Practice Training Contracts
Practice Trainees will be assigned to the department that they are recruited for and will undergo a structured training programme which adheres closely to the guidelines set by SILE. During the structured training programme, you will be required to attend regular training sessions on all aspects of legal practice as well as undertake training assignments.
Aside from the structured training programme, you will be working at all times under the supervision of a partner, who will be your supervising solicitor. You will also work closely with the associates in your team, who will train you in matters specific to your practice area as well as the soft skills required as a lawyer. Further, you may have the opportunity to be exposed to other practice areas outside of your main placement.
In accordance with the revised guidelines set by SILE, the practice training contract period for all Practice Trainees starting with the firm will be 12 months. During this time, Practice Trainees may be rotated to a different department. The order of preference that you have indicated when applying for your practice training contracts will be taken into consideration when you are assigned your placement and possible rotation. Do note however, that placements within each department is limited and you may not be placed in your preferred departments.
Our trainees will be paid a honorarium during their training. If you are offered a position as an associate with our firm and accept it, we will also reimburse you for your ethics course fees, Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations fees as well as filing of call papers.
Relevant Legal Training
Typically, returning foreign graduates will first undergo their Relevant Legal Training for a six-month period, starting from the month of August in the year they graduate from university before commencing their Part A and Part B courses (in January and July respectively). After completing their Part B examinations in December, they will then undertake their practice training as a trainee solicitor, together with the Singapore law graduates.
While we generally welcome applications for Relevant Legal Training and Training Contracts all year round, foreign returning graduates would typically apply after they have obtained their second-year examination results. Graduates from Singapore universities would likewise be expected to provide at a minimum their second-year examination result.
How to apply
In the subject title of your email, please state (a) your full name; (b) the department you are applying for; and (c) the year in which you intend to be called to the Bar.
Applicants should submit the following:
- A short cover letter stating the area or areas of practice you are interested in and whether you are applying for relevant legal training and/or a training contract
- Your CV and past work/internship experience
- Your grades from secondary school level onwards
- Details of all awards, scholarships or prizes won
- Details of participation in extra/co-curricular activities and other accomplishments
- Any essays, articles or papers recently written
Please do contact us if you have any further questions about the training contracts with Virtus Law.
FAQ
When do I apply?
You should apply for a training contract in your penultimate year of study and during the stated application periods. Please refer below to the application process and application periods.
Am I able to rotate between departments?
We do not have a rotation system for Practice Trainees and do not recommend rotation between departments. As the training contract period is relatively short, we do not feel that a fair assessment can be made of a Practice Trainee’s performance if he or she rotates between departments.
However, in order to comply with the guidelines and checklist issued pursuant to the Legal Profession (Practice Training Period) Rules 2009, our firm will make the necessary arrangements to ensure that all Practice Trainees be exposed to at least two practice areas.
Further, as part of our training programme for Practice Trainees, our firm organises formal seminars which cover, among others, core corporate and core litigation issues. Practice Trainees from all practice areas will be invited to participate in such seminars to give everyone an opportunity to learn about a practice area which he or she is not currently exposed to.
We also have a comprehensive in-house training programme which gives our lawyers an idea of the other practice areas within our firm.
What if I don’t want to qualify in the department I am training with?
Where we are able to, we have facilitated requests for transfers to other departments. This, of course, depends on whether there is a position available in the department to which you hope to be transferred.
How many Practice Trainees will you be accepting?
The number of Practice Trainees we accept vary from year to year, and depend on various factors, such as current headcount and business requirements.
Will I work closely with a partner?
Yes. A partner will be assigned as your supervising solicitor and will oversee your work and development and be directly responsible for you. You can also expect to work closely with other partners, as well as senior associates and associates in the department or team which you are training with.
Our application periods differ depending on whether you are an undergraduate currently reading law in a Singapore university or one of the overseas universities approved by the Ministry of Law. Please click here to access the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE) website for more details.
If you are currently an undergraduate, you should start applying for a training contract in your penultimate year of study.
2025/2026 Training Contracts
We invite applications from candidates who wish to fulfill training contracts in 2025/2026. Please click here to submit your application.
2023 and 2024 Training Contracts
We continue to consider applications for training contracts from candidates who intend to seek admission to the Singapore Bar in second half of 2023 and 2024.
- + Application process
-
Our application periods differ depending on whether you are an undergraduate currently reading law in a Singapore university or one of the overseas universities approved by the Ministry of Law. Please click here to access the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE) website for more details.
If you are currently an undergraduate, you should start applying for a training contract in your penultimate year of study.
- + Application periods
-
2025/2026 Training Contracts
We invite applications from candidates who wish to fulfill training contracts in 2025/2026. Please click here to submit your application.
2023 and 2024 Training Contracts
We continue to consider applications for training contracts from candidates who intend to seek admission to the Singapore Bar in second half of 2023 and 2024.
If you are an undergraduate reading law in a Singapore university, your student body may have voted in favour of a moratorium on training contract applications for your intended year of qualification. As such, we may not be able to accept certain applications until a specific date if there is a moratorium in force.
If you are an undergraduate reading law in an approved overseas university, you will join the firm earlier than your Singapore counterparts as you would have to undergo a 6-month relevant legal training period with the firm in addition to your training contract period. If you are unsure of the qualification process applicable to you, the SILE website www.sile.edu.sg has a comprehensive guide on how you can become a Qualified Person for the purposes of admission to the Singapore Bar. We would encourage you to visit their website for more information.
- + Singapore undergraduates
-
If you are an undergraduate reading law in a Singapore university, your student body may have voted in favour of a moratorium on training contract applications for your intended year of qualification. As such, we may not be able to accept certain applications until a specific date if there is a moratorium in force.
- + Overseas undergraduates
-
If you are an undergraduate reading law in an approved overseas university, you will join the firm earlier than your Singapore counterparts as you would have to undergo a 6-month relevant legal training period with the firm in addition to your training contract period. If you are unsure of the qualification process applicable to you, the SILE website www.sile.edu.sg has a comprehensive guide on how you can become a Qualified Person for the purposes of admission to the Singapore Bar. We would encourage you to visit their website for more information.
