Committee looking into structured mentorship programme for lawyers: Chief Justice

A committee is looking into designing a structured mentorship programme, in the hope that more senior lawyers can impart professional skills to their younger colleagues and serve as role models, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said on Aug 19.

The committee’s recommendations will include initiatives to develop a suggested syllabus that can be adapted by law firms and to provide such firms with the resources to carry out mentor training programmes, he said.

On the latter, Chief Justice Menon noted: “This recognises the reality that we cannot assume that all lawyers are equipped to be effective mentors, and, therefore, we must be intentional about training prospective mentors.”

He was speaking to 148 newly minted lawyers at the first session of the annual mass call ceremony to admit new lawyers.

More than 430 lawyers would be called to the Bar over three sessions on Aug 19 and Aug 20.

They are the first batch of lawyers to formally vow to honour their duties and responsibilities to the court, their clients and fellow lawyers; strive to uphold the values of the profession; and serve the public good.

The new declaration will be made by all newly admitted lawyers from now on. It was expanded from the original declaration following recommendations by an ethics and professional standards committee.

In his speech, Chief Justice Menon gave an update on the work of the committee, which is led by Justice Valerie Thean and Senior Counsel Jimmy Yim.

One of its recommendations that has since been implemented is the Law Society of Singapore’s newly launched Ethics Assist Helpline, which provides an avenue for lawyers to receive guidance from experienced practitioners on ethical issues.

The committee was set up in 2023 by Chief Justice Menon to develop a strategy aimed at re-establishing the moral centre and the values of the profession for existing practitioners, and fostering them among new entrants.

He had said then that it was critical for the profession to remain anchored to the values of honesty, integrity and service, and made reference to the cases of several aspiring lawyers who had cheated in the Bar examinations in 2020.

In his current speech, the Chief Justice focused on mentorship.

He said it has always been a vital element of the legal profession, serving as a bridge between legal education and practice.

Mentors play a crucial role in the professional development of younger lawyers, and, perhaps more importantly, through their conduct, help their juniors internalise the profession’s values, he said. 

But Chief Justice Menon noted that a survey done in 2023 of more than 500 lawyers, who have been in practice for between two and 10 years, found that only one in 10 had participated in a structured mentorship programme.

“Of course, mentoring relationships can develop informally or organically. However, if we all accept the clear benefits of having a trusted mentor, then we should not leave this to chance.

“Instead, we should focus our attention on designing structured programmes that allow such mentoring relationships to flourish,” he said.

He said that with these initiatives, it is hoped that more law firms will be able to establish their own mentorship programmes, which will complement other schemes that connect young lawyers with senior practitioners beyond the workplace.Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said mentorship has always been a vital element of the legal profession, serving as a bridge between legal education and practice.

One such external programme, the Law Society Mentorship Scheme, was highlighted by the society’s president Lisa Sam in her speech.

She said that young lawyers are also encouraged to share their fresh perspectives and knowledge with their mentors.

Ms Sam told the new members of the profession that their financial decisions will shape the kind of lawyer they become.

She added: “By avoiding the trap of liabilities, you will be free to say ‘no’ to clients who ask you to compromise your values for short-term financial gain. You can practise with integrity, professionalism and peace of mind.”

Chief Justice Menon also announced two initiatives related to artificial intelligence (AI) that will soon be launched by the Singapore Academy of Law, in partnership with Microsoft.

One is a foundational course on generative AI that gives lawyers a broad understanding of AI, its applications in the legal context and best practices for its safe and effective use. The second is a guide for legal professionals on how to structure clear prompts when using AI tools to obtain better results.

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