Law alum Clarice Chan’s hard work and passionate advocacy have led to change at the highest levels of Malaysia’s judiciary.
Since completing a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Tasmania in 2011, she has established a distinguished legal career as an advocate and solicitor based in West Malaysia and Sarawak.
In 2019, her work on an indigenous land rights case in the Malaysian Federal Court led to Bornean representation within the judiciary.
In 2021, she succeeded in compelling the Federal Government of Malaysia to enforce a 2019 constitutional amendment which had lowered the minimum voting age in Malaysia from the 21 to 18.
We had the pleasure of connecting with Clarice at an alumni event in Kuala Lumpur in August, where she shared her first impressions of Tasmania, the value of her University of Tasmania experience, and insight into her impressive study-to-career journey.
Can you tell us a bit about how you came to study at UTAS?
I joined a twinning program at a Malaysian college (KDU-UTAS). Coming to Tasmania was a natural progression.
What were the highlights of your time at UTAS?
At the time, I was unsure if I liked it; there were scorpions and spiders (the colourful ones, no less). Wallabies and possums roamed rather freely on campus, and there was the occasional whale in the bay. It was quite an experience for this urbanite, realising that concrete jungles simply paled in comparison with Mother Nature. The sky was bluer, the air crisper.
One of the requisites to graduate was to pass the final-year moot court. Students were required to address opposing parties and the bench as in real life. Teachers, facilitators and/or tutors would provide feedback and guidance where necessary. It was an invaluable experience.
Where have your UTAS qualifications taken you?
I was a journalist briefly for a local lifestyle magazine, before kickstarting my legal career as a practitioner in Victoria. The litigation work and the firm I was with allowed me to travel to various courts in and around Melbourne.
I was given the honour and responsibility of speaking at a rally in Melbourne for free and fair elections in Malaysia (Bersih 3.0). It was truly humbling to be part of the global movement in pushing for electoral reforms.
A few years later, in 2016, I was admitted to the Malaysian Bar, and, in 2017, the Sarawak Bar.
I am blessed to have worked with mentors and masters who are heavyweights and giants in their respective fields. This would not be possible without the experience, skills and network gained during my UTAS experience.
What does your current role involve?
I am a litigator. My current areas of practice include land disputes, administrative law, constitutional law, commercial and family disputes. I do counsel work in all levels of the civil courts in Malaysia, and sometimes in the native court of Sarawak. I occasionally contribute to publications and textbooks with the local law journal.
What goals do you have for the future?
To paraphrase Kipling:
To meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat them just the same;
To talk with crowds and keep my virtue;
To walk with Kings but not lose the common touch.
Do you have any advice for law alumni?
The UTAS law school experience has equipped us to research, prepare and think on our feet. These are highly applicable skills across many industries. Make full use of them when you influence your community. You may even be surprised at your accomplishments.
Top of page: Clarice Chan, Photo credit: Lance Vun, cameralance.com.