2021 saw a five-year record high number of lawyers leaving the industry locally. What must change to encourage lawyers to stay on in the profession? What is being done to increase the retention of lawyers, especially younger ones?

In this episode, host and Associate Director at the Institute of Policy Studies Liang Kaixin chats with Andrew Chan, Partner at Allen & Gledhill LLP and Michelle Yeo, Of Counsel at LVM Law Chambers LLC. They discuss what exactly is causing the mass exodus of lawyers from the profession, and how individual firms as well as the industry at large can help to reduce the stress faced by lawyers in Singapore.

Find out more about lawyers leaving the profession in Singapore:
AsiaOne (24 January 2022): Quitting law jobs for something 'risky': Young ex-lawyers on why they left the profession
The Straits Times (23 January 2022): Young lawyers cite long hours, stress for quitting amid calls for more support from legal fraternity
Today (22 January 2022): The Big Read: Burnt out and disillusioned, young lawyers head for the exit — and the industry is worried
The Straits Times (10 January 2022): 538 lawyers in Singapore left profession in 2021, a five-year high

About our guests:

Andrew Chan

Partner

Allen & Gledhill LLP

Andrew Chan’s practice encompasses commercial work, and he is a specialist in dispute resolution (especially arbitration), trusts, and insolvency (corporate and personal). In arbitration, he has acted as counsel, been appointed arbitrator and appointed to give expert evidence on Singapore law.

Andrew was admitted to the bar in 1993. In October 2011, he was presented the Minister for Law Outstanding Volunteer Award, the highest volunteer award for individuals given by the Ministry of Law Singapore, for providing expertise and helping shape insolvency practice in Singapore.

Andrew is passionate about the topic of lawyers leaving the profession, and how to make changes in the industry. He wrote an article on the Great Resignation in the February 2022 issue of the Law Gazette.

Michelle Yeo

Of Counsel

LVM Law Chambers LLC

Michelle Yeo is a litigator with a special focus on white-collar criminal law. Qualified in Singapore and in the UK, she is a former legislation drafter and Deputy Public Prosecutor with experience in English law.

Michelle began her legal career in 2011 as a Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Attorney-General’s Chambers. In 2013, Michelle joined the AGC’s Legislative Division, where she drafted Parliamentary bills and subsidiary legislation. She moved to the UK in 2016, where she worked in a law firm and volunteered at a prison law charity.

An advocate for social justice and action, Michelle co-founded and is actively involved with ReadAble Ltd, a children’s literacy and numeracy charity. She has also drafted Parliamentary speeches and questions for a former Nominated Member of Parliament.

On Diversity is a podcast inspired by the Institute of Policy Studies Managing Diversities research programme. In each episode, we chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making, and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society.

More from On Diversity
Season 3 Episode 4: Racism at Work with Dharesheni Nedumaran, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, APAC, at Mediabrands and Shamil Zainuddin, Research Associate at IPS Social Lab
Season 3 Episode 3: Ableism at Work with Cassandra Chiu, a vision impaired counsellor and advocate for PWDs, and Justin Lee, Senior Research Fellow at IPS
Season 3 Episode 2: Ageism at Work with Heng Chee How, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), and Associate Professor Helen Ko of the Master & PhD in Gerontology Programmes at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
Season 3 Episode 1: Sexism at Work, with Corinna Lim, Executive Director of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) and Simran Toor, Chief Executive Officer at SG Her Empowerment Limited (SHE) 
Season 2 Episode 9: Youth Mental Health, with Dr Jacqueline Tilley, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the National Institute of Education (NIE) and Asher Low, Founder of Limitless
Season 2 Episode 8: What Makes Us Singaporean, with Matthew Matthews, Principal Research Fellow of IPS and Head of IPS Social Lab, and Oon Shu An, Singaporean actress and host
Season 2 Episode 7: Homelessness, with Harry Tan, IPS Research Fellow, and June Chua, Co-founder of T Project
Season 2 Episode 6: The Young vs The Old, with Kanwaljit Soin, Orthopaedic and Hand Surgeon, and Teo Kay Key, IPS Research Fellow

