Singapore, 19 May 2011 (Wednesday) – In response to rapid changes in the legal landscape and the increasing demands faced by lawmakers and legal practitioners, Singapore Management University (SMU) is launching the new SMU LLM (Master of Laws) by coursework programme.
The 12-month modular programme is designed to equip legal practitioners with the skills and knowledge to meet the changing needs of an increasingly complex global market.
The programme comprises specialisations in three niche areas: Commercial Law, Dispute Resolution and Islamic Law and Finance.
Said Director of the LLM Programme, Associate Professor Low Kee Yang: “As a young, vibrant and innovative university in the heart of Asia, and with a School of Law which admits talented and motivated individuals into its LLB and Juris Doctor programmes, we are pleased to introduce a programme that will be extremely relevant to participants who already have significant law practice experience. The practical aspects of this programme will provide them with valuable insights into how business organisations operate and strategise.”
The LLM in Commercial Law will help participants gain a keener understanding in issues of commercial law, such as agency law, commercialisation of intellectual property, corporate crime, comparative competitive law and commercial dispute resolution.
The LLM in Dispute Resolution provides both an overview of the current landscape of international civil dispute resolution and specialist courses in arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution.
Having been considered as “alternative” forms of dispute resolution until relatively recently, arbitration, mediation and negotiation are now considered mainstream processes that offer distinct advantages over traditional routes in terms of the access to resolution, cost-savings and decision-making by those closely involved in the substance of the dispute.
The SMU LLM in Islamic Law and Finance is the only course available in Singapore and one of the very few specialised programmes in the world to provide an opportunity for postgraduate law participants to acquire knowledge and expertise in this burgeoning area.
Islamic finance is expanding exponentially each year and assets under management currently stand at US$1 trillion. With more financial institutions offering Shari'ah compliant financial services comes the need to increase the supply of expertise in the unique legal nuances of Islamic finance.
Said Associate Professor Andrew White, who will lead the LLM in Islamic Law & Finance programme: “With the growing prominence of Islamic finance in this part of the world and Singapore situated right next to Kuala Lumpur, the Islamic financial capital of Southeast Asia, it is important for key players to have a good grasp of the laws governing Shari'ah compliant finance, which is based on the key operating economic principles of justice, fair distribution and risk-sharing found within Islamic law.”
The 12-month, 8-course LLM programme will commence in April 2012.
Participants will have to take two prescribed courses - Business, Strategy and Organisation (BSO) and Overseas Study Mission (OSM), irrespective of the specialisation chosen (See Annex A).
The BSO will give participants insights into how business organisations operate and strategise. The course will be taught by a faculty from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business who has had hands-on experience in running a major regional business.
The OSM will expose participants to the complexities of the dynamic composite framework – business, social, political and legal – when businesses operate in a cross-border environment.
Both courses will provide participants with the skills and mindset necessary to understand their clients better. With this edge, they will be able to offer advice and solutions that are not just technically correct but which also take into account business sensitivities and commercial viability.
Please refer to the following Annexes for information:
Annex B: Programme schedule
Annex C: List of courses
The SMU LLM programme leverages on the niche areas of expertise of the faculty from the School of Law as well as distinguished visitors competent in the areas of comparative law, conflict of laws, dispute resolution and Islamic law and finance.
Courses are taught exclusively to postgraduate participants harnessing the unique SMU pedagogy and interactive seminar style to provide a rich environment for exchange and discussion.
Said Professor Michael Furmston, Dean of the SMU School of Law: “Having taught in LLM programmes over the decades and in different parts of the world, I am convinced that such programmes can greatly benefit businesses, organisations and society at large.”
“Singapore is an important commercial and financial centre and a gateway to Asia. As alternative dispute resolution gains pace in Asia, Singapore is fast becoming the preferred venue for resolution. Being in the heart of the largest Muslim population in the world, Singapore is also well-positioned to be at the forefront of innovation and growth in Islamic finance.”
Applicants to the LLM programme should have a good LLB or Juris Doctor degree and at least two years of professional legal working experience. Although this programme is primarily for lawyers, applicants without a basic law degree but who have substantial knowledge or exposure to law may be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
This programme costs S$30,000 (inclusive of GST). Interested applicants can visit: www.law.smu.edu.sg/llm
The application deadline is 15 October 2011.
About the SMU School of Law
Officially approved on 5 January 2007, the School of Law proudly welcomed its first batch of 116 participants in August 2007.
SMU's undergraduate law programme aims to mold participants into excellent lawyers who will contribute significantly to society. The objective is to produce law graduates who have contextualized legal expertise and the ability to think across disciplines and geographical borders. In terms of pedagogy, SMU's seminar-style learning will be put to good effect to nurture participants who are confident, articulate and analytically agile.
The Law School will offer a 4-year full-time LLB programme, a 5-year double-degree programme which combines law with SMU's existing non-law programmes in Accountancy, Business, Economics, Information Systems and Social Sciences and more recently, a 12-month LLM (Master of Laws) Law programme.
The School of Law has also launched a full-time graduate programme called the Juris Doctor (J.D.) Programme. It follows the same academic calendar/grading scheme as the LL.B programme and can be completed within 3 years. However the programme may be accelerated in some cases for completion within 2 years.
The School of Law faculty comprises a collegial team with postgraduate degrees from renowned universities worldwide such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol and London.