New graduate law degree programme launched at SMU
[18 March 2009]
New graduate law degree programme launched at SMU
The School of Law is the first in Singapore to introduce the American-style Juris Doctor programme for graduates interested in a second career in law
Singapore, 18 March 2009 – The Singapore Management University (SMU) launched today a new Juris Doctor (J.D.) programme to enable mid-career or fresh graduates in other disciplines to pursue a degree in law, allowing them to become lawyers qualified to practise in Singapore. The first programme in a Singapore university to adopt the American system of graduate legal education, the SMU Juris Doctor programme will bring a diversified pool of talent from different disciplines and backgrounds into the legal profession.
Prospective applicants for the SMU Juris Doctor degree fall into three main groups: (a) Local and foreign graduates who hold university degrees in non-law disciplines; (b) Local and foreign graduates from law schools in civil law countries; and (c) Local and foreign graduates from universities in common law countries which are not gazetted under the Legal Profession Act. Leveraging the SMU pedagogy of small class sizes and interdisciplinary, broad-based learning, the three-year full-time SMU Juris Doctor offers a rigorous curriculum distinctive in several ways:
- Candidates complete a total of 18 core law courses – comprising a total of 21 course units – made up of essential foundational subjects such as Criminal Law, Contract Law, Constitutional & Administrative Law, Torts, Equity & Trusts, Law of Property, Evidence and Civil Procedure. Please see Annex.
- A course in Ethics & Social Responsibility – very important in today's world of law and business – is among the bundle of core law courses. This reflects the belief of SMU in helping its students to become socially conscious leaders rooted in strong business ethics and professional conduct.
- Candidates fulfil the rest of their coursework by studying law electives (four course units) with such choices as Banking Law, Insolvency Law, Insurance Law, Intellectual Property Law, Tax Law, International Trade Law, Investment Law and Chinese Law
- A ten-week internship with a law firm, the legal department of a Government-linked Corporation, a Multinational Corporation or a public sector agency is required of all candidates to provide practical exposure to the work of the legal sector.
- Candidates will complete 80 hours of community service at a Voluntary Welfare Organisation or an organisation involved in pro bono and legal aid work, as part of the holistic SMU education and to immerse students in volunteerism.
- The SMU Juris Doctor programme can be completed in two years to two and a half years in some cases, if candidates accelerate by enrolling in courses during the summer terms.
Similar to the undergraduate LL.B. programme, the SMU Juris Doctor programme is designed to provide contexualised teaching of the law with a view to producing lawyers ready for corporate and commercial practice as well as a wide range of other fields of practice. Candidates can expect to obtain practice-relevant legal knowledge and expertise and achieve the ability to think across disciplines and geographical borders. The programme will be characterised by SMU's signature participative and seminar-style teaching with individualised attention for students. The total tuition fee for the SMU Juris Doctor programme is S$60,000.
Said Professor Michael Furmston, Dean, School of Law, SMU: “With the introduction of the Juris Doctor programme at SMU, we are able to groom new legal talent from a wider sphere of expertise who demonstrates competence and aptitude to be good lawyers. The needs of modern legal practice require a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving. Lawyers who are drawn from a different profession and background such as banking and finance, consulting, science and technology, and engineering are in a unique position to apply their experience and domain knowledge in legal practice.”
Upon graduation, candidates can proceed to complete the Postgraduate Practical Law Course and a six-month Training Contract with a law firm for admission to the Singapore Bar. Career options for graduates of the Juris Doctor programme include corporate and commercial practice in local and international law firms; public prosecution and other government service; criminal and family law practice; Singapore Legal Service; public interest law with non-governmental organisations and in-house legal counsel in local and transnational corporations.