Murali Pillai on Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill

With a proposal to double the practice training period for law graduates, what is important is not just the length of the training but the quality of supervision, said MP Murali Pillai in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 7). He asked what redress can be given to trainees who are not getting the training, exposure and mentorship they are supposed to get from their supervising solicitors. The issue of remuneration is also a concern. Trainees who undergo a year-long instead of six-month training period will continue to get allowances instead of a lawyer’s salary. At the same time, law firms cannot charge clients for work done by trainees under supervision, meaning they will incur higher costs by having to pay allowances for a longer period. Mr Murali asked when amendments to subsidiary legislation will be in place to allow firms to charge for trainees’ work. Among other points he raised was to strike a balance when raising the standards of the Bar exam and guard against making it harder than necessary.