Course + Year: NUS LLB (Bachelor of Laws) Y3
I was a science student in JC and was unable to get into Dentistry. However, I must say: thank God found my calling in law.
Frankly, I joined Law due to the practical reason of having a stable job with decent prospects because of my family background (which is toward the lower percentile on the income scale) and because my mum kind of pressured me into taking one of Med-Dent-Law. I’m pragmatic myself too, and I don’t think it’s good to downplay your family situation when deciding what to study; there are so many others like myself in university and we’re all still out there finding meaning in the things we do and building our passions. =)
Besides, the student loan is a godsend and bursaries are readily available if you qualify for it. Most of us also work through school to help maintain our living expenses. So at the end of the day, please take university as a good chance to develop yourself holistically, not just academically.
I do have a passion for service in law. One of the most fulfilling experiences that I have embarked on was a deputy-ship for those without mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. I could help to give the family peace of mind amidst unfortunate circumstances – getting the court order out at the end was just the icing on the cake! It costs upwards of $5000 on the open market, but I was glad I was able to do my part as a student for the family.
But most importantly, Law is a versatile degree and gives me a broad perspective of the world around me. It sharpens my reasoning capacity and my critical thinking of issues. For instance, I’ve learnt that brevity is very important when answering questions and I even use this in my daily conversations: answer the question first then give your reasons.
You really have to ask yourself what about law excites you: Is it getting justice for certain groups of people? Or do you want to understand how legal issues work in the corporate world?
Inspiration is best found through your own experiences: ideally, you should go for internships in law firms, talk to students/practising lawyers to understand their job scope and discuss issues that you are interested in – be it technology or family law. Then, you can gauge if this is truly what you are passionate about. Last but not least, shows or documentaries like Suits are fine, but please temper it with some dose of reality haha (like by supplementing it with actual court/firm practices).
As for the long hours of hard work ploughing through cases and documents, it’s just part and parcel of the legal industry – much depends on due diligence and competence. Also, every field has its own struggles – the working world in accountancy/business is not all rosy too – and I have witnessed my friends burning out at an early stage of the career. You must really ask yourself after listening to the perspectives from people in each field to come to a conclusion of what you want to study.
NGL, it’s a tough course and I struggle a lot in school because I take much longer to understand the material and piece things together. You need to be able to read tons of cases, analyse statutes, and evaluate all possible viewpoints of a certain legal position. Also, being surrounded by many gifted people does make you feel small at times – but it trains my perseverance to do my best!
Just remember to always find your passion and remember what got you interested when you’re feeling lost.
If you think your grades aren’t too good but you’ve gotten an interview, know that how much and to what extent grades are a determining factor is unknown (but I’m pretty sure your performance in the interview and test plays a huge role). Know that a shortlist for written test + interview is already a golden ticket for you to prove yourself worthy of admission already, so have confidence in yourself and just do your best =) All the very best~!
10th percentile: AAA/A; 90th percentile: AAA/A
Generally, 85-87.5 RP should grant you at least the interview and written test. After that, it is entirely based on your performance there. Having a slightly lower RP will mean that you likely have to rely on DA.
10th percentile: 3.86/4.0
90th percentile: 3.93/4.0
As for how to get into Law if you’re a Poly student, frankly speaking, I am not the best person to ask since I wasn’t from that route. But can I assure you that there is a good number of students in NUS Law from poly, and some do rather well! Rest assured, you will not be at a disadvantage by any means.
There is a:
There is a written one page statement to be brought into the interview on why do you wish to join NUS Law. From my personal experience, my interviewer used it to ask me why I wanted to join NUS Law.
Think through why you want to come to NUS Law and make it as personalised as possible. Consider what you’ve heard about the school, read on the website, and what interests you.
So write your statement well like any normal essay and always have a good structure for your paragraphs: Point, Elaboration/Examples, Explanation and Link back to your point. Make sure your first sentence runs with your last sentence of each paragraph. Also, you should make your language clear so that the point comes through most effectively.
