Constitutional Justice Saldi Isra speaking at the Special Education of Professional Advocate of the Law Faculty of the Law Faculty of Andalas University and the national executive board of Peradi, Saturday (9/25/2021). Photo by Humas MK/Hamdi.

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Saturday, September 25, 2021 | 13:28 WIB

JAKARTA, Public Relations—Constitutional Justice Saldi Isra talked about “How to Be a Good Lawyer” at the Special Education of Professional Advocate (PKPA) organized by the Law Faculty of Andalas University and the national executive board (DPN) of the Association of Indonesian Advocates (Peradi) virtually on Saturday, September 25, 2021

He revealed that after graduating senior high school, neither he nor any of his school friends wanted to study law. Most of his friends studied medicine, engineering, went to military school, etc. “None of my friends chose the law faculty,” said the man who was born on August 20, 1968.

Long story short, when he was accepted into the Law Faculty of Andalas University, he hadn’t imagined what he wanted to become after graduation—lawyer, judge, lecturer, or activist. Years after, after the 1998 Reform, he realized that a profession in the law would have no less prestige than any others, such as doctor or engineer.

“The profession in the law is for a select few as it is difficult to get into. As far as I know, to get into law school in the US, one must have a bachelor’s degree,” he said.

His hope for the PKPA was that it could help the participants in pursue their chosen legal profession, as judges, activists, lecturers, lawyers, etc.

The Lawyer Profession

Justice Saldi talked about the lawyer profession. He quoted a line out of a Japanese poem, “Only lawyers and painters can turn something black into white.”

“People view this positively, in that the advocate has power that they could turn something wrong into right and something right into wrong, but some say it is a jab at lawyers,” he said.

He then quoted the book The Godfather by Mario Puzo, “One lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns,” which depicts the power of a lawyer. He then said another quote, “A lawyer without books would be like a workman without tools.” “Therefore, lawyers must read literature that develops their skills as lawyers,” he said.

Legal Basis for Lawyers

The legal basis for lawyers or advocates, Justice Saldi said, is Law No. 18 of 2003 on Advocates, which states that the advocate is a free, independent, and responsible profession in enforcing the law. The advocate profession is related to judicial power. “In that context, no matter how free and independent an advocate is, their job leads to the law enforcement,” he added.

The Advocate Law also states that the advocate provides legal services in and out of court. They do not have to work in the courtroom. Many advocates do not litigate, but work outside of the court while maintaining success that is on par with those that litigate.

The Advocate Law, he added, also specifies that advocates provide consultation and legal assistance; exercise power of attorney; represent, accompany, defend clients; take legal action; and other matters for the clients’ interests. They must also have good conduct, be honest, responsible, fair, and have high integrity.

He stressed the importance of good conduct and honesty for advocates. Advocates, he said, must be straightforward about the case and not hide any legal fact. Only after studying the case closely should they dispense advice to clients.

Qualities of a Good Lawyer

Justice Saldi added that good lawyers must enjoy discussions with sound arguments. They must also read a lot, practice on critical thinking, and be able write and argue well and politely.

“Good lawyers must also have persuasion skills, are not egotistical, are willing to help others and be a good listener. You must listen to your clients’ experience and explain the legal facts. The persuasion skills are not only to attract clients, but are also needed when arguing in court. [You must be] calm, not force your opinions, not display temper, and so on,” he said.

Good lawyers, Justice Saldi said, must also have negotiation skills to convince the justices and to discuss with their clients. A good lawyer must be able to keep their temper and not raise their voice.

He believes a good lawyer must also organize arguments well, be consistent, and know how to express multiple arguments well.

“One of the important points that a lawyer must have is the willingness and ability to read. Only by reading a lot can we supplement arguments,” Justice Saldi said. He added that patience and in-depth research are also required.

Writer           : Nano Tresna Arfana
Editor          : Lulu Anjarsari P.
Translator     : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 10/4/2021 09:06 WIB

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian version, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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