First, the CPBCLE law clinic courses are unique in that the courses allow students to experience real work on active files while gaining units. Next, many of the clinic tutors are educators, as well as experienced practitioners. This allows for a more rounded learning experience. Finally, due to the length of the course, you will have the time to gain a more in-depth understanding of legal practice, and the variety of skills necessary to be a competent practitioner. 

In recent tranches, we have received more clinic applicants than we have clinic spots. In this situation we take the following factors into account when allocating students to clinics (a) student’s preferred choice, (b) courses taken, and (c) interview performance (if any). 

Please note the factors listed are not exclusive, but merely the main factors. Additionally, the factors are not listed in any particular order. 

No. You should place the corporate clinic as your preferred choice on your application form. You can also write a short statement explaining your reasons for choosing the clinic. The same principle applies if you wish to undertake a Legal Aid Bureau clinic but did not undertake the family law course.

When completing the clinic application form we will ask you to state your preferred clinic and then to list the other clinics in order of preference. If your application is successful, you will ultimately be placed in only one clinic.

Yes. We welcome all repeat applications. Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

Possibly. If you have previously undertaken a corporate clinic then you may be able to undertake a litigation clinic, and vice versa. Each situation will be judged on its own nuances.

As a general rule of thumb, during the clinic course you are expected to undertake 100 – 120 hours of clinical work. This roughly equates to one full day per week. Due to the nature of live cases, the flow of work may be unpredictable. Some weeks may be busier than others. You need to be prepared for this and manage your time carefully.

No. Clinics have an estimated end date e.g., semester one clinics will end mid-November, semester two clinics will end mid-April and the Summer clinics will end mid-August. We cannot provide a fixed end date due to the nature of live files.

The modality of each clinic will differ, depending on the nature of the cases handled, the requirements of our partner organization or the beneficiary, and the preferred workflow of the supervisor. Many clinics will involve some element of in-person attendance at a venue outside NUS.  Others may involve online meetings and remote submission of work. Students will have to be prepared to be flexible.

We are willing to consider applicants who have a short internship of say two weeks. The applicant will need to communicate their availability on their application form, and to their clinic tutor. Clear and open lines of communication are key. 

It is possible to undertake a part-time job whilst completing the clinic course, but you will need to manage your time, and your clinic tutor’s expectations, effectively. There could be times when a court hearing clashes with your job – you will need to decide how best to manage this whilst still fulfilling your responsibilities for the clinic.

Yes, each Law Clinic elective course is graded.

Under each clinic, the supervisor will issue assignments. The assignments could be work that is relevant to a corporate client’s corporate related matters, or a client’s litigation matter (depending on what type of clinic you are allocated to). Such work can include drafting or research, or presentation of research findings to the supervisor. The assignments can also include reflection journals. Soft skills such as time management and file management will also be part of the overall assessment of a student's participation in the clinic.

As each matter, and accordingly the client’s interests, will be different and unique, the assignments will be different across the clinics, and different among the participating students, depending on what the client’s matter requires. The supervisor will accordingly also have their own assessment matrix for grading, depending on the type of work to be done.

No, participation in the elective course does not count towards fulfilling the 20 mandatory pro bono hours. Law clinic elective courses are separate from the LC2009/LCJ5009 Pro Bono Service course, which is specifically designed for students to fulfill the pro bono graduation requirement.