Try to be as direct as possible because the interviewer/assessor will refer to it in some way. By direct, I mean to say: for example, if you are interested in community service, there is a law equivalent called pro bono – you can say like you want to pick up legal knowledge and how to apply that knowledge to practical problems.
At the same time, show your passion for community service via past examples like Meet the People Sessions, and so on. Be very familiar with the personal statement so that you can elaborate on it during the interview and the interviewer can refer to it knowing that you prepared thoroughly.
The written test will be similar to your AQ in A-level JC. It will give you a scenario. I can’t give specific examples because questions are so different each year.
I will give an example for my year (2015) for you to get a better idea. The question was about a section in the Mental Capacity Act: whether a mentally disabled person should be allowed to bear children, for fear of the children’s safety and upbringing should something go haywire. (My information might be a bit outdated because I took the test so long ago.)
For tips: be very logical. Stick religiously to Point, Elaboration/Examples, Evaluation so that you can make your point clear. Have a good introduction and conclusion also and remember that BOTH must answer the question. They really don’t expect you to know too much about the law before the test because it is very unreasonable for them to do so. So, like AQ (in JC), use as much of the facts in the question as much as possible, use it as your backing and you will be alright.
For instance with my sample question in 2015: I talked about how the subject in question went through life like a normal person like being toilet trained or going out independently shows that she can function like a normal human being. Likewise, she was able to keep a pet goldfish well and it isn’t a leap of logic to expect the same standards for her when caring for a child as well.
There are 2 interviewers in a room – unless the format has changed, I think it was a 10-15 minutes interview.
Be yourself as much as possible, and the same principles from the written statement apply – be very clear and to the point. Don’t beat around the bush because you might realise that you’ve lost the audience after some time. I find it best to always use Point, Elaboration/Examples, Evaluation as a solid foundational structure. Answer the question upfront in your first statement, and it will help if you signpost. This also helps to ensure that your entire answer is focused specifically towards answering the question.
For example, they will more likely or not ask you why you want to come to NUS Law. Say straight up – like I want to come for 2 main reasons: student life and pro bono activities. Then explain with examples so that it is more personalised and then at the end conclude and bring back to the main point of the question why you want to come to NUS Law.
As to what questions are asked, the baseline that the conversation usually goes wherever you want it to, and everyone’s interview experience is so different that there is really no standard answer.
Take it from this perspective: when going to the interview, they will have your results and personal statement for reference. You’re definitely going to need to introduce yourself at the start and most likely, why you want to do law at NUS. My best advice for this is to think through these questions and make sure that the conversation can flow thereafter. So, make sure the interviewer has snippets that they can ask you more about, don’t RAMBLE or talk about too many irrelevant things (e.g. don’t say things like I watch anime in my free time).
Thereafter, it is very likely that they will possibly ask you further questions based on your introduction: if you say that you’re interested in Criminal Law, get ready to answer that. Or, they can ask you questions on your personal statement that caught their eye. From there, it’s really up to you to continue on the conversation already and I have given sufficient pointers in my post and replies (hopefully) to give you some tips on that. They could question you on hypothetical scenarios, especially if your interest in law is a controversial topic (e.g. surrogacy or S377A). However, just take it in your stride, think logically and offer a reasoned and clear opinion.
Just prepare for what you’re comfortable in: they’re really not looking out so much for how much you know but how you are going to present it. And no, they are likely NOT going to ask you on some obscure law at random and put you on the spot. (i.e. if you never mentioned anything about robots, if they ask you what you know about AI Law, that is manifestly UNFAIR.) If you’ve indicated that you’re applying for a double degree, the admission interview will indicate that. So let’s say you want to do a Biz-Law DDP, then be prepared to answer some questions on why you want to do business, for instance.
