Undergraduate Brochure
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2020 UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES NUS Law NUS Law is the Law The National University of Singapore Faculty of Law School (NUS Law) is widely regarded as Asia’s leading law in Asia school. Staffed by an outstanding permanent faculty #1 diverse in origin and qualifications, NUS Law is dedicated to building a vibrant community and creating an environment that facilitates critical thinking and reflection on the fundamental legal issues confronting Source: Quacquarelli Symonds our interconnected world. Located in Singapore, which World University Rankings by for more than a century has been a commercial hub Subject 2019: Law at the crossroads of Asia, NUS Law is very much Asia’s #13 Global Law School. Since 1957 the School’s curriculum has been infused Source: Times Higher Education with perspectives from other jurisdictions and World University Rankings by disciplines. This tradition has accelerated in recent Subject 2020: Law years, providing a legal education that is comparative, #15 international and multidisciplinary. NUS Law hosts many visiting faculty and students from every continent, offering a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom. The strength of the NUS Law curriculum lies in the broad and diverse range of subjects it offers. In addition to a rigorous core curriculum, students can choose from more than a hundred electives in areas such as Asian legal studies and comparative law, commercial law, IP and technology law, law and society, legal theory, maritime law, and public and private international law. Dean’s Message You are about to make one of the more important decisions in your life. The choice of degree and university has a major impact on the trajectory of your career. But as you contemplate your course of study, I urge you to think broadly. Don’t just think about “what” you want to be. Rather, think about whom you want to be. NUS Law graduates occupy the highest legal offices in the land, including the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and senior practitioners in all areas of law. Our alumni include partners in top international firms in New York and London, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Some of our graduates assume public office, like President Halimah Yacob and Law Minister K. Shanmugam. Others join academia or represent Singapore on the international stage, like former Dean and Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh. Still others use their legal training to start new ventures in the corporate world, like Tan Min-Liang, CEO of gaming giant Razer, or apply their skills with language as playwrights or actors, like Eleanor Wong and Ivan Heng. NUS Law offers rigorous legal training, but we also teach personal and professional skills that enable our graduates to operate across boundaries. This includes national boundaries, through the chance to spend a semester or more of your third year at partner law schools in twenty countries, or your fourth year earning a Master of Laws degree from New York University, King’s College London, or other leading institutions. We also cross imaginary boundaries, as you may take subjects outside law from across the University — in some cases earning you a second degree from life sciences to liberal arts — and participate in activities that broaden you as a person, such as the “Don’t just think about ‘what’ you many opportunities for public service. want to be. Rather, think about whom you want to be.” At NUS Law, you will be part of the conversation. Our professors expect you to challenge them, to share new ideas, and debate different perspectives. In my own classes, the good students can answer my questions; the best students can predict those questions. But the truly great students pose questions I had never imagined! We don’t aim, then, to produce “lawyers”. We aim to produce leaders who can be successful in whatever path they choose. You have an important decision to make. Choose well. Simon Chesterman Dean and Professor of Law National University of Singapore “Our ambition is to be the best law school in Asia and one of the best in the world. This is where civilisations of the world meet and co-mingle. We offer faculty and students a unique multi-cultural milieu for study, research and mutual learning.” Professor Tommy Koh Class of 1961 Ambassador-at-Large Former Dean of NUS Law Asia’s Global Law School A Brief History Excellence in Teaching and Research NUS Law is part of the National University of Singapore (NUS), There are many reasons why students seek and value education the oldest tertiary institution in Singapore. The roots of NUS at NUS Law. Among them are the strength of our teaching and Law lie in the establishment of the Department of Law in the research, the diverse range of undergraduate programmes we then University of Malaya in 1956. The first law students were offer, and the exciting local and international opportunities that admitted to the Bukit Timah Campus of the University in 1957. a