Ministry of Law recently announced that it will set up a steering committee to look into ways to increase the supply of lawyers in Singapore. Small and medium-sized law firms have been the worst hit by the shortage of lawyers, with many finding it impossible to hire entry-level staff. Local law schools are confident that relaxing the admission criteria or increasing intakes will not mean lower standards. ?Admission is extremely competitive, thus moderate adjustments in numbers should have little impact on the quality of law students,? said Professor Michael Furmston, Dean of the School of Law at SMU. He also remarked that increasing the number of graduates who enter the profession may not actually boost supply because many leave the industry within five years of qualifying.
The Straits Times