Also, you need to know at least what interests you in law and not give a generalised one. Think through carefully again and it would be best to make it personal. For instance, you can know which area of law you are interested in and why – for example: I’m interested in Family Law because I witnessed first hand during an internship with the Legal Aid Bureau that Singapore’s legal regulation of family law is optimal for the child’s welfare.
Last of all, treat it like a conversation. Make it natural and flow because part of being a lawyer requires you to present your case and persuade! If you really need to, try and practice talking about law or just general current affairs to a friend =) If the conversation flows, that’s a sign that you are on the right track. You might even want to practise answering questions with all the pointers I said above. Trust me, it will go a long way to building up great interview skills!
I don’t have a certain answer for this and all those listed in my post are examples. Besides, there is no fixed criteria that the admission is looking out for!
I think most importantly you need to be a critical thinker, to appreciate all perspectives and come to a reasoned conclusion. Being logical is important as well; the courts won’t be very happy with you wasting their time going in circles so you must be to the point.
Also, you need to explain certain strengths of yourself to be able to leave an impression. For instance, if you are passionate in servant leadership (not necessarily law-based), you need to have personal experience to back it up and also further explain what you gathered from your experience.
The general curriculum (latest for the current academic year) can be found here.
Generally, the first 2 years are dedicated to core modules that will serve as foundational subjects. Most modules are pre-allocated and there is little choice besides the option of trial advocacy or corporate deals in semester 2 of year 2.
For year 1, you will generally be taking 4 modules that will last for an entire year:
You also have 2 modules that you will take during each semester:
These core modules are very important as the skills and knowledge taught will be very useful for any subjects or legal endeavours that you will pursue in the future. For instance, the LARC module imparts the core skills that you require to write a proper legal memorandum and argue your case in court in the future. To top it off, the final moot assessment is akin to a mock trial where you will argue your case in court. Other modules like contract law and company law are very prevalent issues that will arise in the modern commercial world that we live in today.
In year 3 and year 4, you get to select modules with the exception of a compulsory module called Evidence Law. This is when you get to select from a wide array of law based on your interests: like shipping law, construction law or public international law just to name a few.
Also, just to clarify, Law follows the NUS study semesters to a tee, unlike medicine and dentistry so rest assured that you will be having breaks, reading weeks and exams at the same time as the rest of your NUS peers.
You’re allowed to take a maximum of 3 unrestricted elective modules outside of the faculty for the duration that you are in NUS. That means that you can take almost any module of your liking, like French, Astronomy, Forensic Science, Drama, Philosophy, etc. This allows us to explore our interests outside the law curriculum and a good chance to meet people from other faculties. However, you can only do so in year 3 and year 4!
There is a CIP equivalent called pro-bono with a requirement of 10 mandatory hours for all 4 years. It is honestly very easy to hit the hours because the school regularly provides opportunities like legal clinics or legal talks, and there is a club dedicated to organising such pro-bono opportunities.
NUS Law partners with a wide range of universities and students generally go in either semester 1 or 2 in year 3. There are a few year-long exchanges but it would require some juggling of modules to meet the graduation requirement. (More information can be found here.)
However, do note that students generally apply in year 2 for exchange and exchange is not compulsory. The awarding of places is entirely based on grades and based on demand, so if you want to go to your desired exchange places be prepared to work for it.
The lessons will be either in the form of:
About 50% of your lessons will be tutorials/seminars, with the other 50% being a cohort-based lecture. All classes are unfortunately not webcasted and certain seminars/tutorials do take attendance which counts towards class participation.
Lecturers and tutors are prominent academics or professionals with a wealth of experience from the legal industry. Most of them are very well-respected in the profession and are regularly cited in court decisions. From personal experience, a large majority of them can teach very well and are very receptive to feedback, so feel free to let them know if you have any difficulties about the class. Certain classes will be taught by lawyers that are still practising and have day jobs so as a result, some classes will be held at night.
Materials will be entirely provided for by the course convenor (reading lists). The general databases like Lawnet come with your student status and the Law library is well stocked with every possible legal material you need.
