MANDATORY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR QUALIFYING AS LOCUM SOLICITOR

To apply to practise as a locum solicitor, in addition to satisfying the qualifications required for holding a full-time practising certificate, you must be a Singapore Citizen or permanent resident and, has in the last 3 out of 5 years immediately preceding your application for locum practising certificate, practised as a sole proprietor, partner or director of a law practice or been employed as a legal officer.

Under section 26(1A) of the Legal Profession Act, if you do not meet the practice experience requirements, you must fulfil the training requirements prescribed by Council before you may apply for a locum practising certificate, UNLESS you have practised as a locum solicitor at any time within 3 years immediately preceding the application.

To meet the training requirements for purposes of section 26(1A)(b) of the Legal Profession Act, you are required to complete, during 12 months immediately preceding your application for locum practising certificate, 10 hours of training provided and/or organized by the Law Society or by a provider approved by the Law Society, of which 6 hours should be in any of the following practice areas:

Category 1 - Commercial/ corporate/ employment/ corporate finance/ commercial finance
Category 2 - Conveyancing/ banking
Category 3 - Criminal Law
Category 4 - Dispute resolution processes & procedure (including litigation, arbitration, mediation, adjudication)
Category 5 - Information technology/intellectual property
Category 6 - Infrastructure/ projects/construction
Category 7 - Insurance/ probate & administration/ wills/ trusts/ tax/ wealth management
Category 8 - Matrimonial/ family law
Category 9 - Shipping/admiralty/international trade

To ascertain if you meet the mandatory training requirements under section 26(1A)(b) of the Legal Profession Act, please forward particulars of the courses that you have attended or propose to attend to the Law Society (Attention: Director, Compliance Department).

Click here to find out more about applying to practise as a locum solicitor.