Advocate and solicitor in West Malaysia: the admission requirements and process

For admission to the Malaysian Bar as an advocate and solicitor, the candidate must fulfill the academic and practical requirements as provided in the Legal Profession Act 1976 (LPA). The Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) decides on the qualifications that may entitle a person to become a “qualified person” for the purposes of admission as an advocate and solicitor in Malaysia. The admission requirements are contained in ss. 10 to 19 of the LPA. Besides having a Bachelor of Laws qualification recognised by the LPQB, the qualified person must serve pupillage for nine-months with a lawyer in Malaysia who has been in active practise for a minimum of seven years. The aim of the pupillage is to provide exposure to the work of an advocate and solicitor. Once a person is admitted to the Malaysian Bar as an advocate and solicitor and upon obtaining a valid practising certificate, he will be enrolled as a member of the Malaysian Bar. With the above background, this chapter discusses the admission requirements to be an advocate and solicitor. The chapter will also cover the admission requirements for articled clerks to the Malaysian Bar in compliance with s. 25, the “Special Admission Certificate” from the Attorney General for admission to the Bar as an advocate and solicitor and the ad hoc admission of foreign lawyers to practise as an advocate and solicitor in specific cases.