You can generally expect to have roughly 15 (±2) hours of lesson weekly, which might seem heavenly compared to the 6-8 contact hours daily in Junior College.
Let me put it this way: I can’t quantify the number of essays, case summaries and readings. But let me give you an indication. In Y1, you will take the equivalent of:
The heavy mod has a 3-5 page reading list of cases, articles per week. The less heavy mod probably 1 video/shorter readings, arnd 0.5 times the amount of the heavy mod.
For that, you are expected to spend about 10 hours of preparation weekly according to the stipulated guidelines – but those in Law school will tell you that it is definitely not possible LOL unless you are hyper-efficient and understand things really well. So if I were to give a good gauge for an average student, perhaps you will spend an equivalent of 4-6 hours per day studying if you’re average, give and take the different spectrums of people that deviate from the mean (eg. those hyper thorough vs those who don’t give care). Yes that’s why I mean that the workload and content is probably equivalent to A-levels just that most of the exams are open book (hurrah!)
However, welcome to university: you will need to prepare for class especially tutorials or you risk getting lost in class. The preparation time for each class will be entirely up to you.
But rest assured, there is a wealth of material (affectionately known as muggers) and study guides painstakingly prepared and refined by generations of seniors that regularly gets passed on from batch to batch. So do continue to pay it forward and continue this tradition when you’re a freshman =)
Yes, there are generally exams that are taken at home or in the exam venue. It differs between modules. Also, there might be some graded assignments – these are generally written essays or a presentation or two.
Class participation might sound daunting to people at first, but rest assured that most professors are very fair – by that, I mean that some go through a rolling system to call on people every class; or if you haven’t spoken much and want to offer a point of view, the professors would be very happy to hear from you. Also, from my personal experience, most of us are generally very civil when it comes to such class participation. So fret not, it won’t be hunger games-like.
Unlike other faculties (i.e. biz), group-work is generally less common and exams still take a large majority of the assessment for most modules. Group work usually doesn’t expand beyond 3-4 people and it is usually a small percentage of the grade only. So, fret not if you do not feel comfortable working in a group and are worried about it. BUT it is always good to practice your collaboration skills in a sheltered environment in school, it would definitely go a long way in your career because teamwork is an integral aspect of the legal profession.
It’s quite a fair bit different. The workload is similar to A-levels, but it’s different because in A-levels you are spoon-fed material, while in law school, you actually have to analyse cases, draw links and critique positions. However, rest assured that the curriculum will guide you to that level =) you will be just fine.
Also, tests/exams are mostly open-book with some small exceptions. I’ve hardly needed to resort to extreme memorisation as much as I had to in JC – that doesn’t mean that I fare well – but let’s just say the amount of material to memorise for A-levels was enormous and something I would definitely not like to relive.
As for doing well, you have to really read and digest the material and evaluate different positions well. That’s easier said than done though, but one thing is for sure – no running away from long hours of hard work haha
All of the law degrees are honours, with:
The school generally doesn’t give third class unless you are really absent, and to quote the dean, “even if you tried very very hard, we will be hard pressed to even give you a third class honour”. Most students aim for 2nd upper but 2nd lower is not exactly that damning as people think it would be.
For training contracts, much of it is based on interviews, internship performance and fit. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself, even though competition might be stiff in Law School. After all, a large majority of us are the cream of the A-level crop and stiff competition is a natural result.
In NUS Law, internships are entirely based on your own onus. SMU Law has a compulsory 10 week internship graduation requirement. Do note that for either school, internships are self-sourced!
You will need to visit each of the firms’ websites, find out about what they specialise in and whether it aligns with your career aspirations. However, rest assured that the school provides regular updates via email blast on internship opportunities and has a dedicated career guidance team to provide guidance whenever you require. What’s more, you can always rely on the trusty sources of advice – word of mouth and your seniors.
