Teaching - Retiring Australian Lawyer

Damianellwood: have you thought of teaching legal for law students or lawyers? The idea should be a private class for few people who want to learn legal soft-skills or English legal terms, etc. sharing your experience as a lawyer should be much appreciated here. If you are interested in, please pm your email and we can grap for a drink before you leave the city.

Cheers,
Aibiet

damianellwood wrote:

I am presently visiting family who live in HCM City. While I am here I would like to make contact with some of the reputable agencies involved in hiring native english speakers for teaching roles. I would be grateful for any information forum members can provide as to which organizations I should approach. I have been a lawyer in Australia for 30 years but am looking to retire and teach in Vietnam or maybe even Cambodia or Laos.

I will be in Vietnam until 26 August 2014. I would love to have a chat over a cold one.

Thanks for reading.

Damian Ellwood

Damian Ellwood:  You can check with the Australian International School in HCMC or other International schools, i.e.
Singapore.... Also try Schools of North America.
Good Luck to you!

Dear Albiet

Interesting idea. I wasn't sure there would be a "market" for those skills given the foundations of Australian law are principally English whereas the Vietnamese law is, I believe, a mixture of Continental law and native codification. I will investigate though. Thanks for the tip.

zabrinale wrote:

Damian Ellwood:  You can check with the Australian International School in HCMC or other International schools, i.e.
Singapore.... Also try Schools of North America.
Good Luck to you!

I'll make contact with the AIS next week. Perhaps arrange a face-to-face. Thank you.

damianellwood wrote:

... I wasn't sure there would be a "market" for those skills given the foundations of Australian law are principally English ...

Given there is so much international legal interaction these days, student lawyers might appreciate an introduction to Common Law.

That is actually the main idea, many thanks Jaitch!

Jaitch wrote:

damianellwood wrote:

... I wasn't sure there would be a "market" for those skills given the foundations of Australian law are principally English ...

Given there is so much international legal interaction these days, student lawyers might appreciate an introduction to Common Law.

aibiet150204 wrote:

That is actually the main idea, many thanks Jaitch!

Jaitch wrote:

damianellwood wrote:

... I wasn't sure there would be a "market" for those skills given the foundations of Australian law are principally English ...

Given there is so much international legal interaction these days, student lawyers might appreciate an introduction to Common Law.

If one were to teach "Comparative Legal Systems" - which is one way of describing what has been suggested - it would be necessary (or at least useful) to have a reasonable grasp of Viet law rather than to just teach the common law in a vacuum. I wonder if it can be read in a published english form? Anyone know?

damianellwood wrote:

aibiet150204 wrote:

That is actually the main idea, many thanks Jaitch!

Jaitch wrote:

Given there is so much international legal interaction these days, student lawyers might appreciate an introduction to Common Law.

If one were to teach "Comparative Legal Systems" - which is one way of describing what has been suggested - it would be necessary (or at least useful) to have a reasonable grasp of Viet law rather than to just teach the common law in a vacuum. I wonder if it can be read in a published english form? Anyone know?

"comparative law" is always challenging! Surely there're things that can be read in English if you wanted to teach. I would be glad to help if you need a translator or just to get an explanation. Also, you should contact with several foreign universities here, i.e.: rmit, german uni, puf, etc. they also need a teacher for law/legal subject of their master degree. Dont loose your 30 years experience of a lawyer just to become an English teacher here.

aibiet150204 wrote:

damianellwood wrote:

aibiet150204 wrote:

That is actually the main idea, many thanks Jaitch!

If one were to teach "Comparative Legal Systems" - which is one way of describing what has been suggested - it would be necessary (or at least useful) to have a reasonable grasp of Viet law rather than to just teach the common law in a vacuum. I wonder if it can be read in a published english form? Anyone know?

"comparative law" is always challenging! Surely there're things that can be read in English if you wanted to teach. I would be glad to help if you need a translator or just to get an explanation. Also, you should contact with several foreign universities here, i.e.: rmit, german uni, puf, etc. they also need a teacher for law/legal subject of their master degree. Dont loose your 30 years experience of a lawyer just to become an English teacher here.

I have had a browse on the University web sites applicable to HCMC and surrounds and the reality appears to be that one requires a Ph.D. to be considered. I would only comment that Ph.D.s in law are not as common as they are in the science and technology fields. As I recall it, of my lecturers at Melbourne University in the early 1980s, I can think of only 3 Ph.D.s although there were many more who held professorships. Things may well have changed since the "old days" but I would be interested to read the theses supporting all of the Doctorates employed in Vietnam's universities.

In any event it seems that the private class idea you mooted may well be the obvious option for me.

I noted also that some, but by no means all, of the universities teach anything resembling a law degree. Surely I have missed something somewhere. Are there dedicated law courses in Vietnam? Are lawyers registered and regulated by some official body? Back to the world wide web I think!!!

damianellwood wrote:

I have had a browse on the University web sites applicable to HCMC and surrounds and the reality appears to be that one requires a Ph.D. to be considered. I would only comment that Ph.D.s in law are not as common as they are in the science and technology fields.

Hi, Demianellwood

In Vietnam, if you want to teach in a University, at least you must have Master degree. And after that, you must have PhD degree. This is right, especially in the North, there are many people have a PhD degree.

And they pay for teacher is very slow, about 50-100.000 VND (2.5-5$)/1 period! And basic salary about 4-5-6mil VND (depend on your degree and time you have worked for the University). I think this salary is not enough for foreigner; and you should teach English, it's good for you than teach in law!

My English is not good enough to talk to you more .

Good luck!

Your English is fine ngatt. i understood exactly what you meant. Thank you for your helpful words.

Hi Damien,

I was looking through this blog and your post motivated me to sign up.

I am a US lawyer, and I am also considering retirement in Vietnam one day.  I have about a decade to plan my move.  I am also a Viet Kieu.

Please come back and update this thread.  I would love to read about your adventures.

Best regards,

Tri