ESG Legal Secondment Programme

The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Legal Secondment Programme (LSP) is a forward-looking initiative by the Ministry of Law to build ESG capabilities within the legal sector.

The programme place Singapore-qualified lawyers into corporate ESG teams to work on live ESG-related projects, fostering direct collaboration between business and law. The programme provides lawyers with first-hand ESG experience and gives host organisations access to embedded legal talent. The goal is to cultivate a robust advisory ecosystem, strengthening Singapore’s position as a leading sustainable legal business hub.

WHY IT MATTERS

The global economy is being reshaped by new sustainability regulations and evolving financial risks. In response, corporations are increasingly integrating ESG into their strategies. However, the market for specialised ESG legal services in Singapore is still in a formative stage.

This programme is a strategic intervention to bridge that gap. It addresses the need for commercially-grounded legal expertise by allowing lawyers to gain practical insights from within a corporate environment. This proactive collaboration helps both businesses and their legal advisors prepare for the complexities of the evolving ESG landscape.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

Law firms:

Must be a Singapore Law Practice (SLP) with an existing ESG practice; and
Committed to retain the secondee as an employee during the secondment, and to reintegrate the secondee into ESG work upon return

Host organisations:

Corporates with active or emerging ESG agendas;
Must have sustainability teams based in Singapore (e.g., ESG units, in-house legal, compliance, procurement); and
Be able to appoint a supervisor, provide ESG projects, and facilitate overseas exposure if relevant

Secondees (lawyers):

Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who is Singapore-qualified, employed by a Singapore Law Practice;
Ideally, has between five and eight years of post-qualification experience; and
Able to commit to a minimum secondment duration of six months

The full programme factsheet can be accessed here.

ENGAGE WITH US!

We invite interested law firms and corporate organisations to reach out to start a conversation with us.

Express interest: Expression of Interest Form
Contact us: For enquiries, please write to MLAW_IndustryEngagements@mlaw.gov.sg

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