Practice Training
Requirements of Practice Training under a Practice Training Contract
Seat Requirements
During the 12-month practice training period, practice trainees must complete at least two Seats. There are requirements as to the type of practice undertaken during the Seat rotation (Advocate Seat / Solicitor Seat) as well as the degree of training / exposure under the Seat (Core Seat / Secondary Seat).
A practice trainee must complete at least one Advocate Seat and at least one Solicitor Seat in different Practice Areas. The following Practice Areas are currently available:
Advocate Seats
- Arbitration
- Civil Litigation
- Criminal Litigation
- Family Practice*
- Intellectual Property Practice*
Solicitor Seats
- Corporate & Commercial Practice (General)
- Corporate & Commercial Practice (Specialised): Merger & Acquisitions, REITs, Tax, Banking, Corporate Regulatory & Compliance, Debt Capital Markets, Equity Capital Markets, Energy, Infrastructure & Projects, Finance Regulatory & Compliance and Investment Funds, Competition Law & Antitrust.
- Family Practice*
- Intellectual Property Practice*
- Real Estate Practice
- Technology & Data
- Probate & Succession Planning
- Working in an in-house legal department (Qualifying Entity)**
*While Family Practice and Intellectual Property Practice are listed under both the Advocate Seat category and the Solicitor Seat category, practice trainees cannot fulfil the requirement to complete an Advocate Seat and Solicitor Seat by undertaking both the Advocate Seat and Solicitor Seat in the same Practice Area.
**Practice trainees who wish to gain exposure to work in an in-house legal department can count up to 3 months in the in-house legal department of a qualifying entity towards their practice training period. Assuming the relevant checklist for this Practice Area is completed, this stint will count as a Secondary Seat. A practice trainee must enter into a practice training contract with the qualifying entity to serve their practice training period.
Out of the Seats served, a practice trainee must complete one as a Core Seat and at least one as a Secondary Seat. The Core Seat represents the practice trainee’s primary area of interest or training. To complete a Core Seat, the practice trainee must complete all of the Core Seat Requirements under the checklist for that Practice Area (“Practice Area Checklist”). To complete a Secondary Seat, the practice trainee must complete all of the Secondary Seat Requirements under the relevant Practice Area Checklist.
Practice trainees must also complete a General Practice Training Checklist which covers general tasks.
Mandatory Review Sessions
The mandatory review sessions are applicable to a practice trainee who is serving the practice training period under a practice training contract with a Singapore law practice.
During the first nine calendar months of the practice training period, supervising solicitors are required to conduct review sessions with the practice trainee every three calendar months and complete the Review Forms. The supervising solicitor and the practice trainee must sign off on the Review Forms.
By the third review session, the supervising solicitor, in consultation with the law practice, must have discussed the matter of retention with the practice trainee.
Review sessions and forms are not required for any part of the practice training period served under a practice training contract with a qualifying entity.
Additional Courses Required
Practice trainees serving their practice training period under a practice training contract must complete:
- An online training course on professional ethics;
- An online training course on the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Account) Rules; and
- An Advocacy workshop.
More information about practice training requirements
Please refer to the Practice Training Period Guidelines for more information.
Last Updated: 18 September 2024