Generally, students will do internships during their respective breaks in the summer or winter breaks. Most internships last 3-4 weeks. Students generally do an average of 2-3 internships in total before they start applying for training contracts from year 3, just so that they get a good exposure to the legal profession. The experience for each law firm varies but from personal experience, there is a fair bit that a legal intern can do and an internship will definitely be a valuable experience since your legal knowledge will no doubt give you the ability to complete useful legal work.
For the bar exams, it’ll be a whole semester’s work and preparation starts after summer break of your graduation year. I haven’t gone through it myself, but my JC friends (female ones) that have gone through it say it’s a major cram course and there are 8 exams at the end – so yeah it’s stressful, but the pass rate for part B is fairly alright!
A training contract is like the doctor’s equivalent of houseman or a trainee in some other courses and a stepping stone to a full-time job. Students usually apply for their training contracts from year 3 onwards once they obtain their year 2 semester 2 results.
Similar to internships, it is entirely up to you to apply to the respective firms by the respective deadlines for TCs and the available avenues for information will always be there for you. Furthermore, the school organises a yearly career fair for law firms to come down and share with the students. Training contracts are usually awarded based on internship evaluation as well as interview.
This is the point where I want to debunk the myth of the glut of law students looking for a limited amount of training contracts! This is the current reality (that I’m aware of for TCs): I am in the latest application batch for TCs (Class of 2021). I do not have actual statistics because our batch doesn’t openly share about TCs out of respect for those who are unable to get a TC. However, within our sharing in our social circles, I do sense that a good majority of us have a TC (I would say probably upwards of 3/4 of the batch). While for some, it may not be our first choice – but end of the day a TC is a TC. Competition will be stiff for certain departments in certain firms, especially if a team is reputable.
Moreover, there are still a good number of training contracts out there available for students: most students that don’t have a contract can’t find a good fit, or they don’t have a TC entirely based on choice (e.g. not entering practice).
But ultimately, the “say real” opinion is that local graduates, regardless of academic results, will largely be able to find a training contract so long as they want to =) The glut that the news reported is more of a factor for “Relevant Legal Training”, which is a requirement for overseas graduates and not local graduates. As for other articles about the saturation of the law industry, I noticed that they failed to properly account for these statistics about why the law industry is saturated when there was no real indication that there was a decrease in TCs offered. Only perhaps 1 article I found took proper account about why it was the case: the article is here. Plain and simple: the number of overseas graduates coming back was increasing while local places remain constant. What the law fraternity did was to further limit the number of overseas degrees recognised so that this number is properly controlled. I am bringing this up to explain clearly the context of the oversaturation.
With that being said, the law industry has changed. Many things have occurred: like SUSS being a third law school and the coronavirus.
Class of 2022, my junior batch, will be applying closer to the end of year so it remains to be seen how the coronavirus impacts the number of TCs available. It will be better if you get an indication from them then. My guess is that it won’t change as much because the hiring freeze in most industries will impact fresh hire/retention rates rather than TC rates – but it is just a guess. Also, a good article like this explains how the legal industry will still be highly relevant and there will still be a good demand for lawyers and law graduates.
So be rest assured that you’ll be fine, and don’t worry if the paucity of training contracts is weighing on your decision to enter NUS Law!
I will not profess to know much about the legal profession because I am not in the profession yet. But one of the biggest gripes is work-life balance and the insanely long working hours.
My simple response to them is – which other profession does not require the prerequisite of hard work? Take for instance: some of my programming friends work very long hours coding and most at start-ups stay in office, for doctors/accountants don’t even get me started lol. Also, there’s a clear increase in emphasis when looking at work-life balance in many law firms today. Many allow for flexible working hours and generally the people I spoke to during internships seem to say that it is manageable.
Furthermore, the very nature of the legal profession where high standards and having to do due diligence when churning out work really requires the preparation (as you will get a taste of in law school just how sensitive some legal issues are). So it is best we view it as work-life integration. If so many seniors have been able to do it, so can I =)
Law is actually one of the highest paid degrees in the market and this is well-documented. Do note that the salary is only AFTER you have secured retention, which means after the training contract has ended. (More information can be found here.)
If you stay in practice, the progression is generally from associate to senior associate to partner etc. The law degree is also very versatile, a large number of lawyers become legal counsel’s in various other companies in other industries or work in statutory boards. This is as much as your concern should go; job security is something to worry about at a later date =)
Yes, I’ve met people that cross-over!
For instance, knowledge in company law helps them to understand the regulations better and certain fields like securities are very much based on regulation. But yes, it’s better to ask the professionals in the field though on whether legal knowledge is truly applicable in the finance industry. That being said, from a university perspective – a double degree means you graduate 1 year later and also you might have to cram your other degree mods in the later years. You also need to maintain an above average grade. But then again rest assured, you can drop the second degree when you are in school already with no consequences since your first 2 years are compulsory law modules.
Honestly, just do your best in law school and things will play out by itself. Find your passion and find the meaning in spending long hours ploughing through cases. Nothing beats showing your personality and passion when you are interviewed for a TC slot. As I mentioned in other replies, a good bulk of the assessment for firms is whether you are a good fit or whether they can trust you with work as a trainee or your internship performance, rather than looking for just results. Usually the large bulk of the school does internships in Y2 during the winter and the summer vacations, on average at least 2 firms.
As for the application process: not to worry, the careers office in NUS Law often posts these positions; otherwise, it is available on the respective firms’ websites. Then, it will be up to you and your diligence to write a good cover letter and perhaps perform well during the interview if there is for that particular internship position. I must also point out that the careers office is very readily available to provide advice on your cover letter, interview skills, and so on: the resources are all out there, it is really all up to you to tap on this resource!
You are still called to the bar. You can apply to any of the law firms who still accept fresh hires, or you can hop to other industries. Retention rate is usually based heavily on work performance so I would say that it is not really a time to worry about this at the admissions stage. But just be rest assured that you are still a qualified lawyer just without experience, you can still find jobs elsewhere in the legal industry or out of it.
The student life in law is vibrant. (You are not required to join any clubs and everything is up to your choice.) There are many sub-clubs like:
Personally, I joined an NUS-wide dance group in year 3. It was an amazing experience performing and improving my skills, 10/10 would recommend. Most of my friends have other commitments out of school, so it’s really not all work and no play in law school.
If you’re concerned about what students normally wear, fashion sense and demographics is probably just the same as all the other faculties – no one is really particular on what you wear. Really, my advice is to dress for comfort more than anything.
Hope this helps~! Also not to worry, during your orientation/matriculation week your direct seniors (current y1s) will be more than happy to share these places + tips with you so yea not to worry!!
My answer to this is a resounding no. Like any other place, there is bound to be politics involved and it is all about perception! As the common saying goes “Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you”. Besides, the law population is so small. Being a douchebag will definitely not get you very far and your reputation will definitely be in tatters.
The law school population is generally very very friendly. Seniors are very generous in passing on their notes and sharing any knowledge with juniors. There is regular collaboration among batches to pass on to the juniors (for example, the Y2s compiled a freshman guide this year and the Y3 batch also compiled their internship experiences for the juniors).
My batchmates are mostly friendly as well and we do build great relationships here. My circle of friends share internship experiences, notes and any tips freely. So rest assured =)
Yes it is competitive, but I’ll explain. First, there must be a distinction drawn between competitiveness and a toxic environment. Competitiveness entails more of having high standards while toxic is just an unhealthy environment where it is difficult to find true human emotions.
So yes, law school is competitive simply because many students have similar rank points (in the 85-90 RP range) so naturally the ability of the students will be very high! Sometimes, I walk into class thinking that “ah I have done my readings”, only to get torn apart by the tutor and watching my friends ace all the questions. But one must learn to always persevere and never give up.
Tutors and professors are alway happy to make time for you to consult them. Law students are generally in the confined BTC campus and you can readily find friends to discuss your work together. Moreover, seniors are more than happy to offer advice whenever you need them.
Therefore, don’t worry =) I have really built genuine friendships during law school – from internships, classes, clubs, interests etc and I look forward everyday to those deep, genuine conversations with my pals. Even a simple meet up along the corridor asking each other how we are doing can go a long way in brightening up all our days. So don’t worry about the competitiveness, I’m sure you can find an environment suitable for you to thrive!
It’s a misconception that you’ll be stuck with a social circle of just law students because you’re in a different campus! There are many students who live on Kent Ridge Campus, too.
The BTC bus that connects the two campuses follow a strict timetable, and the bus is reliable except from 5-7pm which is entirely dependent on traffic conditions. It’s usually in 30 minute intervals during off peak hours and 20 minute intervals during peak hours. Travelling between the two locations only takes up to 20-25 minutes on a good day so it is really not that far away.
A good number also have Kent Ridge CCAs like dance or sports and are still able to reasonably balance with the academic endeavours.
This would be entirely up to your perception on what you deem as better.
From talking to close friends studying overseas (UK), it is consensus that NUS’s curriculum is heavier by 1.5 times, perhaps. As for competition and stress, it is subjective (but you will likely find that NUS’s is slightly more competitive).
While it may be less stressful overseas, you must also consider several drawbacks, like the:
From 2.5 years of legal education in Singapore, I would say that there is a fair difference in the local positions compared to overseas – note that most overseas universities in the UK/Australia do not touch Singapore cases at all. The overseas students I met during internship did mention that it is a struggle to pick up legal knowledge on the job during internships. For instance, the duty of care position (a common tort issue) is VERY different in Australia and the UK. Also, take note of the Part A passing rates =)! Local students don’t have to do part A.
Lastly, there are exchange opportunities if you want to experience an overseas education and the semester there will be grade free =) I rest my case.
Ah, that is an age old debate. Honestly, much of these considerations are very subjective. Here are some viewpoints: full credits to them!
I can’t say for sure what is good or bad, you will have to decide for yourself:
I applied for NUS only in my first year (guys have 3 chances due to NS) and kept my place because some JC friends in SMU law were constantly complaining about many things in SMU which kinda scared me (e.g. the class participation + the people there). I really can’t speak with certainty because I didn’t get a place in SMU Law, so I didn’t have to choose one over the other and base everything on hearsay.
That being said, I do meet people from SMU Law during internships, and they say that they like the SMU format because it suits them better. So it is really a personal preference! Also, SMU was still relatively new when I applied (2-3 batches only then) so it wasn’t that established yet. Furthermore NUS was closer + I do want to dress casually on days when I feel like so these were a few non-law deal breakers for me.
No, please do not. The effort to reward ratio is far too low because you can definitely pick up studying again when you are back at school! If you really insist, you can do a legal internship. However, the value you can provide is limited because you have not been through any sort of legal education.
Go enjoy; do what you want and love. I personally went for the MOE Teaching internship and loved every aspect of it, it inspired me to join volunteer work teaching children which I do till this very day.
Last of all, look out for the orientation activities painstakingly planned by the orientation committee. There is law camp, RAG, matriculation and pro bono among many other activities. PLEASE JOIN THEM BECAUSE IT’S THE BEST WAY TO MAKE FRIENDS FROM DAY 1 in Law school (trust me on this!). More information can be found on their Instagram or Facebook or their official website. All these are to be updated and the first activity is usually the welcome tea in May followed by law camp in June.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the interviewees and do not reflect the official policy or position of any institution. They are also not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, class, individual or organisation.
The information contained in this website is intended to provide general guidance only. It should not be relied upon as professional advice and does not 100% guarantee admission into any course.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the interviewees and do not reflect the official policy or position of any institution. They are also not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, class, individual or organisation.
The information contained in this website is intended to provide general guidance only. It should not be relied upon as professional advice and does not 100% guarantee admission into any course.
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