The Year Ahead: Training and Development Programmes Across Legal Practice Areas
Lawyers today are expected to navigate advanced digital tools, complex cross-border cases, and meet shifting client expectations, all while maintaining the highest standards of legal advice and ethics.
This is what makes continuous learning so vital, as it helps sharpen strategic insight and the ability to adapt to new practice demands, skills essential for both new lawyers and experienced practitioners. Over time, many lawyers may also tackle broader responsibilities in managing teams or shaping practice direction, making leadership capabilities a crucial element of effective legal practice.
With this in mind, the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) is committed to supporting legal professionals at every stage of their career through a comprehensive ecosystem of continuing education.
From practical workshops and interactive talks to specialist accreditation programmes, we provide a comprehensive suite of learning experiences designed to equip lawyers with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in their careers.
Below are some of the upcoming training and development programmes across a range of practice areas, which can help you identify opportunities to expand your expertise and future-proof your practice in the year ahead.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Our programmes are designed to help legal professionals sharpen their dispute resolution skills, understand ethical standards, and navigate emerging challenges in Singapore.
Date: This is a regular course with multiple runs throughout the year. Please refer to our calendar of events to find your next opportunity to participate.
This intensive two-day programme introduces participants to interest-based mediation techniques that enable more effective management of conflicts within organisations and with external parties. Its highly interactive format incorporates role play and practical exercises, and is well-suited not only for lawyers but also for executives, managers, and professionals from other sectors looking to strengthen their conflict management skills.
Building & Construction Law
Maintaining a strong grasp of construction contracts, claims, and dispute resolution processes is vital for legal practitioners in this sector.
Practical Workshop on Building & Construction Dispute Resolution
Date: Future runs of this course are scheduled in 2026. Please refer to our calendar of events to find your next opportunity to participate.
This two-day workshop provides practical guidance on tackling common issues in construction projects, including payments, variations, delays, and terminations. Each session combines legal principles with practical tutorials on areas ranging from claims preparation and witness selection to project delays and post-completion obligations.
Civil Practice
Success in civil proceedings relies on the presentation of persuasive evidence and well-structured arguments. Our programme equips practitioners with the tools to draft effective affidavits of evidence-in-chief (AEICs) that preserve their evidentiary purpose in court.
Date: 28 – 29 January 2026
Get equipped with essential skills to effectively prepare for and argue applications in court.
Date: 3 – 4 February 2026
This two-day training module is designed to equip young lawyers with essential and practical skills in preparing for, dealing with and assisting in trial proceedings.
Date: 4 – 5 March 2026
Develop essential and practical skills required to cross-examine witnesses in court proceedings, and how to deal with experts and use expert evidence in the course of a dispute.
Date: 10 March 2026
Learn to coordinate legal matters, understand Singapore’s legal processes, matter management tools, and document systems, while applying best practices in workflow, collaboration and ethics.
Date: 24 March 2026
This training module is designed to equip young lawyers with essential and practical skills required to prepare for and handle a civil appeal.
Date: 30 March 2026
Get equipped with essential client management skills, focusing on practical aspects such as AML/KYC issues, client interviews, and dealing with difficult clients.
Date: 1 – 2 April 2026
Learn to navigate legal, regulatory, and cultural differences, with a focus on cross-cultural communication and negotiation techniques.
Date: 8 April 2026
Get equipped with a thorough understanding of P&P and S&C costs, and enforcement of judgments and awards, blending legal theory with practical skills to prepare them for the challenges they may face in their work.
Date: 21 – 22 April 2026
Gain a practical, hands-on approach to understanding financial statements, tailored specifically to the needs of young corporate and litigation lawyers.
Date: 19 – 20 May 2026
Get equipped with essential and practical skills required to advise and assist clients dealing with the onset of a dispute.
These workshops highlight the do’s and don’ts of both written and oral advocacy in various contexts, and provide participants with the chance to conduct hands-on drills, mock exercises and hypothetical applications before members of the judiciary and senior practitioners.
Corporate Practice
Clarity, precision, and commercial understanding are essential for effective work in corporate settings. Applying strong drafting skills and leveraging commercial foresight will help legal professionals save time and mitigate risk.
Date: 26 – 27 February 2026
Led by Ken Adams, an internationally renowned expert on contract drafting, this interactive online course guides participants through practical techniques for drafting clear, precise, and commercially aligned contracts. Participants engage in exercises that address real-world drafting challenges and learn how to reduce ambiguity in language and apply best practices across industries.
As part of the course fee, all participants will receive a copy of Ken’s publication A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting (5th Edition, ABA Publishing).
Date: 3 March 2026
This course equips legal professionals with the knowledge and practical skills to advise on and draft sustainability and ESG reports. Through hands-on exercises, participants will learn core ESG reporting frameworks, legal considerations in sustainability disclosures, and common compliance risks.
