Centre for Future-ready Graduates@Law

NUS Law Regional Internship Grant (RIG)

What Our Students Say

Internship with Des Voeux Chambers, Hong Kong

Ian Michael Yam
Hong Kong
23 December 2024 to 3 January 2025

To the people supporting the Regional Internship Grant (RIG), thank you for your generosity. Your kindness gave me a rare chance to experience a legal career in Hong Kong, where I undertook a mini-pupillage at Des Voeux Chambers to examine complex trust disputes. With your support, I can confidently seek opportunities to grow my legal and life skills. Finally, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Genevieve and Siu Yin from the Careers team for supporting my overseas endeavours, and express my deepest thanks to my company law tutor Prof Samantha Tang for guiding me in my law journey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internship with Jones Day, Hong Kong

Lim Peng Yong Darren
Hong Kong
2 July 2024 to 26 July 2024

To the D S Lee Foundation and its Director, Mr Tan Cher Liang, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the generous support provided through the Regional Internship Grant, which enabled me to undertake a month-long internship with Jones Day in Hong Kong. This was my first overseas work experience, and it has been an immensely eye-opening and enriching journey. The opportunity was both unique and deeply fulfilling, and it will remain a core memory of my four years at NUS Law. Thank you once again for making this experience possible.

 

Internship with Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP (Shanghai Representative Office), Shanghai

Yuan Yang
Shanghai
24 June 2024 to 11 July 2024

I am very grateful to be supported on an internship to a law firm in Shanghai, which I embarked on after a student exchange in Shanghai. After learning about some major legal changes such as amendments to the Company Law and Civil Procedure Law, I was privileged to be able to see them come into play while researching on litigation issues and reviewing publicity articles writing on Company Law’s changes. Coming from a common law jurisdiction where the medium of instruction is in English, doing legal research, writing and proofreading legal information in Chinese has been challenging and fruitful in terms of enhancing my adaptability and language abilities. Furthermore, as my internship was unpaid, the grant allowed me to secure accommodation nearer to my workplace which enhanced my experience. Thank you to the Foundation and the Law CFG team.

 

 

Internship with Hauzen LLP, Hong Kong

Li Ke Xin
Hong Kong
3 June 2024 to 17 June 2024

My time at Hauzen LLP in Hong Kong was an invaluable experience that deepened my understanding of cross-border legal practice and exposed me to the dynamic environment of an international commercial law firm. I am sincerely grateful for the generous support provided by the Regional Internship Grant (RIG), made possible by the D S Lee Foundation and Mr Tan Cher Liang. I would also like to extend my thanks to the Careers team for their kind support in facilitating this opportunity.

 

Internship with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hong Kong

Viktor Nguyen Huu Thinh
Hong Kong
2 July 2024 to 26 July 2024

The Regional Internship Grant allowed me to undertake a Vacation Scheme at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer with confidence. The internship was filled with meaningful activities both in and outside the office, giving me greater insights into life in Hong Kong and possible ways to develop my professional career. I am grateful to be a Grant recipient and would like to convey my sincere thanks to the D S Lee Foundation and Mr Tan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Description of the Grant
The NUS Law Regional Internship Grant (“RIG”, or “Grant”) is made possible by the following funds generously established by the D S Lee Foundation and its Director, Mr Tan Cher Liang, to enable our students to venture into Asia to gain real-world experience while developing a more global mindset:

  • Mary Hoe Tan – D S Lee Foundation Regional Internship Grant
  • Lee Bon Leong - D S Lee Foundation Regional Internship Grant
  • Sin Boon Ann - D S Lee Foundation Regional Internship Grant
  • Toh See Kiat - D S Lee Foundation Regional Internship Grant

RIG will provide for up to 3 students (undergrads and postgrads) per academic year to undertake internships in Asia. The stipend is intended to defray the travel and accommodation expenses for the overseas internship and does not apply to internships conducted remotely.

Eligibility Criteria:
In order to be eligible, the applicant must:

  1. be a full-time matriculated student pursuing a degree at NUS Law at the time of application;
  2. have secured a confirmed offer for an internship with a start and end date spanning at least 14 continuous days, spent in another Asian country (ie you must live and work outside Singapore for the full period of the internship), with a reputed firm /organisation (this need not be a law firm).
  3. not have received any other form/s of financial aid from NUS and/or external sponsor(s) which provides travel and subsistence allowance for the overseas internship.

An applicant may, over the course of their time as a full-time matriculated student at NUS Law, apply more than once for the RIG, and be selected as a Grant recipient more than once.

Application Process:

  1. The applicant must submit a completed application form along with relevant supporting documents, including the internship offer letter, academic records, and proof of financial need.
  2. The applicant must provide a detailed plan of the travel and accommodation expenses to be incurred during the internship period. The cost of air tickets should be based on the lowest logical economy fare, which takes into consideration factors such as, but not limited to:
    • Type of ticket which should generally be refundable/ flexible for changes in travel plans
    • Reliability and safety record of the airline
    • Reasonable flight connections and travel time

The accommodation costs should be reasonable and appropriate for the internship purpose and location, taking into consideration safety and security and financial prudence.

Selection Process and Timing:
The selection of applicants for Grant will be made by a Committee. The Committee will assess the applications based on academic performance, financial need, relevance of the internship to the applicant's course of study, and potential benefits to the applicant's future career. In some cases, the Committee may also call the applicant for an interview. The Committee’s decision is final and there is no appeal available.

NUS Law recognises that an applicant may have a small window of time for accepting the confirmed overseas internship offer, and the applicant’s decision on whether to take up the offer may turn on the Committee’s decision. For such cases, the applicant should explain this time factor in their application, so that the Committee can prioritise and expedite the application.

Grant Amount and Time of Disbursement:
The approved Grant amount will be determined considering the Committee's assessment of the applicant's financial standing, alongside Committee-approved planned expenses during the internship period, as forecasted and submitted by the applicant. The Grant amount will not exceed SGD4,000 per application.

The Grant amount will be disbursed one month in advance of the start of the internship and cannot be used for any purpose other than the specified internship expenses.

After the Internship:
The Grant recipient must provide a report on the completion of the internship, detailing the work done, the learning outcomes, and the impact on the applicant's career aspirations. NUS Law may use the report for promotional purposes, and will inform the Grant recipient of such intention (by way of email to the Grant recipient’s stated email address).

The Grant recipient may also be called upon by NUS Law to share their overseas internship experience with other students in NUS Law, and to advise and guide NUS Law students who are interested in pursuing overseas internships.

Termination:
NUS Law reserves the right to revoke or terminate the Grant, if and when NUS Law deems fit. Non-exhaustive examples of reasons for revocation or termination include:

  1. the Grant recipient fails to comply with any of the terms and conditions mentioned herein.
  2. the Grant recipient prematurely terminates his/her participation in the internship.
  3. the Grant recipient’s past or present conduct comes under scrutiny.

In the event that the Grant is revoked or terminated for any reason, the Grant recipient must return the unused portion of the financial assistance to NUS Law. NUS Law reserves the right to demand full and immediate refund by the Grant recipient of all monies disbursed under the Grant.

 

Grant Administrators:
Ms Genevieve CHIACareers Advisor, Centre for Future-ready Graduates@Law
Ms ANG Siu YinStudent Affairs, Faculty of Law, NUS