By Leow Si Wan

THIS is one job attachment scheme in which the organisers would probably prefer if the participants did not come away with a good experience.

The aim of the Singapore Academy of Law's new programme, after all, is to let students see the 'real' side of a lawyer's job - that it is not all glamour.

The academy, which counts all lawyers, judges and other legal practitioners as its members, hopes this will tackle the attrition problem among law firms, which are rapidly losing lawyers, especially the younger ones.

About 400 students from junior colleges and pre-university institutions started a two-day conference at the Supreme Court yesterday, where they will get a crash course on the country's legal system, the Constitution and how they can become an international lawyer.

After that, they will spend two weeks shadowing a lawyer from one of 60 law firms or the Attorney-General's Chambers. Some will get to follow judicial officers in the Subordinate Courts.

Appeal Judge Andrew Phang, the guest of honour at the programme's launch, said: 'Of most of the disciplines on offer at the various universities, there is perhaps the least information available about the discipline of law.'

The programme's chairman, Senior Counsel Francis Xavier, said this stint will help youths make informed decisions about whether law is for them.

Mr Xavier, whose firm Rajah & Tann is taking in 40 students, said many lawyers quit the profession because of 'mismatched expectations'.

'Many see the excitement, the big court cases and media coverage, but don't realise that the 30 minutes of court presentation took hours of legal preparation,' he said.

High stress levels, long working hours and the confrontational nature of the job are typical reasons why lawyers generally do not last very long.

The lawyers who will act as mentors will not be sugar-coating the harsher sides of their profession.

Lawyer Lee Terk Yang of Characterist said: 'Students will follow us wherever we go, and experience both the good and ugly. If I sit with a client who is crying, or get a reprimand from the judge, the student will see it.'

When asked if the ugly truth would turn students away from doing law, Mr Xavier said: 'I would rather they get turned off now, than seven years later!'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.