SINGAPORE – In surveys of newly minted lawyers in 2024 and 2025, around 60 per cent of respondents said they were likely to leave legal practice in the next five years.
commonly cited reasons
were excessive workload or poor work-life balance, a higher salary or compensation package elsewhere, the impact work had on their mental well-being, a lack of flexibility in their working arrangements and poor workplace culture.
To address this, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said on Jan 12 that he and Law Minister Edwin Tong have committed to co-lead the direction of a committee to help the legal profession meet challenges such as attrition and the impact of AI on legal work.
Speaking at the annual opening of the legal year ceremony held at the Supreme Court auditorium, Chief Justice Menon said: “The Minister for Law and I have discussed this issue on a number of occasions, and we are very much aligned in our view that we must help our profession to meet these challenges.”
The committee will comprise representatives from the judiciary, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Ministry of Law, the Singapore Academy of Law, the Law Society of Singapore, the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association and academia, he said.
In his speech, Chief Justice Menon noted that 2026 marked the 200th anniversary of Singapore’s legal system, which was established in 1826 when the Second Charter of Justice was enacted.
He unveiled a series of initiatives and events to celebrate the bicentennial, including the launch of a commemorative medallion and a year-long exhibition at the Supreme Court building.
He also announced the formation of a judicial precinct, comprising the Octagon, the State Courts Towers, and the building formerly occupied by the Family Justice Courts, which will be repurposed to house the Syariah Court and other related judicial institutions.
He added the bicentennial was also an opportunity to reflect on what lies ahead.
One key challenge was attrition, driven by changes in legal practice, he said.
