Second year law student, Josiah Teh, is the product of a unique upbringing. Singapore born and New Zealand raised from the age of 12, Josiah was homeschooled so he could pursue academic and extracurricular activities that were important to him. After graduating, he embarked on an exploratory gap year before undertaking two years military service with the Singapore army, aged 18.
Despite excelling in many fields, including mathematics, music theory, business studies, public speaking and performance, it was the draw of the law that had the strongest pull for Josiah.
Today, Josiah is as passionate about studying the law as he is about ensuring access to the law for fellow students and future clients. We spoke to Josiah to find out more about the experiences that have shaped him and why making the law more accessible, and less daunting, is the future of the legal industry.
“The law shouldn’t be used as a tool to put people down, or to intimidate those who don’t have access to legal training. I believe this is something already in motion, even in the wider business climate - the role of social responsibility. This goes hand in hand with doing the job well and performing financially, social responsibility is something that will continue to shape the legal industry.” – Josiah Teh
The benefits of a multi-cultural perspective
Fluent in Mandarin and English, Josiah believes his exposure to two very different cultures, that of Singapore and New Zealand, has helped him broaden his worldview.
“Obviously New Zealand culture is very different from Singapore and I think going back to the military for two years really helped me appreciate those differences,” Josiah explains.
“Shifting from home schooling to university, and spending two years in the military in-between, helped me a lot. If anything, the culture shock happened there.”
Josiah returned to Singapore alone due to the pandemic. Fortunately for Josiah he is a social person, and so quickly adapted to dorm life with his fellow soldiers. He describes the tough training sessions as bonding experiences.
“In the military you are suddenly in situations like being out in the middle of jungle, sweating and being attacked by mosquitos, all the while working on a mission with people you may have only known a few days,” Josiah says. “And so, coming into university with that military experience made me feel far more grateful, even though you may be under pressure at times, you are still in a comfortable environment.”
Josiah has brought a highly developed sense of teamwork, contribution and responsibility to his university life where he has adopted numerous leadership roles. Along with participating in the Mooting Society, Josiah secured a position in the University of Auckland’s prestigious Case Consulting Programme and has taken on the role of Development Squad Engagement Executive for the programme. He is currently volunteering as part of the Learning Leaders 2025 mentoring cohort, and serves as an executive for the Chinese Law Club assisting with the social media and running club tutorials.
A student with many talents
From a young age Josiah enjoyed solving problems, from Math Olympiad challenges to crafting persuasive arguments for a debate. He also harboured a passion for literature, writing and performance. On top of these interests, Josiah possessed a natural inclination towards music excelling at piano and music theory, both of which he taught part-time during his homeschooling years.
“My siblings and I were homeschooled, this kept our family very close and gave us the flexibility to pursue particular passions,” Josiah explains.
“When I was young I really enjoyed maths, being homeschooled meant I could study maths textbooks from years ahead based on what I was comfortable learning. Homeschooling also meant there wasn’t any major disruption when we moved from Singapore to New Zealand.”
During his gap year prior to the military, Josiah used this time to earn diplomas in piano, public speaking and drama through the Trinity College London. Upon returning from Singapore several years later, Josiah enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Laws Conjoint at the University of Auckland.
Josiah was a top-ranking student in his first year, including winning the Business Accelerate Programme hosted by the university. The programme provides real-world consulting opportunities with non-profits and charities to the top students from the first-year commerce cohort. Unsurprisingly, Josiah also stood out in his case competitions.
“After placing as a finalist in my first two case competitions, the Grant Thornton First Timers’ Case Competition 2024 and the Montarne Strategic Acquisition Case Competition 2024, I secured a spot in the university’s prestigious Case Consulting Programme.”
How the law suddenly loomed large for Josiah
Josiah is the first to study law in his family, although his grandfather had held aspirations, and he feels acutely aware of the privilege and power that comes with legal knowledge.
It was a property dispute with a neighbour that opened Josiah’s eyes to the importance of legal training and how the law can be used as both a tool for intimidation, and that of advocacy and justice.
“The incident was a few years ago, after moving house, and it was a very stressful time for my family because none of us had legal training and when you are being sent ‘quasi’ legal letters it’s pretty intimidating,” Josiah shares. “What started as a small issue quickly escalated into a legal conflict.”
“During this time, I poured over property acts and regulations with my parents, which highlighted to me how legal training – or lack thereof – could open one up to intimidation or coercion from other parties… Having witnessed my family on the receiving end of this situation, I realised the importance of the legal field, in particular property law, as a tool to uphold fairness and equity, and speaking up for people who have not had the privilege of formal legal training.”
Improving access to the law
According to Josiah, while he experienced firsthand the impact of not having legal knowledge, it is a concern widely shared by his peers.
“It is just so expensive to contact a lawyer, and the issue of accessibility, well sometimes you are not aware of it until it happens to you,” Josiah says. “The incident my family faced was hugely motivating for me to pursue law, and accessibility is a concern that many of my peers experience as well.”
Josiah believes there is room for the legal industry to better prepare first-generation law students who have no idea what the legal world looks like, so the transition is a little less confronting.
“As a first-year law student, a lot of the time you are unaware of the opportunities that are available to you in law school - all the options that you can take as a part of law,” Josiah says. “Something I greatly appreciate as part of my time at Auckland Law School is the community and the support I have received.”
“There can be an impression that law school is highly competitive, and that no one wants to help each other, but I found many of the senior students were very open to sharing and willing to help. From running tutorials on exam preparation, to providing advice on developing legal arguments and offering general guidance.”
Josiah’s positive law school experience has inspired him to give back to future law students through mentoring and knowledge sharing. Josiah would like to make a difference by fostering a supportive and uplifting atmosphere in the New Zealand legal education community.
“If anything, having success, including academically, is all the more reason for you to help others coming through. Going back to my tutoring days in high school it was very fulfilling when you see someone start to learn and understand what you have broken down for them,” Josiah shares. “Carrying this through to university, whether it is helping people prepare for a moot competition or just giving feedback over an assignment, I believe this is a form of success in itself because you are helping someone else make it through.”
Along with making law school and legal training more accessible, Josiah is passionate about the responsible application of the law.
“Talking of empathy in the law, it is something my fellow students and I think a lot about, and it is not something we take lightly,” Josiah says. “I hope this carries through once we graduate and are practising lawyers, as access to this kind of legal knowledge can be used to put people down or lift people up. And I think that's a big responsibility.”
