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Apply for the Young Independent Counsel scheme
About the Young Independent Counsel scheme
The Young Independent Counsel scheme provides opportunities for young lawyers to hone their skills as advocates before courts. It presents the young counsel with opportunities to assist the court in cases involving novel or cutting-edge issues of law.
The objective of the scheme is to allow young lawyers to assist the court on novel points of law or important issues of public policy. Young lawyers appointed under the scheme may also be called upon to assist the court in cases involving first-time prosecutions under new or amended provisions of the law.
The scheme applies to matters in the High Court and the State Courts and is administered by the Supreme Court Registry. All appointments are for a 1-year period. The young counsel will not receive any remuneration or be reimbursed for any expenses incurred under the scheme.
The Supreme Court would like to invite new applications from lawyers for the Young Independent Counsel scheme 2024.
Eligibility criteria
Lawyers with a at least 2 years and up to 7 years of experience may apply for the Young Independent Counsel scheme. The detailed eligibility criteria are:
- You should possess good academic grades.
- You must be a qualified person (as defined in section 2 of the Legal Profession Act 1966).
- You must have at least 2 years of experience as either of the following:
- An advocate and solicitor.
- A Legal Service Officer.
- No more than 7 years must have elapsed from your becoming a qualified person, as at the point of commencement of the Young Independent Counsel term.
How to apply
You may apply for the Young Independent Counsel scheme by submitting your application online. Attachments shall be in portable document format (PDF) and uploaded together with your online submission. The deadline for receipt of applications is 20 October 2023. Successful candidates will be notified by the Supreme Court.
You will need to include the following in your application:
Your application must be supported by a recommendation from 1 or more of the following persons:
- A current High Court judge.
- An advocate and solicitor of at least 10 years’ experience.
- A Legal Service Officer of at least 10 years’ experience.
The recommendation should state specifically that you (the applicant) are recommended for the scheme.
You must submit a piece of written work (including but not limited to submissions or academic articles) for the purpose of assessing your skills in legal analysis.
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