Joseph Lum LLM ’18 Uses the Law to do Good for Society

Kwa Geok Choo Scholarship recipient, Joseph Lum, discovered his interest in law when he was studying at Temasek Polytechnic. He went on to study law in England before returning to Singapore and starting practice. Joseph then decided to pursue a Master of Laws in Corporate and Financial Services Law at NUS. Having received financial assistance to pursue his career goals, Joseph strongly believes in the transformative power of giving, and hopes to pay it forward by continuing to make a difference to the lives of those who may be in need.

While pursuing a Diploma in Law & Management at Temasek Polytechnic, Joseph Lum LLM (Corporate and Financial Services Law) ’18 discovered his keen interest in law as a subject of study. This interest was further ignited during his internship, when he witnessed the far-reaching consequences of the law in the lives of the affected parties, and realised the role a lawyer can play. By the time he graduated at the top of his class, with a string of book prizes to boot, there was no doubt in his mind that he would pursue law as a career.

Studying law as an undergraduate in England, Joseph found that his time at the polytechnic actually gave him an edge over his peers, and he continued to excel. He also came to understand the importance of helping people with his legal knowledge through his involvement with The Innocence Project. The exposure to cases of miscarriage of justice, and the impact on the defendants and their families, left a deep impression on Joseph and seeded his interest in criminal defence work.

Back home in Singapore and having started practising, Joseph decided to pursue a Master of Laws degree specialising in Corporate and Financial Services Law, motivated by a desire to improve his knowledge of these areas to help to sustain him in practice. He was not disappointed.

“My time at NUS Law has definitely strengthened my understanding and appreciation of the areas of law related to corporate and commercial practice; and has been a great help in my work. I was also greatly enriched to have learnt the methodology of some of the professors (particularly Associate Professor Stephen Phua ’88) in approaching and analysing legal issues – it was an invaluable experience”, he shared.

Joseph was especially grateful to have been a recipient of the Kwa Geok Choo Graduate Scholarship, which supports the best and brightest students in their pursuit of graduate studies at NUS Law. The scholarship allayed his concerns about tuition fees and the loss of income, as well as his career progression, and allowed him to fully concentrate on the coursework. His efforts and focus paid off, and he was even awarded the Rajah & Tann Tax Prize for topping the Tax Planning and Policy module that year.

When asked to share how the late Madam Kwa, a prominent Singaporean lawyer and spouse of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has inspired him, he noted, “Madam Kwa is an extremely inspiring figure in so many aspects. Her intelligence and foresight in drafting the clauses to guarantee our water supply from Malaysia in the Separation Agreement is highly critical. Without Madam Kwa’s contribution, Singapore would have been in a very vulnerable position throughout the years of nation building.”

Now a lawyer at Lexcompass LLC, Joseph has not forgotten his original motivations behind pursuing a legal career. He is a registered volunteer Defence Counsel with the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and the Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences.

“As clichéd as it may sound, I was motivated to become a lawyer as I saw that a lawyer has the power to make a positive difference to people,” he elaborated.

Although Joseph sees being a volunteer as a small and ordinary act, he also recognises that it is something necessary to facilitate access to justice in society.

“I am where I am today because of the sacrifice, efforts, and graciousness of many. As a beneficiary of a scholarship, I was given a helping hand to pursue something that I could not have done without the financial assistance,” Joseph acknowledged.

He strongly believes in the transformative power of giving, and hopes to pay it forward by continuing to make a difference to the lives of those who may be in need. He affirmed, “As I am in a privileged position because of the many helping hands I have received in my life, I take the view that it is important to help others in ways that I can.”