CEO’s Message
Dear Member,
Ayubowan (meaning “Long Life” in Sinhalese)! As part of the Lawyers Go Global (LG2) programme, the Law Society of Singapore organised a Mission to Sri Lanka from 10 to 14 September 2018. It was an intense four-day mission trip with programmes packed back-to-back. The Mission provided participants with numerous networking opportunities with the Sri Lankan lawyers and the business sector as well as first-hand information on the legal framework and business climate in Sri Lanka. The Mission was also privileged to be hosted to a private dinner by Mr Upul Jayasuriya, former Chairman of the Board of Investment, Sri Lanka, and former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. If you are interested to be part of our next LG2 mission trip, please drop us a note at [email protected].
The Law Society has launched several schemes and initiatives to help members address well-being issues:
- Since 2017, we have offered a Members’ Assistance & Care Helpline (MACH) to address pastoral issues concerning members on a confidential basis. Please call 6530 0213 for assistance.
- LawCare scheme is another avenue where members can seek advice and counselling from a qualified counsellor.
- Young practitioners can request for a relational volunteer mentor under the Relational Mentorship scheme.
- Our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) department has organised seminars on well-being such as “Navigating Professional Burnout” (20 January 2017 and 11 September 2018) and will be rolling out online programmes offered by the College of Law on well-being. Do check out our e-learning portal for more information from mid-October 2018.
- The Singapore Law Gazette has published a number of articles by lawyers and other professionals on well-being in the legal profession, covering topics such as professional burnout, resilience and workplace harassment.
As part of our member support services, we have created a new one-stop Resources for Well-Being webpage to share practical strategies on well-being issues with our members. This webpage will be updated regularly with useful information on well-being for the legal profession.
Our next SmartLaw Event is on 9 October 2018, Tuesday, 10am to 12 noon. Legal and Technical co-founders, Fiona and Tim Kirkman will share their journey and insights on why and how they developed and launched their legal tech product, LawSwitch (www.lawswitch.com), and how your law firm can embrace technology to be better prepared for the changing legal landscape. This Australian couple will share tips and traps of what is involved in implementing a legal tech product and where they see technology bringing the most value to law firms. Workforce SG and SNEF will also be sharing on the WorkPro Job Redesign Grant which provides companies funding support to create physically easier, safer and smarter jobs for employees. There will be light refreshments and office managers as well as paralegals are also welcome to attend. Please click here to register. For queries, do e-mail [email protected].
Members may not yet be familiar with Enterprise Singapore’s PACT programme. It is an initiative to encourage mutually beneficial collaborations among companies of all sizes, inclusive of local and overseas partners. These collaboration projects should be related to capability development or joint-business development. One enterprise should undertake the role of leading the project to benefit a group of companies. For instance, as part of capability development, a few law firms can band together to co-develop and test-bed an innovative product. If your firm would like to focus on business development, you can form an alliance with other law firms to jointly pursue new international projects or to pool common resources to achieve economies of scale and/or engage in shared marketing efforts. The PACT programme can support up to 70% of qualifying activities for SMEs. If you are interested in exploring further, do check out www.enterprisesg.gov.sg for more information, as well as contact [email protected] for assistance.
We now have a comprehensive suite of alternative dispute resolution schemes to offer! The Law Society Neutral Evaluation and Determination Scheme was successfully launched on 17 September 2018 by Senior Minister of State Mr Edwin Tong, SC. Witnessed by more than 200 members of the Bar, this latest addition to the Law Society’s suite of alternative dispute resolution schemes, which already boasts of the Law Society’s Arbitration and Mediation schemes, continues the tradition of offering quality dispute resolution solutions at competitive rates. This, coupled with the enhancements to the Law Society Arbitration Scheme (LSAS) that was also introduced at the launch, will ensure that parties and their counsel can find a suitable resolution scheme that fits their every budget and need. More information can be found at https://www.lawsociety.org.sg/For-Public/Dispute-Resolution-Schemes. You can also e-mail [email protected] to find out more about the schemes.
Four hundred and fifty-six advocates and solicitors were called to the Singapore Bar at the Mass Call held over three sessions from 30 to 31 August. During the first session, the Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon announced the recommendations of the Committee of Professional Training of Lawyers which will bring far-reaching changes to our legal profession. The Law Society Secretariat is carefully studying the recommendations and will be working with Ministry of Law, Singapore Academy of Law as well as the Singapore Institute of Legal Education on the implementation aspects. We will keep members updated on this front shortly.
Last but not least – I have to share with you a Top Secret! Our Annual Dinner & Dance 2018 will be held on Friday, 9 November 2018 at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel at 7.30pm. The theme? It’s a Top Secret … . The night promises to be an exciting adventure as we extend our gratitude to members who have made significant contribution to the legal profession and community at large. Come join us in your most glamourous secret agent outfit! The deadline to complete the online registration form is Friday, 19 October 2018. See you there!
