Singapore needs to make legal profession sustainable, not easier, says Edwin Tong
Attrition from legal practice has remained stable over the last decade, and “that remains the overall picture”, said Minister for Law Edwin Tong.
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SINGAPORE: Singapore needs to make the legal profession sustainable, not easier, said Minister for Law Edwin Tong on Tuesday (Jul 7).
Responding to MPs’ questions for parliament about the legal profession’s sustainability, Mr Tong acknowledged the legal practice’s demanding nature while noting its deeper purpose.
“Whilst pressures such as tight timelines, clients demands and economic pressures are not unique to the practice of law, what differs is the privilege of advocating for another person,” he said in a written answer.
Many lawyers have entered the profession because they find meaning in it, and are willing to take on the responsibility and stresses that come with it, said the minister.
“The question is therefore not how to make the profession easier, but how to make it sustainable, so that those who are drawn to it for the right reasons are not driven out by the wrong ones.”
Four MPs had submitted questions related to a Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) study, which found lawyers were leaving private practice amid toxic workplace cultures, bullying, unreasonable workloads and a profession that intrudes into their personal lives.
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Its findings, released in June, added to longstanding concerns about lawyer attrition also raised by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who previously said that one in three new lawyers may quit within three years due to workload and poor culture.
“Overall, the survey has revealed some troubling findings, and they must be taken seriously, with decisive changes made where appropriate,” said Mr Tong.
LawSoc has convened a task force to examine the study’s findings and implications, and make recommendations.
A Judiciary-Law Soc committee was also established to address feedback within the courts’ purview.
ATTRITION RATE STABLE
Efforts to improve retention must grapple with the various reasons lawyers leave, Mr Tong said, while noting that the practice’s attrition rate has remained stable.
He noted that lawyers are leaving the practice for multiple reasons.
These include workload, workplace culture, inadequate supervision or mentorship and attractive opportunities elsewhere, he said.
“Any serious effort at retention has to grapple with this range of reasons,” he said.
However, he also pointed out that attrition has remained stable over the last decade.
“That remains the overall picture,” he said.
WORKPLACE CULTURE, BULLYING
According to LawSoc’s study, toxic workplace patterns, including incivility and bullying, were reported across all levels of the legal profession, from trainees to senior lawyers.
Personal health and mental wellbeing were also among the strongest factors associated with lawyers leaving the profession, the study said.
Regarding these concerns, Mr Tong said existing protections, such as the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment, were applied with equal rigour in the legal sector as in other fields.
He also noted that LawSoc released “a guidance note and toolkit” in October last year for preventing bullying and workplace harassment.
“That said, we accept that the study reflects a more specific concern – that lawyers, especially those who are more junior, may feel unable to raise concerns about harmful conduct in workplaces or in court without putting their careers at risk,” said Mr Tong.
To address this, formal frameworks alone would be insufficient, he said.
“For many lawyers, the professional cost of coming forward may feel too high, and that is a concern we should look closely into.”
The conduct, expectations and culture set by the industry’s leaders will play a “decisive role” in how lawyers experience practice, and whether they remain in the profession, he added, echoing previous comments by Chief Justice Menon.
“LEVEL UP”
Mr Tong added that the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) was focusing on programmes and schemes to help the profession “level up”.
According to the study, some respondents felt their legal training failed to adequately prepare them for the realities of legal practice.
Several said their legal education provided limited exposure to practical skills such as drafting and client interviews, while others pointed to gaps in interpersonal skills and professional development.
“MinLaw has implemented various schemes to equip and support lawyers and law firms to navigate modern legal practice,” said Mr Tong
These include an initiative to help law firms implement artificial intelligence and manage change, as well as study awards for civil law, he said.
The ministry has also worked on initiatives such as exchange programmes and international networks that provide lawyers with opportunities to interact with the international legal community, said Mr Tong.
Such initiatives raise their participants’ profile and reputation, putting them in a better position to compete for cross-border legal work, said the minister.
“The Future of Legal Profession Committee will, together with our stakeholders, continue to look into these issues, including rethinking how legal work is organised and produced, how lawyers are developed and supported, and how sustainable careers can be built in today’s practice.”
AI’S IMPACT ON LAWYERS
Responding to a question on AI’s impact on lawyers, Mr Tong said AI was “here to stay”, and the profession needed to adopt it.
The technology has the potential to reduce the burden of routine, time-consuming tasks but also raises client expectations, compresses timelines and creates genuine anxiety about the future shape of legal careers, said the minister.
Without thoughtful management, any efficiency AI produces could be overridden by increased demands, nullifying any potential benefit it brings to legal work’s sustainability, he said.
“How well we manage the transition and adoption of AI will dictate how the legal industry progresses.”
Mr Tong said the law ministry was looking into AI adoption on a “more fundamental level”, such as whether the structure of legal training from law school through practice needed to evolve to prepare lawyers for the changing landscape.
BILLABLE-HOUR MODEL
The minister added that MinLaw would continue to work with stakeholders to advance the development of Singapore’s legal system, amid an increasingly competitive and disruptive global environment.
One aspect of this is examining how legal work is charged, he said, pointing to how the practice’s traditional billable-hour model – where charges are based on the time taken to produce legal work for a client – is already being challenged.
The LawSoc study had also raised flaws in the model, noting how it can create unhealthy competition among colleagues, with senior lawyers keeping lucrative cases for themselves.
“We are aware that the intensifying competition will place greater demands on our lawyers,” said Mr Tong.
“In such an environment, we must reaffirm the deeper purpose and enduring values of the legal profession – as one that is not merely a career, but a true calling grounded in service, integrity, and justice.”
A strong legal profession underpins a strong economy and a cohesive society, he added.
“The goal is not to lower standards, but to sustain excellence in a way that allows lawyers to build long and fulfilling careers, and enables the legal sector to continue to flourish.”
Source: CNA/rl(rj)
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