What’s the Job Demand for Lawyers in Malaysia?
What's the Job Demand for Lawyers in Malaysia?
Malaysia Job Outlook for Lawyers
Law graduates can only experience hands-on legal training when they undergo pupillage or chambering at legal firms. However, not all graduates are guaranteed chambering spots due to limited openings and increased competitiveness in the legal industry. According to the Malaysian Bar, there are about 1500 law graduates who perform their pupilage at law firms around the country. Although the law graduates might go on to complete the required nine-month chambering stint, not all end up practising law as many drop out of the profession. Out of the 1,500 fresh graduates who try to enter the legal profession, there is an attrition rate of about half for one reason or another. Law firms in Kuala Lumpur, especially the larger ones, generally pay them the minimum allowance of about RM1,500.
Although lawyers affect nearly every aspect of society in a range of positions and industries, their basic duties are the same–to represent the needs of their clients in civil and criminal trials. Lawyers can specialize in bankruptcy, international, elder, probate, or environmental law. The growing field of intellectual property is also seeing a growing level of attention from lawyers.
According to the lawyer statistical data from Malaysian Bar, the number of legal practitioners or lawyers in Malaysia had increased from 13,672 to 20,384 from year 2011 to year 2021. Amongst these 20,384 lawyers, 9,190 of them are male’s lawyers and 11,194 are female’s lawyers. Upon checking the Malaysian Bar website currently, it is stated that there are approximately 16,000 lawyers in Malaysia and the number is growing annually. In a report in The Star, the Malaysian Bar stated that here are currently more than 6,000 legal firms and 22,000 active practising lawyers in the country.
Lawyers are generally classified into four main types and they may specialize in any role such as:
- Civil law
- Criminal law
- Conveyancing lawyer / Real estate law
- Corporate law
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Find Out the Talent Demand for Lawyers in Malaysia
2023 HAYS Asia Salary Guide
According to the 2023 HAYS Asia Salary Guide the outlook for Malaysia’s legal market in 2023 is incredibly positive. A key focus across the industry will be on data privacy as concerns within this space grow. Consequently, 2023 will see strong demand for regional data privacy counsel and regional data privacy specialist roles.
Corporate secretary opportunities will be plentiful within the corporate legal space as corporate governance becomes a strong focus across industries. Additionally, the large-scale merger and acquisitions activity in 2022 is also projected to continue in 2023 which calls for a steep demand for corporate lawyers within the Malaysian market.
As pressure to retain staff grows, most legal firms, especially top-tiered ones have embarked on revising and streamlining salaries according to their years of PQE (Post Qualified Experience). This move is intended to increase the transparency of general remuneration packages for practicing lawyers and is a trend that is likely to continue into 2023.
In general, legal professionals are indicating a strong preference for flexibility, with most candidates choosing not to proceed with the job application process if the organisation does not support a hybrid working arrangement. The coming years will also see a greater focus on diversity, with local and MC organisations actively looking to hire more women.
Robert Walters Malaysia: A rising demand for IT lawyers
IT is now an integral part of our lives and are increasingly becoming an undeniable must-have for companies, whether they are start-ups, government-linked companies (GLCs) or multinational companies (MNCs). Recent developments in e-Commerce, online marketplaces, fintech, blockchain, mobile apps and social media has only accelerated the growth of tech and driven the need for IT lawyers.
EuJinn Teo, consultant in the legal team at Robert Walters Malaysia, sheds some light on the benefits IT lawyers bring to businesses.
What a specialised IT lawyer does
The typical perception is that an IT lawyer is normally dual qualified, with an LLB and an IT degree for example. However, this is not always the case even though having the latter qualification could be an added advantage. Typically, an IT lawyer’s job scope covers, amongst others, the following areas:
- corporate & commercial
- intellectual property, data privacy & protection
- litigation/disputes
- regulatory & policy compliance
- block chain technology – commercial procedure of construction of blockchain and mobile applications,
- crowdfunding and various compliance requirements and/or limitations
Benefits of having a specialised IT lawyer:
IT start-ups
Due to the growth of the industry, we see a wider range of work being covered by IT lawyers, especially when it comes to IT start-up companies. Generally, the end-to-end legal services rendered can be summarised as below:
Pre-launch
- Commercial, regulatory & business requirements
- Structure/type of company & business structure
- Licensing and permit requirements
- Contracts drafting
Interim
- Ownership of rights
- Privacy & competition law requirements
Post-launch
- Corporate & commercial advisory
- Further investment transactions
- Proper advertising and marketing procedure & requirements
Private practice
- An opportunity to establish a new department/practice group to further expand firm’s business
- A great opportunity to groom junior lawyers to become subject matters experts
- Better synergy and collaboration between practice groups where different expertise would be required
In-house (outside IT start-ups)
- Possibility of pioneering the development of various digitalisation of companies’ businesses, e.g. start-ups and financial institutions and the “go-to” person in rendering legal solutions in light of the rapidly changing IT and digital landscape
- Key person in structuring and boosting the business of the company
The IT industry is undeniably an emerging market – growth is limitless, and the demand will only escalate as time passes by. For companies which are considering hiring IT lawyers, it is good to begin the search early as there is often a shortage of good talent given the niche skill sets required.
How to become a Lawyer in Malaysia
Lucas, A-Levels at HELP Academy & Law Degree from Queens University Belfast
After completing a Bachelor of Laws and passing all exams and requirements, most Lawyers start out as Research Assistants to more experienced Lawyers, compiling data for cases and observing at court. With experience, they can rise to the position of junior partner to senior partner and then build their own law firm once they have built their practice and client base.
- Complete secondary school with Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or IGCSE qualification.
- Complete a Pre-University (Pre-U) Programme like Foundation, A-Levels, AUSMAT, etc.
- Enter a Law degree Programme
- Complete a Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP), or bar professional training course.
- Complete 9 months of Pupillage (Chambering), a practical training course.
- Pass all Malaysian bar examinations and legal aid programmes during the Pupillage.
- Obtain status as a fully-qualified Lawyer from the bar.
