THE COLLEGE OF LAW AND SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF LEGAL EDUCATION FORGE STRATEGIC COLLABORATION.

Posted on: 03 May 2012
Written by: Claire Middleton

The College of Law has formed a strategic collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (the Institute) to develop new learning programmes for aspiring and qualified lawyers in the city-state and the region.

 

The Institute is a statutory body with the remit of maintaining and improving the standards of legal education in Singapore both pre- and post-qualification.

 

Under the agreed Memorandum of Understanding the College will draw on its unique heritage as the leading global professional law school to work with the Institute to develop innovative professional and continuing professional development (CPD) programmes.

 

The two organisations also plan to set up a jointly-run summer school programme aimed at newly qualified lawyers in Singapore and the wider region to enable them to better prepare for the demands of delivering legal services in increasingly diverse markets. This will focus in particular on corporate practice and dispute resolution.

 

The College is one of the first accredited providers of CPD, which has become compulsory in Singapore for newly-qualified lawyers under regulations which came into force on April 1, 2012.

 

The relationship also envisages that the College will work with the Institute in developing its existing training programme for law graduates wishing to be admitted to the Singapore Bar. The ‘Preparatory Course leading to Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations’ is the equivalent of the Legal Practice Course in England and Wales. The College has led the way in developing on line teaching and learning for young lawyers entering global corporate practice.

 

It is hoped that this initial collaboration will eventually enable The College of Law to establish a permanent presence in Singapore and develop further face-to-face and online training courses tailored to the needs of the Singaporean legal community.

 

Professor Nigel Savage (pictured), Chief Executive of The College of Law, said: “The College and the Institute have the common aim of supporting Singapore’s growing success as a global hub for legal services and education and share a vision of legal education in a global context.

 

“We aim to retain and attract the very best aspiring and qualified lawyers at all levels of practice by delivering world-class learning programmes suited to the needs of the Singapore economy. To achieve this the College will draw on its unique heritage and experience in the development, design and delivery of world-class learning and development. The initiative will also support the strategic aspirations of our English law firm clients who are currently investing heavily in Singapore and the wider region.”

 

As part of the collaboration the College will be sharing its expertise in e-learning methods, developed over many years during the evolution of its pre- and post-qualification programmes, as well as helping to develop and deliver face-to-face training modules.

 

David Quark, Executive Director of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education, said: “We are very pleased to collaborate with an established institution like the College of Law. In our interactions with the College to date, we have been impressed by its catalogue of legal education products and its clear leadership in postgraduate and continuing legal education.”  

 

The College of Law, which has eight centres across the UK, has already formed ‘best friend’ relationships with the global law schools IE Law School in Madrid and Beijing’s Renmin University of China Law School as well as collaborating with Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago.