Singapore Jessup National Round to be renamed the Professor Robert Beckman Jessup National Round

(L to R): Steven Chong SC ’82, Jimmy Yim SC ’82, Davinder Singh SC ’82, V.K. Rajah SC, ’82, Robert Beckman

We are pleased to share the news that the legendary 1982 Jessup team has decided to honour the many contributions of Professor Robert Beckman by arranging for the Singapore Jessup National Round to be renamed the Professor Robert Beckman Jessup National Round.

Professor Beckman played a transformative role in the lives of virtually all of Singapore’s international lawyers and the many international students with whom he has had contact. His pioneering work on the Jessup Moot led NUS Law to a record number of victories, primarily leading to the first-ever NUS Law victory with the 1982 Jessup team consisting of current well-known persons in the legal industry. Through his work, he has also raised the profile of international law.

The Class of 1982 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition team members:

• Steven Chong SC – Former Attorney-General of Singapore, and Judge of Appeal of Supreme Court of Singapore
• Jimmy Yim SC – Chairman of Drew & Napier LLC
• V.K. Rajah SC – Former Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and Attorney-General of Singapore
• Davinder Singh SC – Executive Chairman of Davinder Singh Chambers LLC, and Former CEO of Drew & Napier LLC

In his own right, Professor Beckman has developed a global reputation as a scholar of Ocean Law. He is routinely called on by academics, governments, and media to write and to speak — Becoming one of the world’s experts on the South China Sea, amongst other things.

He joined NUS Law in 1977 and has contributed greatly to the institution through important service roles. As Vice Dean from 2001 to 2006, he brought in a radical overhaul of education to embrace skills training and experiential learning. He also served as the founding Director of the Centre for International Law from 2009 to 2016, where he built the new Centre and secured permanent funding from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to guarantee its future.

In June 2020, Associate Professor Robert Beckman was appointed as Emeritus Professor in recognition of his distinguished career at the Faculty and outstanding contributions to the field of law.

In addition to the renaming of the famous Jessup Moot, the sum of $20,000 was donated to two charities that Professor Beckman identified. The team would like to acknowledge the profound difference that Professor Beckman made to their lives in his capacity as a teacher and mentor.

NUS Law would like to congratulate Professor Robert Beckman on this well-deserved honour!