Experience NUS Law, the best law school for you, beyond reasonable doubt

“Do you solemnly swear to attend the Open House, the whole Open House, and nothing but the Open House?”

As if in response to our tongue-in-cheek invitation to the National University of Singapore (NUS) Open House, close to 1,300 keen visitors, including eager prospective students and their parents, flocked to the Bukit Timah Campus for an immersive NUS Law experience on 8 March 2025. At the Kent Ridge campus, our Discover NUS Law Talk also saw an overwhelming response, with attendees packing the hall to learn what sets our law school apart.

Discovering our Vibrant Campus

Amid the festive atmosphere of our campus, festooned with colourful balloons and the warmth of our welcome, our students were on hand to guide and interact with visitors on tours, taking them past the Summit canteen, Wee Chong Jin Moot Court and prominent areas in Block B, culminating at the CJ Koh Law Library. The library boasts one of the most extensive law collections in the Asia-Pacific region, making it the largest law library in Singapore and a favoured study spot among students.

 

Perhaps foremost on the minds of attendees was the question: Why NUS Law? Our mock moots and masterclasses allowed attendees to immerse themselves in the fundamentals of why we are considered the best law school in Asia, giving them a chance to attend a simulated courtroom proceeding that shows how we’ve trained our students intensively in mooting, and the rare opportunity to sit in on sessions led by our esteemed faculty.

The highlight of the day’s programme was the Dean’s Address and Panel Q&A, as the Dean and panellists took the time to underscore our strength in teaching, buttressed by a holistic student life and rigorous curriculum.

Gaining Valuable Insights at Dean’s Address

This year marks a milestone as NUS celebrates its 120th anniversary; equally, what stands out is that NUS Law, housed within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, will move to the Kent Ridge campus in 2026—giving our students easier access to non-law electives and non-law minors offered by other colleges. Freshmen will still spend their first semester at the Bukit Timah campus.

No matter the location though, Professor Andrew Simester, Dean of NUS Law, spoke to the heart of why one should choose to pursue law. “You can be an architect, chemist, engineer or doctor. Why choose law?”, he asked.

Addressing a packed auditorium and the audience at the Lecture Theatre (the Dean’s Address was live-streamed to accommodate the strong turnout), he made an unusual comparison of Law to Computer Science. Similar to the latter subject, a complex set of interactive rules regulates people’s lives, and NUS Law students will learn to interpret these rules meticulously and apply them to problems at hand. It is a field of study that cultivates strong analytical skills, which will help graduates excel in legal careers and any industry beyond the law.

Underlining the law school’s strengths, Dean Simester spoke of the gold standard of holding an NUS Law degree that is recognised globally—our students are taught by a highly knowledgeable faculty, consisting of the very people who wrote the textbooks; they can pick from the widest selection of modules in any law school, tailored to diverse interests; they will benefit from our curriculum’s depth and breadth, coupled with several overseas learning opportunities. This academic rigour has produced illustrious alumni and leaders who provide a reliable network for NUS Law students, evident from the strong mentorship culture.

He concluded by reminding students to apply to NUS Law if they are certain that they have a concrete interest in the subject matter. He also encouraged them to view lawyers as servants of the community. “The best lot may be highly skilled, but they are also humble,” he added. “When you improve the lives of others, it will enrich your lives too.”

Thereafter, Dean Simester was joined on stage by six other panellists to field questions. The well-rounded panel included faculty, alumni and a student: Professor Christian Witting, Vice Dean (Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies); Justin Tan ’10, Vice Dean (Student Affairs); Associate Professor Tan Zhong Xing ’12; Faz Hussen ’05, Head of Legal, Government Relations and Sustainability at McDonald’s; Sharon Lin ’06, Partner at Withers Khattarwong; and Isabella Rotschaedl ’27, President of the students’ NUS Law Club.

Among the questions peppering the session were those related to AI. “When calculators were introduced, they never replaced mathematics,” quipped Dean Simester. He raised the example of the Law and Technology course which teaches students to code, but stressed that the human connection was most important, with Faz giving support from the corporate angle, adding that AI can help laypersons understand the law better.

Isabella also recounted her experiences being mentored by NUS Law alumni through the Law Alumni Mentorship Programme, which provided her with useful guidance in her first two years. On another aspect, Justin pointed out that student life will become even more vibrant with the campus move, relaying that students staying at NUS Halls, Houses, Residences and Residential Colleges will have more chances to interact with the larger NUS population and connect with students from other faculties. The debut of two new hostels will also open up more on-campus accommodation options.

