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SCCA & CNPL – Legal Clinic for Charities
Jointly organised by the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA)[1] Pro Bono Chapter and the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL)[2], the 2023 Legal Clinic for Charities took place on 13th May at the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC).
Group photograph with the clinic organisers, volunteer lawyers, Temasek Polytechnic student volunteers and NUS student volunteers: Tan Yuxuan ‘25, Chang Li-Ann ‘26, Lee Jie Yu ‘26 and Leanne Teo Ler En ‘26.[3]
The CNPL & SCCA Legal Clinic started in 2022 with the aim of helping the non-profit sector create a leadership pipeline and build effective boards. Unlike most other Legal Clinics, the matters concerned are not litigious. Rather, this clinic allows for Charities to seek clarification on corporate issues such as contracts, policies and IP so that they may improve their operations and better carry out their initiatives to benefit the public.
At the same time, the Clinic engages in-house counsels from a diverse range of companies to volunteer. Student volunteers were given the opportunity to mingle with these practitioners after the clinic and learn more about alternative legal careers.
Prior to the Clinic, Ms Serene Gan, co-chair of the SCCA Pro Bono Chapter, briefed the volunteers on what to expect and gave a run down on the Clinic’s history and objectives. At the end of the session, the volunteers were grouped up and assigned their client for the clinic. Over the next week, the law students worked closely with the volunteer lawyers in researching the Charities’ queries.
The Legal Clinic for Charities additionally forms part of the larger partnership between SCCA and CNPL in order to support charities in Singapore.[4]
MOU Signing between SCCA and CNPL. (L to R): Cheryl Cheong, Vice-Chair of SCCA Pro Bono Chapter, Serene Gan, Board Member of SCCA, Tony Soh, CEO of NVPC, and Kitson Leonard Lee Lee, Head of CNPL.[5]
In light of the recent MOU between SCCA and CNPL, we can only hope for more iterations of the Clinic in the years to come. Students are strongly encouraged to look out for the next opportunity and sign up to be a part of a meaningful initiative. [Please contact the Centre for Pro Bono and Clinical Legal Education at probono@nus.edu.sg for further information.]
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Centre for Non-Profit Leadership is the leadership consulting arm of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre.
Singapore Corporate Counsel Association is the pioneer national organisation representing the interests of in-house lawyers working for companies and other entities based in Singapore. SCCA Pro Bono Chapter was founded in 2020
[2] https://cityofgood.sg/cnpl/
[3] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sccasingapore_cnpl-activity-7064481647743705088-Wz1y?utm_source
=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
[4] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sccasingapore_cnpl-activity-7063819132319727616-W5Kr?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
[5] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nvpc-sg_cnpl-activity-7061587020447428608-MmsR?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop