Who is Sitting Beside You Today?
Peggy Sarah Yee May Kuen is the recipient of the Law Society of Singapore’s Pro Bono Ambassador Award 2024. She shares why she has made it her mission to lend a hand to those in need and especially advocate for those with invisible disabilities.
In her 36 years of legal practice, Peggy Yee of PY Legal LLC has consistently prioritised pro bono work. Driven by empathy and a commitment to making a meaningful difference, she has made it a cornerstone of her career.
Peggy has taken on diverse cases but some, like that of a 17-year-old drug offender from a troubled family, resonate deeply. Whilst she is no stranger to dealing with emotionally challenging cases, this one in particular had a deep impact on her. The client dropped out of school early on but despite this, she spoke very well and had dreams of setting up her own business. “So much potential foiled by unwise decisions and unfortunate home circumstances. I have a child of the same age. The difference in their life trajectory hit me hard,” Peggy shared.
Pro Bono Work
Peggy’s pro bono journey started with people who were not able to pay or pay in full their legal fees. “The work is there, the need is there, and someone has to do it,” she reasons. She dedicates her time to volunteering with Pro Bono SG, contributing to both its Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and Ad Hoc Pro Bono Scheme, assisting clients who urgently require legal representation but lack the means to afford it. Additionally, she undertakes pro bono cases through the Catholic Lawyers Guild Pro Bono Representation Scheme. She also actively participates in the Law Society’s Community Legal Clinics Committee and volunteers extensively in charitable endeavours, as well as serves on the boards of various charities.
She explained that when it came to pro bono work, “you need to have the bandwidth and you need to have the resources. I’m blessed that I run my own small practice. Because of that, I am able to control what I can and want to or need to do. And as far as bandwidth is concerned, I take on what I can. It is my legal practice that gives me the platform to do pro bono work.”
Touching the Lives of Those with Invisible Disabilities
She is most passionate about helping those with invisible special needs. She shared that provisions and accommodations are made for persons with physical disabilities. However, this is not the same for those with disabilities that are not visible.
“What if the person sitting next to you is on the Autism spectrum? He doesn’t have a sign on his forehead that says, ‘I have Autism’. But it impacts him much. This is what I mean by an invisible disability.”
“Persons with invisible disabilities are sometimes unable to articulate or express themselves well. Who is going to advocate for them? Who will speak up for them so that the people around them understand their plight? I have but one gift, the gift of the gab, so I can use this gift to speak up for them,” Peggy explained.
She has been starting her crusade “one convert a day” to raise awareness and empathy for these individuals with invisible special needs. She finds much satisfaction in being able to share knowledge of these individuals when she acts for them. She is keenly aware that the caregivers of those with invisible disabilities are stretched to their limits. “The parents themselves, the caregivers, are already exhausted, running around just trying to take care of their child or family member with autism or ADHD etc. There is hardly any bandwidth to do any advocacy. So here is where we can make some difference. If I can make a small difference by doing a little bit, why not?”
Peggy delivers talks to lawyers on managing clients with special needs. She engages in discussions and conducts dialogue sessions with parents and caregivers of individuals with special needs, empowering them with valuable knowledge and information to navigate the legal system effectively.
Sharing about a pro bono case that she took on, she recounted that Ms C was a young graduate who seemingly had a bright life ahead of her but faced a slew of theft charges. “Ms C went to the same place repeatedly to steal bottles of wine. She stole in the morning and went back to the same store again in the afternoon. And then for the third time, went back to the same place and stole again.” Later, as it would turn out, Ms C was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.
“Anxiety, depression and mental health conditions like schizophrenia are invisible to the eye, to you and I,” Peggy said. In representing Ms C, Peggy brought the court through her client’s condition and obtained a Mandatory Treatment Order (MTO) for her client. Peggy added that this case was memorable to her as she represented Ms C in court just before she herself was scheduled for a major surgery. The client was so moved that she promised she would keep to all of her MTO appointments without reoffending. “I’m just glad that we could bring her through that hump in her life so that she can move on,” said Peggy. If Ms C had no help within the legal system, she may have pleaded guilty and possibly gotten a custodial sentence. “And that would have led to a very different path in her life,” noted Peggy.
Advice to Young Lawyers
“There are learning opportunities everywhere and all the time. To this day, there are still new things that I’m learning. Don’t stop moving. It is when you stop that nothing happens. Whatever it is, keep going.”
When asked about one of the mottos she stands by, Peggy said, “Remember what I told you about the person you are sitting next to? Be kind because you never know what battle the person beside you is going through.”
About The Pro Bono Ambassador Award
The Pro Bono Ambassador Award is the highest honour given by the Law Society of Singapore to an individual in recognition of his/her established track record of providing pro bono services for five or more years.
About Peggy Yee
Peggy runs her own firm, PY Legal LLC. She has been labelled crazy and mad for being involved in so much pro bono work but chooses to laugh it away. She wishes she had more time to read the stacks of books awaiting her, and rues that she can no longer make her regular morning runs as she used to.