law degree at NUS offers. In 1959, the Department attained Faculty status with Professor Lionel Astor (“Lee”) Sheridan serving as the founding dean. Home to over 70 permanent faculty members with law degrees from more than a dozen jurisdictions, NUS Law is an institution The pioneer class of law students graduated in 1961, counting dedicated to building a community and an environment among its most illustrious members Professor Tommy Koh in which faculty and students can discuss and reflect on (Ambassador-at-Large and former Dean), former Chief Justice the fundamental legal issues that affect societies in today’s Chan Sek Keong, former Dean Thio Su Mien, Emeritus Professor globalised world. Koh Kheng Lian, former Solicitor-General Koh Eng Tian and former Police Commissioner Goh Yong Hong. With a rich heritage spanning over 60 years, NUS Law is one of the finest law schools in the world and is widely regarded With the decision of the Governments of Singapore and the as Asia’s leading law school. We believe in creative and Federation of Malaya that the Singapore Division and the Kuala independent learning. Research opportunities, continuous Lumpur Division of the University of Malaya should become assessment, tutorials, presentations and seminar-style teaching autonomous national universities in their respective countries, are emphasised, bolstered by the finest law library in all of Asia. the University of Singapore, with its campus in Bukit Timah, was established on 1 January 1962. In 1980, the University of Singapore and Nanyang University (Nantah) merged to form NUS. With that, the Faculty of Law became part of the modern NUS. UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES 2020 | 3 “The most important things you will do to make a difference to society are ahead of you. Use what you learn here to bring new perspectives to the cause of making the world a better place. And care about injustice. That is why you have chosen to become lawyers.” Sundaresh Menon Class of 1986 Chief Justice Supreme Court of Singapore Student Life Law Club The NUS Students’ Law Club (Law Club) is a constituent club of the NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) and is made up of law undergraduates and graduates. The Law Club Management Committee and its six subsidiary clubs organise events throughout the year. These range from Law Careers Fair to school events like Open Day, Freshmen Orientation and social events on campus. Law Sub-Clubs NUS Criminal Justice Club NUS Pro Bono Group The Criminal Justice Club (CJC) is an official sub-club under the The NUS Pro Bono Group (PBG) is a student-run organisation Law Club, and its guiding motto is ‘In Truth and Justice’. The dedicated to the promotion of pro bono service among law CJC organises annual signature events such as the Attorney- students. The PBG’s projects include court attachments (e.g. General’s Cup and the Forensic Science Conference, which is a with the State courts and Syariah courts), clinical placements, collaboration with the NUS Faculty of Science, and also hosts community outreach programmes (e.g. Students 4 Migrants), dialogues with distinguished guests to discuss issues of peer support (e.g. via the Student Disciplinary Assistance criminal law. Scheme) and an annual Pro Bono Awareness Week. In addition to local efforts, PBG also works with regional universities and The CJC’s flagship projects are ‘The Recourse Initiative’, the non-profit organisations to promote greater access to justice. ‘Military Justice Project’, and ‘On the Ground’. The club also PBG’s international projects include Thai-ed With Love, where facilitates collaboration and internships with the Legal students have worked with migrant worker beneficiaries in Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences (LASCO) and the Thailand. Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS). UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES 2020 | 5 Singapore Law Review Mooting & Debating Club The Singapore Law Review (SLR) is an independent legal The Mooting and Debating Club (MDC) promotes oratorical publication body, exclusively run by students. Founded in skills and the passion for mooting, debating and advocacy 1959, the Review provides a platform for legal scholarship among law students. and aims to raise awareness of current legal issues, promote critical legal thinking, writing, and discussion amongst The MDC is responsible for organising various local mooting students, academics and members of the legal fraternity, and competitions, such as the B.A. Mallal Moots, the Advocacy empower the Review members to hone their own editing Cup, the WongPartnership International Commercial and writing skills. Arbitration Moot and the Gowling WLG IP Moot. It also hosts a series of informal sessions for members to engage in The SLR produces an annual journal which features articles informal debates and discussions. written by Justices of the Supreme Court, eminent scholars, legal practitioners, and law students from Singapore and The MDC also focuses on nurturing each new generation abroad.