Singapore Academy of Law to launch Junior Lawyers Professional Certification Programme in May

This article was first published on 16 February 2025 in the Singapore Mandarin broadsheet, Lianhe Zaobao.

SLW obtained permission to reproduce the article to give the legal community a broader view of legal reports for various news syndicates.

The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) will introduce the Junior Lawyers Professional Certification Programme (JLP) in May 2025, setting industry standards for the holistic development of young lawyers. Employers can look to the certification as a trust mark of quality training.

JLP offers a holistic training approach, covering essential skills, dispute resolution and corporate law. The curriculum includes key areas such as client and matter management, financial statements, legal innovation, litigation advocacy, trial procedures, cross-border drafting, corporate governance, tech law, and [environmental], social and governance (ESG).

Established in 1988, SAL currently has around 13,500 members, including lawyers, university lecturers, judges, prosecutors, and law students. SAL is committed to driving legal innovation, enhancing lawyers’ professional skills, and supporting law firms in digital transformation.

According to the Law Society of Singapore, as of 2024, there are 1,814 lawyers with less than five years of practice in Singapore.

Mrs Delphine Loo, Senior Director of Learning and Professional Development of SAL, highlighted the lack of comprehensive and structured training programs tailored specifically for junior lawyers with under five years of experience.

"There was a white space in the market for a programme such as the JLP, which infuses practical skills-building with ethics, technology, and commercial savviness," she said.

SAL will closely monitor the response and feedback to the JLP, and will review and make changes on an ongoing basis, in order to meet the evolving demands of the legal profession.

To obtain JLP certification, participants must complete 12 modules within two years. Depending on the modules taken, the certification may be either for JLP (Disputes), JLP (Corporate) or JLP (General).

Each module lasts between one to two days, with fees ranging from $800 to $1,600. The program fees can be self-funded or sponsored by law firms.

To ease the financial burden of participants, SAL is in the process of securing SkillsFuture (SSG) Course Fee Funding through SkillsFuture Singapore. Eligible participants or law firms may receive subsidies of up to 70% of the course fees. With such subsidies from SSG, some participants can expect to pay as low as $2000 (before GST) for all 12 modules.

SAL will also introduce a "Voluntary Pledge" scheme, encouraging law firms and legal organisations to commit to the training of their lawyers. Pledgees will enjoy special incentives, including one free training slot for every four lawyers enrolled in JLP.

Since early 2024, the Singapore Academy of Law has conducted 11 JLP preview sessions, attracting over 180 young lawyers and general counsel from more than 90 law firms and organisations. The program has received positive feedback.

Rebecca Soh, a senior associate at Covenant Chambers LLC, commended the program’s hands-on approach, especially the on-the-spot feedback from peers and instructors. She noted that the practical tips on how to improve and refine legal writing, as well as the opportunity to make oral arguments before seasoned practitioners made her a more aware and effective advocate.

She also said that the JLP sessions offered networking opportunities for junior members of the legal profession to connect and build working relationships with lawyers from a diversity of backgrounds. She suggested participants with different backgrounds be grouped together to encourage more vibrant discussions, so that they can learn more from each other.

Lynn Soh, Director from BTPLaw LLC, with over 15 years of legal practice, expressed strong support for continuous professional development. She said that law firms value structured and comprehensive training and are willing to invest in the education of young lawyers.

She believes that JLP will enhance junior lawyers’ technical skills while also equipping them with essential business and interpersonal skills, such as managing corporate transactions, client relationships, and legal interpretation.

Soh noted that junior lawyers have the highest attrition rates, often due to a gap between law school education and real-world legal practice, leading to frustration among fresh graduates.

She hopes that JLP will reduce attrition rates in the legal industry and improve overall professional standards.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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