Training next generation of lawyers: Supervisors set the bar in quality of trainee's experience

Size of law firm also counts - bigger cases at larger firms, closer interaction and more front-line work at small ones

In the light of complaints from some trainees and junior lawyers about being treated as "slaves", the committee stressed that supervisors must take their teaching responsibility seriously. PHOTO: ST FILE
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Every lawyer-to-be has to undergo life as an apprentice for six months at a local law firm. But the experience of one such trainee can differ vastly from that of another.

Lawyers say the quality of training ultimately boils down to the supervising lawyer, who is responsible for ensuring that the trainee is adequately trained.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 19, 2018, with the headline Training next generation of lawyers: Supervisors set the bar in quality of trainee's experience. Subscribe