orlovlegal.com — THE JUDGE looked at him for a moment in the courtroom, then asked, “How is there a foreigner practicing as a lawyer?”
Oleg Orlov stood there that day, case files in hand. The judge asked to see his ID card to verify his identity and legal status. But the moment he saw the document, the judge’s expression shifted.
“Ah, I see. Please, go ahead. I respect that,” he said.
The moment lasted less than a minute. But for Oleg, it remains one of the most memorable points in his career as a lawyer in Indonesia.
A Journey That Began Long Before That Courtroom
The path that led him to that courtroom actually started when Oleg was just 13 years old. From that point on, Indonesia stopped being just a foreign country to him — it started feeling like home.
That love didn’t stop at learning the language. He went further, studying Indonesian history and immersing himself in Javanese and Balinese culture.
That fascination eventually led him to a bigger decision: pursuing Indonesian law. Oleg studied law in Bandung, then went on to complete PKPA (Special Education for the Legal Profession) — the mandatory path for anyone who wants to practice law in the country.
Not long after he started taking on his first clients, Oleg found himself in that courtroom, facing a question he’d likely keep hearing throughout his career: how does a foreigner end up practicing law in Indonesia?
It’s Not About Where You’re Born
The answer, for him, has always been simple:
“Loving Indonesia isn’t about being born here. It’s about a sense of belonging — about serving, understanding, and knowing this is where your heart chooses to come home.”
For Oleg, Indonesia isn’t a status printed on an ID card. It’s the home he chose for himself. (*)
