Pro bono work lauded

At the inaugural NUS Law Pro Bono Awards Ceremony on 2 March, NUS Faculty of Law (NUS Law) presented two new grants to finance laudable pro bono projects by students. Seven students and alumni also received awards for their pro bono work. Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Finance, graced the occasion as Guest-of-Honour.

The NUS Law Class of 1992 Pro Bono Award, established with a $20,000 gift by the NUS Law Class of 1992, grants up to three sustainable pro bono projects a maximum of $2,500 each. “We wanted something that could actually make a meaningful impact on community and also leave an effect on the beneficiaries as well as the volunteers,” said Mr Gregory Vijayendran who represented the NUS Law Class of 1992.

The 2016 recipients of the Award are:

• Innocence Project (Singapore)
• Military Justice Project
• NUS Adult Protection Research Team

The RHTLaw Taylor Wessing Subhas Anandan Pro Bono Award — named for RHTLaw Taylor Wessing’s late Senior Partner Mr Subhas Anandan, a fervent champion of pro bono work — was presented to the Criminal Justice Club. The Award carries a cash prize of $25,000 for five years, starting from 2016. Mr Rajan Menon, Senior Partner, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing said that it was the “Club’s ethos and dedication to criminal law and criminal justice” in Singapore that the award sought to recognise and encourage.

In his welcome address, NUS Law Dean Professor Simon Chesterman highlighted the myriad of benefits pro bono work brings: making a difference in someone’s life, gaining real experience through working on actual cases, and being reminded that the rewards of being a lawyer go beyond financial rewards. He added that NUS Law students are constantly “looking for ways to actively give back to the community, to get meaningful experience in the practice of law, and to develop an understanding of what it means to be a true advocate of justice.”

During her speech, Ms Indranee Rajah paid tribute to the winners, particularly alumnus Mr Ng Bin Hong (Class of 2014), who received the Pro Bono Champion Award for his unstinting efforts and legal research relating to vulnerable adults. Government officials are currently reviewing some of Mr Ng’s recommendations on the Mental Capacity Act.

The Pro Bono Leadership Awards went to six students and alumni who had demonstrated exceptional leadership and brought about enhanced opportunities for law students seeking pro bono work. The recipients are:

• Year 3 Law student Joshua Matthew Goh
• Year 3 Law student Lim Wei Zhen
• Year 4 Law student Lennart Ng
• Year 4 Law student Kenneth Wang Ye
• Alumnus Mr Mitchell Yeo (Class of 2014)
• Alumna Ms Lye Yuan Jun (Class of 2015)

Reproduced with permission from NUS News (http://news.nus.edu.sg/highlights/10102-pro-bono-work-lauded)

Press release: http://news.nus.edu.sg/press-releases/10096-nus-law-pro-bono-awards

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Legal Aid Bureau Appreciation Awards

Congratulations to members of the alumni who were awarded in recognition of their pro bono work! The Legal Aid Bureau handed out the Appreciation Awards on 28 Jan 2016.

We wish the award recipients the heartiest congratulations and may their work continue to inspire others!