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Steven Muni – LLM International Law 1977

Steven Muni
I studied the LLM at UCL Laws, graduating in 1977. I applied for a specialism in International Law as I was born and raised in the Philippines; I was a Southeast Asian Studies major at Yale University where I undertook three years of intensive study of the Indonesian language; and my ultimate ambition was to return to Southeast Asia and to establish an international business law firm representing American and European firms seeking to expand into that part of the world. However, I entered the criminal law field by working as a law clerk for the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's office while at law school. After returning from London, I took a position with the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office while I looked for a job in international law. However I discovered that I really loved the work I was doing as a prosecuting attorney—so that became my career path. I realised I was having lots more fun being a courtroom lawyer rather than being a transactional attorney. 

The course I found most interesting during my studies here was Aviation and Space Law, taught by Professor Bin Cheng. I also enjoyed the modules on the Law of International Institutions and Comparative Conflicts of Law. My fellow students were also very engaging, and I even formed an informal coffee meet-up with friends from different backgrounds and parts of the world.

I am currently Supervising Deputy Attorney General for the California State Attorney General’s Office, Health Quality Enforcement Section in Sacramento. I lead a team of lawyers who represent various medical licensing and regulatory boards in disciplinary proceedings against their licensed professionals. In short, we revoke medical licenses in cases of medical malpractice - or at least get these Doctors on probation with terms including further education, practice monitoring, substance abuse counselling if necessary, and so on. In short, we are protecting the public from medical professionals who shouldn't be practicing - at least not in the manner that they have been.  It is this feeling of doing my bit to make people safer, doing my part to make the world a better place for me having been in it, that I find most rewarding; not only in my present position, but throughout my career as a prosecuting attorney.

The advice I’d give to current students is: find a job that you really enjoy, even if it’s not precisely what you trained for. To students who are interested in healthcare law, I would say it's a rapidly expanding field. The development of medical science and technology is outpacing the development of medical ethics.  Also, in the enforcement arena, there sadly will always be unscrupulous practitioners who not only take advantage of their patients but inflict real harm in the process and need to be stopped - so the demand and job security is there. Additionally, the intersection of medicine and corporate practice is growing. Medicine is often an inexact science and art, and there are grey areas through which a lawyer will have to navigate. Therefore, some medical training or experience will be helpful - if only to assist a lawyer in being able to read a medical record.