NUS Law freshmen pledge commitment to integrity and service in first step towards legal profession

Ahead of the new academic year this August, NUS Law welcomed its newest cohort of 245 undergraduates with the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony on 26 July 2026. A longstanding tradition at NUS Law, the ceremony officially marks the start of their legal education and welcomes them into the NUS Law community.

Since 2024, the ceremony has gained new meaning with the introduction of an ethics pledge, through which the law freshmen affirm their commitment to uphold the values of integrity, professionalism and service that define the legal profession.

Held at the NUS University Cultural Centre, the event was the culmination of the Faculty’s orientation activities. Gracing the ceremony this year was NUS Law alumnus Mr K Shanmugam ’84, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, who served as Guest-of-Honour.

Mr Shanmugam encouraged the incoming cohort to approach their legal education with both ambition and realism, describing the legal profession as rewarding and impactful with high demands and trade-offs at the top end.

“If you choose to be in legal practice, and you want to be at the top end, the cutting edge, then you must expect the demands to be very high,” he said.

Mr Shanmugam also noted that law graduates have a range of career paths open to them, and hoped that his remarks would help students make wiser choices during law school and as they consider the careers they wish to pursue.

Building on Mr Shanmugam’s message, Professor Andrew Simester, Dean of NUS Law, outlined how the Faculty will prepare students for the future by focusing on three key areas: legal doctrine, skills and perspective.

While students will learn the rules and vocabulary of law, he emphasised that the law is constantly evolving. “Our job is not so much to teach you the rules as if it’s a fixed body of information, but to teach you how to be a lawyer 10 years from now,” said Professor Simester.

He further encouraged them to embrace the transformative journey ahead while staying grounded in their values. “With your induction into the law school today, do not lose sight that the hallmarks of a successful lawyer are good character and using your considerable abilities responsibly,” he added.

In an address to her peers, Gwen Chong, third-year law student and Vice-President of the NUS Law Club, shared her personal reflections on navigating law school, as she stressed the importance of friendship, balance and finding one’s own path.

“Take your work seriously, but do not feel like every hour has to be productive. Be ambitious, but do not measure the value of your time here only by the number of achievements you collect,” she said. While she acknowledged that law school and the opportunities it offers are important, she reminded the students that there is no single correct path to spend their four years.

Reflecting on the ceremony, first-year student Putra Zayan Bin Mohd Jaffry shared, “Taking the ethics pledge alongside my classmates was a powerful moment. It made me realise that we’re all starting this journey with a shared commitment to the values that make the legal profession meaningful. I’m grateful to have my family here to witness this milestone and to support me as I begin this new chapter.”

Fellow freshman Arivalagan Sharmadha added, “Prof Simester’s advice really resonated with me—to not panic, work hard and have fun. His reminder that we belong to the NUS Law community was incredibly reassuring as I start this journey. I’m excited to be part of this community and to learn alongside such a talented and committed group of classmates.”

The freshmen and their families also witnessed the sealing of a time capsule containing letters written by the students to their future selves. Mr Shanmugam, Professor Simester and student leaders from the Freshmen Orientation Central Committee and Freshers’ Week (an orientation programme for incoming freshmen) sealed the capsule, which will be reopened upon the cohort’s graduation in 2030.

This story was first published on 30 July 2026. Click here for more NUS News stories.