2021 saw a five-year record high number of lawyers leaving the industry locally. What must change to encourage lawyers to stay on in the profession? What is being done to increase the retention of lawyers, especially younger ones?
In this episode, host and Associate Director at the Institute of Policy Studies Liang Kaixin chats with Andrew Chan, Partner at Allen &amp; Gledhill LLP and Michelle Yeo, Of Counsel at LVM Law Chambers LLC. They discuss what exactly is causing the mass exodus of lawyers from the profession, and how individual firms as well as the industry at large can help to reduce the stress faced by lawyers in Singapore.
Find out more about lawyers leaving the profession in Singapore:
<ul>
<li>AsiaOne (24 January 2022): <a href="https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/quitting-law-jobs-something-risky-young-ex-lawyers-why-they-left-profession">Quitting law jobs for something 'risky': Young ex-lawyers on why they left the profession</a></li>
<li>The Straits Times (23 January 2022): <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/young-lawyers-cite-long-hours-stress-for-quitting-amid-calls-for-more-support-from-legal-fraternity">Young lawyers cite long hours, stress for quitting amid calls for more support from legal fraternity</a></li>
<li>Today (22 January 2022): <a href="https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-burnt-out-and-disillusioned-young-lawyers-head-exit-and-industry-worried-1796126">The Big Read: Burnt out and disillusioned, young lawyers head for the exit — and the industry is worried</a></li>
<li>The Straits Times (10 January 2022): <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/law-society-to-find-out-why-more-lawyers-especially-younger-ones-leave-profession">538 lawyers in Singapore left profession in 2021, a five-year high</a></li>
</ul>
About our guests:
Andrew Chan
Partner
Allen &amp; Gledhill LLP
Andrew Chan’s practice encompasses commercial work, and he is a specialist in dispute resolution (especially arbitration), trusts, and insolvency (corporate and personal). In arbitration, he has acted as counsel, been appointed arbitrator and appointed to give expert evidence on Singapore law.
Andrew was admitted to the bar in 1993. In October 2011, he was presented the Minister for Law Outstanding Volunteer Award, the highest volunteer award for individuals given by the Ministry of Law Singapore, for providing expertise and helping shape insolvency practice in Singapore.
Andrew is passionate about the topic of lawyers leaving the profession, and how to make changes in the industry. He wrote an article on the Great Resignation in the February 2022 issue of the Law Gazette.
Michelle Yeo
Of Counsel
LVM Law Chambers LLC
Michelle Yeo is a litigator with a special focus on white-collar criminal law. Qualified in Singapore and in the UK, she is a former legislation drafter and Deputy Public Prosecutor with experience in English law.
Michelle began her legal career in 2011 as a Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Attorney-General’s Chambers. In 2013, Michelle joined the AGC’s Legislative Division, where she drafted Parliamentary bills and subsidiary legislation. She moved to the UK in 2016, where she worked in a law firm and volunteered at a prison law charity.
An advocate for social justice and action, Michelle co-founded and is actively involved with ReadAble Ltd, a children’s literacy and numeracy charity. She has also drafted Parliamentary speeches and questions for a former Nominated Member of Parliament.
On Diversity is a podcast inspired by the Institute of Policy Studies Managing Diversities research programme. In each episode, we chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making, and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society.
More from On Diversity
<ul>
<li><a href="https://ipscommons.sg/podcasts_uri/ips-on-diversity-podcast-s3e4-racism-at-work/">Season 3 Episode 4: Racism at Work with Dharesheni Nedumaran, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, APAC, at Mediabrands and Shamil Zainuddin, Research Associate at IPS Social Lab</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ipscommons.sg/podcasts_uri/ips-on-diversity-podcast-s3e3-ableism-at-work/">Season 3 Episode 3: Ableism at Work with Cassandra Chiu, a vision impaired counsellor and advocate for PWDs, and Justin Lee, Senior Research Fellow at IPS</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ipscommons.sg/podcasts_uri/ips-on-diversity-podcast-s3e2-ageism-at-work/">Season 3 Episode 2: Ageism at Work with Heng Chee How, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), and Associate Professor Helen Ko of the Master &amp; PhD in Gerontology Programmes at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ipscommons.sg/podcasts_uri/ips-on-diversity-podcast-s3e1-sexism-at-work/">Season 3 Episode 1: Sexism at Work, with Corinna Lim, Executive Director of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) and Simran Toor, Chief Executive Officer at SG Her Empowerment Limited (SHE) </a></li>
<li><a href="https://ipscommons.sg/ips-on-diversity-podcast-s2e9-youth-mental-health/">Season 2 Episode 9: Youth Mental Health, with Dr Jacqueline Tilley, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the National Institute of Education (NIE) and Asher Low, Founder of Limitless</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ipscommons.sg/ips-on-diversity-podcast-s2e8-what-makes-us-singaporean/">Season 2 Episode 8: What Makes Us Singaporean, with Matthew Matthews, Principal Research Fellow of IPS and Head of IPS Social Lab, and Oon Shu An, Singaporean actress and host</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ipscommons.sg/ips-on-diversity-podcast-s2e7-the-homeless-in-singapore/">Season 2 Episode 7: Homelessness, with Harry Tan, IPS Research Fellow, and June Chua, Co-founder of T Project</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ipscommons.sg/ips-on-diversity-podcast-s2e6-the-young-vs-the-old/">Season 2 Episode 6: The Young vs The Old, with Kanwaljit Soin, Orthopaedic and Hand Surgeon, and Teo Kay Key, IPS Research Fellow</a></li>
</ul>

"On Diversity" is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme.

In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society.

On Diversity features new episodes every week.

"On Diversity" is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme.
In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society.
On Diversity features new episodes every week.

IPS On Diversity Podcast

"On Diversity" is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme. In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society. On Diversity features new episodes every week.

"On Diversity" is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme. In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society. On Diversity features new episodes every week.

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