Nanyang Auditorium Becomes Court for a Day

NTU’s Nanyang Auditorium was the venue for this year’s Mass Call, an annual event organised by the Supreme Court of Singapore for the admission of newly admitted advocates and solicitors to the Singapore Bar.

By Muhammad Zailani Ismail

NEWLY ADMITTED: The new lawyers and their guests thronging the reception after the Mass Call.
PHOTO: TAN XIU QI

430 new lawyers were admitted to the Singapore Bar at this year’s Mass Call, held at the Nanyang Auditorium on Saturday (23 Aug).

Nanyang Auditorium — chosen for its large size — was gazetted as a courtroom for the day, with about 1,400 people in attendance. This included newly admitted advocates, solicitors, and their guests.

The proceedings were presided over by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who congratulated the new batch of lawyers, and gave words of advice in light of recent comments made by Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam.

At the Criminal Justice Conference on 16 Aug, Mr Shanmugam had raised the possibility of Singapore facing an oversupply of lawyers in the coming years, given the growing number of Singaporean law graduates returning from their overseas studies.

Mr Shanmugam also touched on concerns that there may not be enough training contracts and jobs for new lawyers in Singapore.

MEMBERS OF THE BAR: Some of the new lawyers posing for a lighthearted photo after the Mass Call.
PHOTO: TAN XIU QI

In his speech, Chief Justice Menon said that there are certain harsh realities that new lawyers have to resign themselves to, such as a lower starting salary and difficulties in obtaining practice training contracts.

One of the 430 newly admitted lawyers, Ms Katie Lee, 26, agreed with Chief Justice Menon.

“I understood Mr Shanmugam’s comments as I did have some difficulties obtaining a training contract, but I feel that new lawyers have to go in with lower expectations,” said the fresh graduate from the United Kingdom’s University of Warwick.

“Students also have to realise that studying law doesn’t mean you have to become a lawyer — it’s just one of the many options,” she added.

Mr Shanmugam had also urged law students to lower their career and salary expectations, or maybe even consider other industries, such as the banking, public service or arts sectors.

Despite this, Chief Justice Menon maintained that lawyers are still in demand, especially those who practise community law, and that there are other avenues for lawyers to venture into.

Madam Norila Salleh, 60, who was at the event with her son, who is one of the newly admitted lawyers, said that upcoming lawyers should focus on the bright side of things and not be deterred by such career and salary concerns.

“From my experience, I think that legal firms provide the students with knowledge in all fields of life, so I’m really happy that my son is becoming a full-fledged lawyer,” she said.

“Like (what Chief Justice Menon said earlier), there are other career avenues for lawyers, so it should all go well for upcoming lawyers,” she added.