Stepping into Classrooms

Two masterclasses introduced visitors to the legal topics of criminal justice and international arbitration, in a teaser of what to expect in classes at NUS Law.

In the first session led by Professor Kumaralingam Amirthalingam, laughter could be heard as his characteristic humour lightened the mood of visitors who were encountering a serious subject touching on public interest, ethics and justice. He urged the prospective students to consider this: “You must be prepared to deal with very challenging cases, especially if you are thinking of practising criminal law. While you’re constrained within the law, you must always strive to uphold professional and ethical values in the pursuit of justice.”

The second masterclass was conducted by Professor Stavros Brekoulakis, a leading global authority on international arbitration who joined our faculty just last year. “In NUS Law, we provide the necessary training and develop critical thinking skills. Singapore is one of the most dynamic places for dispute resolution right now. With the expertise of the best legal minds from around the world and cutting-edge research, students fully engage with the study of law and become all-rounded lawyers”, he said. He spoke thoughtfully on the subject of international arbitration, a method of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), to an attentive audience who learnt about the benefits of ADR, the growing demand for it, and how it is different from mediation.

Witnessing Students’ Mooting Skills in Action

In recognition of how mooting is a fundamental part of the law school experience, the Wee Chong Jin Moot Court was filled to capacity with visitors who listened to our students argue different sides on an interesting and relevant dispute that arose from this: a beauty product recommendation by an AI chatbot that resulted in a user suffering a severe allergic reaction.

Isaac Tah ’27 represented the appellant in this mock moot, which took place at two time slots to maximise exposure for a steady stream of visitors to our campus that day. Likening mooting to selling a product, he said: “Sometimes, the product you sell might have tiny flaws, but you must convince the judges that they should buy the product because it is able to fulfil its purpose well. Mooting trains you to think on your feet and research niche, unsettled areas of law. There is an artistic and legal element to it, and the uncertainty of a moot is not something you should fear.”

The President of the Mooting and Debating Club, Niru Kalyanaraman ’27, affirmed this. “You are trying to have a conversation with the judges. It is never you versus the bench and there is no one set formula. Everyone has a personal mooting style and something valuable to bring to the table.”

NUS Law students have flown our flag high at reputable local and international moot competitions, and this training process begins from the compulsory Legal Analysis, Research and Communication course that undergraduates take, which represents their first step into dispute resolution. Basic legal writing and mooting skills are sharpened, and the course ends with an inter-class moot assessment.

Experiencing Student Life Through Sub-Clubs and Interest Groups

Our vibrant student life and the strong community spirit among undergraduates were also on full display, as over 11 sub-clubs and interest groups set up booths to interact with visitors. Laughter, good-natured jokes and the murmur of chats between current and prospective students filled the air, amid the colour and variety of displays set up to exhibit each interest group’s projects.

These sub-clubs and interest groups were started to cultivate specific legal skills and contribute to the community. The NUS Law Pro Bono Group (PBG) is the largest student pro bono group in the country and recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. It oversees 10 meaningful projects that raise awareness of legal issues such as sexual assault, promote public legal education, and advocate for at-risk youth support.

For PBG President Huang Hung Yu ’27, encouraging students to explore the diverse types of pro bono work was important. “Pro bono work allows us to give back in our capacity as law students. Most importantly, it serves as a reminder that law is ultimately a human endeavour, and everyone lucky enough to practise it should do their part in promoting equal access to justice.”

Beyond academics, students can join several groups to discover unique interests and improve their mental well-being. Spaces@BTC (Spaces) is one such club that advocates for mental wellness and the creation of a more compassionate law school environment.

“We hope to remind students that there is more to law school than just academics. Joining a non-academic sub-club has made my law school experience significantly more meaningful and enriching! Between planning events with like-minded peers and interacting with other students, Spaces has given me an additional sense of purpose,” said Spaces President Banyan Hee ’27.

So “where were you on 8 March 2025, between the hours of 11am and 5.30pm?” If your answer to another one of our tongue-in-cheek welcome calls is “Bukit Timah Campus”, we are happy to have hosted you! We look forward to welcoming your application to our legal fraternity, and hope to see you in the near future as enrolled students.

For more information, visit the NUS Law website here.

Reporting by:
Michaela Oey ’28
Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore