New Bar Course and reviewing the Articled Clerkship Pathway.

 I chaired a meeting at the Asian International Arbitration Centre with the Common Bar Course Task Force and the Articled Clerkship Task Force, both of which were established by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board, to receive updates on the progress of their respective research towards introducing a new bar course and reviewing the articled clerkship pathway. 
 
Briefings were presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rozilini Mary Fernandez-Chung, Chief Researcher of the Common Bar Course Task Force, and Mr. Kitson Foong, Chief Researcher of the Articled Clerkship Task Force, who shared their findings, reform directions, and recommendations to strengthen legal training and pathways into the legal profession. 
 
The session was also attended by senior management of the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Zamri bin Misman, Director-General and Dato’ Dr. Punitha Silivarajoo, Deputy Director-General (Policy and Development). 
 
The legal landscape is evolving. Our professional courses must evolve with it to ensure we produce not just competent law graduates, but graduates who are truly practice-ready. 
 
I was pleased to hear from the Common Bar Course Task Force that the groundwork is being laid to replace the legacy Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) examination with a modern and dynamic practice-based course and certificate. This new bar course is intended to build real-world competence and better prepare law graduates for pupillage and legal practice. 
 
Built on a comprehensive needs analysis involving nearly 1,500 stakeholders, this evidence-led reform will place greater emphasis on practical readiness. It aims to ensure future lawyers are equipped not only with a sound understanding of Malaysian law, but also strong oral advocacy skills, bilingual capability in Bahasa Melayu and English, and a firm grounding in professional ethics. Most importantly, this will be a course that places greater emphasis on legal practice rather than theory. More details will be announced once finalised. 
 
On articled clerkship, a dedicated task force has begun evaluating this pathway, which has remained dormant for 40 years. The purpose of this review is to examine whether the pathway remains relevant today, and if so, how it can be improved to meet current needs. 
 
The task force has successfully completed Phase 1 of its comprehensive study, which involved a statutory forensic audit. Moving into Phase 2, the team will undertake jurisdictional comparisons and engage with the judiciary, the Attorney General’s Chambers, and the Malaysian Bar to ensure that any policy decisions are guided by evidence and proper study. 
 
I emphasised that pathways into the legal profession must remain accessible to all, especially for those from lower-income backgrounds who may not have the means to pursue more costly routes into legal practice. 
 
Thank you to the members of both task forces for their hard work and commitment. Together, we can build a stronger, more capable, and more inclusive legal profession for Malaysia.