Shape Your Future with NUS Law

“We’re here because you have to make some choices,” was how Dean Andrew Simester began his address at NUS Law’s Open House 2024. “And law is a popular choice, but there are many options in university. You could be a chemist, an architect, or a historian. So why choose law?”

The NUS Open House was held on 9 March 2024 at both Kent Ridge and Bukit Timah campuses, with Bukit Timah campus (BTC) receiving approximately 770 visitors, many curious to see what choosing NUS Law would mean for them.

Student-centric perspectives: Visitors benefit from narrative shared by NUS Law student tour guides

People often ask why NUS Law occupies a different campus from the rest of NUS, or why there is a university campus adjacent to a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Singapore Botanic Gardens). These were among the many questions fielded by almost 20 student tour guides during the Open House.

The campus tour route started at The Summit canteen, before visitors were shown around Block B, the heart of on-campus student activity. Afterwards, visitors made their way to the C J Koh Law Library, the largest law library in Singapore, with one of the most extensive law collections in the Asia Pacific.

Between tours, I met Wen Jie and Anika, two visitors who toured both campuses. They were drawn to NUS Law because “it’s well-known and prestigious”, a sentiment echoed by many of the other visitors I spoke to.

Opportunities to immerse in vibrant student life through student-led sub-clubs and interest groups

NUS Law is home to 11 student-led sub-clubs and interest groups, which, as a whole, reflect the rich tapestry of the student body’s goals and interests. Open House saw every sub-club putting up a booth to show prospective students further facets of student life that they can look forward to in NUS Law.

Clubs also give students a way to give back in their capacity as Law students. On top of the 20 hours of pro bono work that all Law students complete as a graduation requirement, many students elect to join the Pro Bono Group (PBG), the largest student pro bono group in Singapore, to continue serving the community.

The Vice President of PBG, Chloe Guai ’25, highlighted her involvement in Syariah Court Friends as a particularly meaningful experience. “You get to familiarise yourself with Syariah law, sometimes at an earlier point than when the elective is offered (from Year 3 onwards in the LLB programme), and at legal clinics, you can apply that understanding to better understand how it affects real people.”

Masterclasses provide insight into NUS Law classes: Students will be challenged, and get to share new ideas and debate different perspectives

Before the first masterclass started, I met a prospective student. Upon being asked why he had decided to attend NUS Law’s Open House, he said simply, “Because I want to study law.”

Two masterclasses were held during the Open House, both of which aimed to give a taste of what students could look forward to learning at NUS Law. The first masterclass, Criminal Justice: Whose Responsibility Is It?, was delivered by Assistant Professor Benny Tan ‘12, while Professor Joel Lee delivered the second masterclass.

Assistant Professor Benny Tan’s lecture revolved around the element of causation in criminal offences, and any student listening to the talk would find it familiar in substance to a Criminal Law seminar (Criminal Law is typically read in Semester 2 of Year 1).

Assistant Professor Benny Tan took the time to discuss the faculty’s own teaching philosophy as he was going through the elements of causation. “While [the slideshow] may look straightforward, at NUS Law, we ask questions that aren’t quite so straightforward,” he explained. “We do push our students to offer their own views in their assignments (…) That’s what the study of law is about – to express your own views and exercise critical thinking skills.”

The Q&A panellists at the Dean’s Address would concur with this – NUS Law prides itself on challenging its students, and nurturing them to become well-rounded students ready to tackle any problem.

Dean’s Address and Q&A Panel offered diverse viewpoints

The auditorium, where Dean Andrew Simester was slated to deliver his address, started filling up well before 2.30pm. The venue eventually hit capacity, and visitors overflowed into the Lecture Theatre, where a livestream would be played.

The Dean’s speech centred heavily on the topic of choices. After his opening question to everyone (“So why choose law?“) came some thoughts on why someone might not want to choose law.

“Don’t choose law for the money,” he advised. “Being a lawyer is not easy or comfortable. Law is not a bad option, but don’t choose law for the money – it will not be enough to keep you going.”

The practice of law, he went on to say, is about problem-solving, whether in disputes, deals, or any other practice area. To practise law is to have the power to affect people’s lives, he elaborated.

“The best lawyers are humble, because they are servants.”

