A lawyer needs to know everything

One of the thing that I was taught by my parents when I was still young is how important general knowledge is. I mean, I was told to read, watch documentaries, talk to people and always keep on asking even though I think I already know the answer. And yes, I am one of the kid who will be asking "What is that mom?" or "Are we there yet?" or "Can a cat swim? Let me try that... Where's the cat?". Yes, you guessed it. Some of the experiments were not to my mom liking and some of the activities had me carry scars until now. That is why one of my toe's nail is cut in half.

I was sitting at a table of newly found friends two days ago when I had the chance to meet a few people thanks to mySimplified, an online advertisement company in Malaysia. I was one of the few Malays in that group. Within that group was a guy who tried to pitch a sale of a night of wine tasting for free, when there was a sales pitch game before. Nobody wanted to do it and at that table he was discussing about how there is no real wine club in Malaysia. I was asking him why don't he approach this one shop which seems to specialise in selling wines. I also added on how wine are supposed to be tested by smelling and then trying some of it within the mouth, swirling and then spitting it out. This guy was surprised as he thought as a Muslim I wouldn't know such things. I had to tell him that I never touch any alcohol ever but of course that is common knowledge on how wine tasting are done. It seems that it is not such common knowledge after all.

Just to make a point, I believe being legally trained require you to know about everything. I became a business owner immediately I got my license to practice and  as I was still new then, I took any cases that I can find. I was a corporate lawyer during the night trying to close deals with international clients and during the day I had to argue on why my client shouldn't be found guilty for vehicular manslaughter. The occasional civil dispute on lands and family matters kept me busy knowing how I should be well informed on such matters. I remembered being approached by a client who wanted to sell his house and then became a client who wanted to close a million dollar deal when he found out that I can help him to do such matter.

Being knowledgeable is just one of the thing that a lawyer need to have in his or her forte. There are news to know, books to read, people to talk to and then some. There are so many ways for informations to be gained and passed on to. As an entrepeneur, although some of the knowledge is second hand and is not substitiated by real facts, knowing the basic of certain type of knowledge is an advantage to you as sometimes people assess you with what they can see or hear when they talk to you. I am currently learning about Islamic finance and although I am not a banker and do not really understand how bank really work, as I near the completion of my course, I can now talk with confidence on what finance is all about. And though I am no expert in stem cell research, if suddenly a banker ask me about whether is there any future in that industry so that he can assess whether to finance such project or not, wouldn't I seem to be daft if I have to ask him, "What is stem cell research all about?". At least know the basic so that you can go home to read more about it after clinching the deal.

So, in short, READ...(or do whatever to gain whatever knowledge of everything)