42% growth in foreign lawyers, but not enough jobs for local ones?
Law Minister K Shanmugam says he "is concerned there may not be enough training contracts and jobs" for Singaporean law graduates returning from overseas.
Compared to the 94 per cent of local graduates between 2009 and 2013 who received training contracts, "only about 70 per cent of overseas graduates secured such contracts during the same period", Channel Newsasia reported.
In 2009, the government introduced a fast-track scheme which speeds up entry for foreign-trained lawyers who are Singaporean citizens and Permanent Residents to practise law here.
"The change allows law graduates who studied overseas and have at least two years of recognised legal experience to be called to the Bar, after passing what is known as Part A of the Bar examination," the Straits Times reported.
Singapore has also seen an increase of foreign lawyers practising in Singapore in recent years.
In 2009, the Singapore Institute of legal Education (SILE) proposed that the entry requirements for foreign lawyers to practise corporate law in Singapore be eased.
"The spectacular growth of the number of foreign lawyers practising in Singapore emphasises the need for our foreign brethren to lock hands with local lawyers, not in competition, but in cooperation and integration," Mr Lok said.