The Dean went on to talk about NUS Law in particular – about how in the pursuit of service, NUS Law works closely with vulnerable groups via pro bono, and about the academic offerings at NUS Law. Dean Simester, who previously taught at Cambridge University and the University of Nottingham, both highly prestigious law schools, recommended that students consider the breadth and depth of the faculty at NUS Law. He said that since law is problem-based, having a wealth of resources in the form of distinguished faculty is a boon for students in their study of the law. Later in the Q&A Panel segment, the Dean shared that NUS Law offers the biggest range of electives ever seen in a law school, testament to the calibre and research interests of the faculty.

Furthermore, students are also able to take on additional academic programmes, besides the standard LLB programme. NUS Law offers Double Degree Programmes in tandem with other NUS Faculties, allowing students to appreciate how different disciplines may intertwine. The NUS Law degree, he concluded, is a “gold standard”, and is instantly recognisable across the world. “You’ll be part of a larger family with a leading reputation within Singapore and worldwide,” Dean Simester assured the attendees.

With that, the Dean’s Address came to an end; he joined six other panellists to field questions. In attendance were NUS professors, alumni, and a current student, making for a well-rounded panel with a diverse set of views. The panel comprised Dean Andrew Simester; Professor Wayne Courtney, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies; Mr Justin Tan ’10, Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Senior Lecturer; Assistant Professor Tan Zhong Xing ‘12, Director of the Sheridan Fellowship Programme; as well as Mr Loh Jing Jie ‘22 and Ms Hong Sim ‘19, both NUS Law alumni currently in practice; and finally, Noleen Joy Marasigan ‘26, the President of the 44th Law Club.

The question that kicked off the Q&A panel drew laughs across the auditorium: “If I receive an offer from both Cambridge and NUS to study law, which should I choose?”

Dean Simester, however, took the question seriously, and concluded that both Cambridge and NUS were strong doctrinal schools in the common law world and both were worth serious consideration. “On the other hand, studying overseas could change your life, but it’s also very expensive. That’s why we have exchange.”

Assistant Professor Tan Zhong Xing concurred, adding that “You could do both – we have colleagues who did their undergraduate studies at Cambridge before doing an LLM in NUS. The answer is personal to you.”

Some questions were raised by parents of prospective students, who highlighted some concerns. A parent asked how tech might disrupt the legal industry, and if AI might even eventually make the legal industry obsolete. Both Professor Wayne Courtney and Ms Hong Sim tackled this question, with Professor Courtney having a vested interest as someone with a Bachelor of Science in Computing under his belt – “Intelligent systems are likely to be used alongside lawyers. Things like transactions will become mostly automated, and realistically, low-value work will be replaced.” Ms Sim, who is a current arbitration associate and a graduate of the NUS-NYU LLB/LLM dual degree programme, mentioned that technological developments would actually help open new avenues of business, given that new technology necessitates new legislation, and, by extension, lawyers to examine it.

While the issue of technology disrupting the legal industry is an evident concern,  the NUS Law syllabus has been continuously revised to reflect the changing world around us. The most recent change, implemented for batches matriculating in AY22/23 and later, includes a new Law and Technology module to the compulsory core modules; non-Law modules have also been expanded so that students can take these to be considered in their final grades.

“We’ve put my exams through ChatGPT,” Professor Courtney joked, “and ChatGPT doesn’t do very well on them.”

Mock Moots: A showcase of NUS Law’s students mooters and the training provided to hone students’ advocacy skills

To end the day, I headed to the Wee Chong Jin Moot Court, where mock moots were taking place. Three mooters, Natalie Koh ’26, Theodore Kuah ’26 and Brendan Wang ’26, dressed formally in court robes, were preparing to demonstrate a mock moot to the many interested onlookers. Tan Jeremiah ’26, the emcee for the moot, explained that the moot problem at hand was one of vicarious liability. As I walked over to the mooters to interview them, I noticed them giving advice – both about mooting and things pertaining to general law school life – to a portion of the seated audience.

Mooting is something that every NUS Law student does at least once, at the end of their first year as part of their Legal Analysis, Research & Communication (LARC) module’s final assessment. Many students continue mooting on their own time, and NUS Law has a strong tradition of doing very well at prestigious moots, both locally and internationally. Natalie Koh ‘26, who spoke to me in the brief minutes before the moot started, explained the allure of mooting: “It challenges you like nothing else. I’d advise people not to be scared of mooting. As much as it is thrilling and unique, don’t fear it.”

NUS Law concluded its Open House at 6pm, and it was heartening to see so many visitors taking time out of their day to – in the words of Dean Simester – choose to come and see what NUS Law could offer them.

 

Written by:
Nadine Lee ’26
Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore