Pro Bono Programme

Pro Bono Programme for Law Students

In the 2007 Report of the Committee to Develop the Singapore Legal Sector, one of the recommendations made by the committee was that measures should be taken to foster idealism and community bonding amongst lawyers, in particular, through the promotion of pro bono work. Building on the committee’s recommendation, the SILE initiated a pro bono programme for law students (“Pro Bono Programme”) in 2013.

The aims of the Pro Bono Programme are to develop students’ conception of the practice of law as a service vocation, and to allow students to experience how the law works in real life through interaction with the host organisations.

All law students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Law, the Singapore Management University (SMU) School of Law and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) School of Law perform 20 hours of pro bono work as part of their graduating requirements. This may be done at any time after their first year of study.

SILE conducted a survey in 2017, among law students who participated in the Pro Bono Programme. Results of the survey been encouraging. Please click here to view the results of the survey.

Approved Pro Bono Work

To meet the requirements of the Pro Bono Programme, students will need to undertake Approved Pro Bono Work which meets the criteria and guidelines stipulated by the Institute. The Institute has appointed a Review Committee comprising representatives from the Institute, the Law Society Pro Bono Services and each of the three law schools to review and confirm specific activities as Approved Pro Bono Work.

CPD Scheme

Starting from 1 January 2015, lawyers who participate in the Pro Bono Programme for Law Students as supervisors of Approved Pro Bono Works may obtain 2 Private CPD Points each CPD Year. For more information on the CPD Scheme, please visit the SILE CPD Centre at silecpdcentre.sg. Lawyers interested in serving as supervisors of Approved Pro Bono Work can contact the Host Organisations directly.

Contact Information

For more information on the Pro Bono Programme, law students should contact the Pro Bono Programme representatives from their respective Law School. SMU students may visit the Pro Bono Centre website.

Organisations interested in hosting Approved Pro Bono Work may refer to the criteria and guidelines and contact the secretariat at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further assistance.

Last Updated: 15 October 2019