be a “nice-looking” lawyer with 1 or 2 years’ experience.
Tan said already some young law graduates find it hard to seek employment in the Klang Valley, what more with the imposition of an irrelevant consideration.
“What do you mean by “nice-looking” especially when beauty and looks lie in the eyes of the beholder?
“I hope law firms will give more regard to the professional qualifications and merits of an applicant rather than such extraneous matters”, said Tan.
He added that in future if any firm should impose such an unfair condition, it should not be allowed to advertise anymore on the Bar Website.

Source: http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/national_young_lawyers/nylc_takes_objection_to_a_job_advert.html

Indeed a storm in a tea cup. c|____|