Giving back to the community: NUS Law students demonstrate innovation and dedication in pro bono work

The growing number of people falling prey to scams in Singapore is a worrying trend, with victims often unaware of the legal avenues available when seeking recourse from financial institutions. This knowledge gap led NUS Law students Ernest Chua and Jadie Tan to galvanise efforts to raise awareness about the potential for low-cost mediation and adjudication for scam victims via the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC).

Recognising the language barrier between beneficiaries and volunteers in the Syariah Law Friends project which supports organisations that provide Syariah Law legal aid, NUS Law undergraduates Akhilaa Yogarajah and Fatema Maimoon developed a document of Syariah Law legal terms to help volunteers assist non-English speaking clients effectively.

These individuals and their impactful initiatives were among the many recognised at this year’s NUS Law Pro Bono Awards ceremony.

Empowering scam victims and initiating legal clinics in the Mountbatten neighbourhood

In the past, the NUS-FIDReC Collaboration pro-bono project (a collaboration between the NUS Law Pro Bono Group and the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre) focused on raising public awareness about FIDReC’s affordable alternative dispute resolution processes in cases involving financial misrepresentations (particularly in the insurance industry), and unauthorised credit card transactions.

However, when FIDReC and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) highlighted the rising number of scam victims, co-Project Directors Ernest and Jadie decisively shifted the project’s focus and redirected efforts toward educating the public on FIDReC’s services that scam victims can turn to for assistance such as mediation and adjudication. “We wanted to let people know that if they get scammed, FIDReC may have services that they can turn to for help after reviewing their case,” said Jadie.

The pair revamped their outreach materials, and together with other student volunteers in NUS-FIDReC, collaborated with external partners like NCPC to deliver talks on scam awareness and the legal aid that FIDReC offers to NCPC-partner organisations across the island. These sessions reached diverse groups, such as nurses at Changi General Hospital and foreign workers at Land Transport Authority construction sites. The students also volunteered as translators during FIDReC adjudication processes when needed.

In addition, Ernest, in the course of his volunteer grassroots work in Mountbatten, frequently encountered vulnerable constituents with a variety of legal concerns. Recognising this need, he spearheaded the establishment of a legal clinic that connects constituents with pro bono lawyers, helping them obtain valuable legal advice. He also launched a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) campaign to help Mountbatten constituents understand the legal significance of an LPA and help them get their LPAs certified. With the help of NUS Law’s Centre for Pro Bono and Clinical Legal Education (CPBCLE), he also managed to involve NUS Law students in these activities.

Both Jadie and Ernest were accorded the Pro Bono Special Recognition Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to these initiatives.

Ernest shared how his experience in pro bono work has been incredibly fulfilling. “A lot of the things you learn in law school are theoretical so you don’t always see the direct impact of your work, but with pro bono work, you get to witness the tangible effect of the law on people’s lives.”

Supporting the Muslim community in navigating Syariah Law

When Akhilaa and Fatema led the Syariah Law Friends project in 2023, they noticed that their non-Malay-speaking volunteers had trouble note-taking in the pro bono legal clinics organised by their partner organisations, the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations and Jamiyah Singapore. These clinics linked Syariah law practitioners with beneficiaries seeking legal assistance on issues ranging from matrimonial to inheritance-related matters.

Volunteers had to take notes in these sessions to maintain consistent records of the issues raised and the legal advice given, but some did not understand the Malay/Arabic terms used. Akhilaa explained, “Volunteers who were unfamiliar with Syariah Law would sometimes misspell the words or would leave question marks when they hear unfamiliar words such as talak or cerai taklik.”

To help volunteers better understand these terms and assist non-English-speaking clients more effectively, the pair developed an internal document for notetakers which highlighted and explained such terms. They also proactively expanded the volunteer pool by recruiting more Malay-speaking students to meet the demands of ongoing legal clinic work, and like their seniors before them, organised lectures to educate volunteers on Syariah Law. For their efforts, Akhilaa and Fatema were recognised with the Pro Bono Innovation Award.

Akhilaa said the experience has deepened her sense of responsibility as a future lawyer as it was incredibly inspiring to see dedicated pro bono lawyers generously offer their time and expertise to those in need.

She elaborated, “Witnessing lawyers provide reassurance and peace of mind to clients facing uncertain futures in broken homes has made me more aware of the profound impact legal assistance can have on a person’s livelihood. Further, it has implored me to strengthen my commitment to wanting to use my legal education to aid marginalised and underprivileged clients even after I graduate.”

NUS Law Pro Bono Awards Ceremony

Over the past year, students have contributed to a wide range of pro bono initiatives, including assisting with Criminal Legal Aid Scheme cases, conducting legal awareness talks for migrant workers and sexual assault survivors and organising mentorship programmes for at-risk youth. Beyond Singapore, their efforts involved delivering educational talks to underprivileged children in Bangkok’s Klong Toey slums on their legal rights and the consequences of crimes such as human trafficking and domestic violence.

These student projects won accolades at the NUS Law Pro Bono Awards Ceremony this year. Organised annually by CPBCLE, the ceremony honours the achievements and exceptional leadership displayed by students in pro bono work. Additionally, financial grants were awarded to deserving pro bono initiatives.

Addressing the awardees, Guest of Honour Mr Murali Pillai, Minister of State for Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport, praised the award recipients for their outstanding contributions to the community and commended CPBCLE for their efforts in cultivating a strong sense of community and a pro bono culture in the legal fraternity.

The former lawyer shared how serving the community through pro bono practice is one of the highest levels of contributions that a lawyer can make. Pro bono work, he noted, is essential. He said, “From my own experience, pro bono work centres us and helps us to remain true to why we joined the profession in the first place.”

A total of 18 students and one faculty member received awards across three categories. Seven pro bono projects were given financial grants. Please click here for the full list of award winners and projects.

This story was first published on 21 March 2025 on NUS News. Click here for more NUS News stories.