Date: 29 April 2026
Specially crafted for junior lawyers, An Introduction to Navigating ESG gives a comprehensive understanding of the ESG issues and legal frameworks, with a focus on practical applications and the challenges they may encounter in their legal practice. Participants can expect hands-on activities to encourage learning and engagement. They can also look forward to pre-course asynchronous eLearning materials for a fuller, all-rounded perspective to this increasingly important area for clients and legal practitioners.
ESG Litigation: Risks and Impacts
Date: 15 July 2026
More details coming soon. Please refer to our calendar of events to find your opportunity to participate.
Integrating ESG into Corporate Governance and Compliance
Date: 3 Oct 2026
More details coming soon. Please refer to our calendar of events to find your opportunity to participate.
Family Law
In Singapore, modern family law increasingly emphasises rehabilitation and resolution over adversarial conflict. To keep pace with his shift, lawyers must balance legal expertise with empathy, therapeutic principles, and practical problem-solving skills.
The following programme from SAL is designed to strengthen both the technical and emotional capabilities lawyers need to support clients more effectively and advocate with greater sensitivity and insight in family law matters.
Date: Please join the waitlist for this event, and we will contact you when registration opens for the next run.
This is a two-day programme developed in collaboration with the Singapore University of Social Sciences and supported by senior family lawyers and Judicial Officers. Comprising three in-person modules, participants will gain the practical skills to support their clients and stakeholders in achieving therapeutic justice.
Date: 15 – 17 July 2026
Jointly hosted by Pacifica Congress and SAL, this conference will bring together leading practitioners, academics, and judicial officers from across Asia Pacific to explore shared challenges in family law. Sessions will cover cross-border parenting disputes, financial frameworks, mediation, and family well-being, highlighting how global collaboration can strengthen family law systems.
Business Acumen and Leadership
Strong leadership skills and commercial awareness have become critical differentiators for legal professionals. Beyond expertise, lawyers today are expected to make strategic decisions, motivate teams, manage clients effectively, and contribute meaningfully to overall firm growth.
Date: 18 March 2026
This one-day programme equips lawyers with the core leadership skills needed to guide teams and deliver results. Through case discussions, simulations, and structured reflection, participants will learn how to develop a healthy team culture, lead diverse groups effectively, and make sound decisions in high-pressure environments.
Date: 19 March 2026
Ideal for legal professionals wanting to develop a more comprehensive understanding of law firm operations. The session will cover the core elements of strong firm strategies, from its mission and values to market positioning and competitor analysis. Through theory and practical tools, participants will apply both theory and practical tools to assess their firm’s strengths, map the competitive landscape, and define a distinctive value proposition.
Date: July 2026
Jointly developed by SAL and INSEAD, this two-day programme supports law firm partners, general counsel, and legal service officers in strengthening their leadership and management capabilities. Drawing on INSEAD’s business school frameworks, the programme covers organisational alignment, navigating growth and change, motivating teams for high performance, and enhancing effective communication as a leader.
Date: 7 – 8 May
This 2-day programme offers insights into how legal professionals can effectively position law firms and practice areas, understand the core principles of the business of law, build skills to become trusted advisors, and master techniques for successful client pitching.
Legal Technology and Innovation
With digital transformation reshaping the practice and delivery of legal services, lawyers must harness technology and digital tools to work more efficiently, securely, and strategically. Beyond simply adopting new tools, the following programmes focus on building tech-enabled workflows, leveraging AI responsibly, improving data management, and creating value through streamlined processes and smarter ways of working.
Date: 20 January 2026
This one-day programme will educate participants on defining legal department strategy and understanding how legal operations drive organisational value. The course will cover operational frameworks, contract lifecycle management, and financial governance, among others. A key component explores the integration of Generative AI in the legal sector, including practical use cases, prompt engineering, and professional considerations for deploying AI responsibly.
Date: 11 – 12 March 2026
This 2-day course offers a comprehensive overview of legal innovation in Singapore and the region, covering best practices, methodologies such as design thinking and process re-engineering, digital transformation, and Legal GenAI. Participants will explore case studies of law firms and departments leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and client experience, and learn to apply Legal Tech and GenAI responsibly while considering professional and ethical implications.
Date: 10 April 2026
Learn about ethical issues in tech law, cybersecurity, PDPA, and e-commerce law in Singapore. Explore data protection regulations and notable developments in AI.
Date: 10 April 2026
Understand legal innovation, map your organisation’s tech footprint, and apply legal tech tools and generative AI in practice. Maintain ethical standards, optimize legal processes, and use legal design thinking to solve problems.
Chart Your Growth in the Year Ahead With SAL
As the legal landscape in Singapore continues to progress, these programmes reflect our ongoing mission to strengthen lawyers’ professional standards across a diverse range of specialisations.
Together, SAL’s workshops and courses offer a structured pathway for lawyers to deepen their expertise, broaden their strategic capabilities, and stay responsive to the changing needs of clients and the wider legal ecosystem.
Explore our full events calendar, secure your programme slots early, and invest in the knowledge that will shape your career in 2026 and beyond.