A new chapter in the success story of SMU and the University’s School of Law began on 20 January 2014, with the ground-breaking ceremony for the School’s own building, which is to be built at the open space between Armenian Street and Canning Rise.

The event, at which The Honourable Attorney-General Mr Steven Chong, S.C. was Guest of Honour, was attended by some 250 distinguished guests, faculty, students, donors, and SMU’s partners in the legal fraternity. Mr Chong said “It is tempting to forget that it was just six and a half years ago that the SMU School of Law recruited its first batch of law students. One can be forgiven for thinking that the Law School has been around for much longer than it has, given the quality of graduates which it has produced.” He went on to emphasise the importance of the School having its own building in order to foster a greater sense of belonging and identity. “Future generations of students of the SMU School of Law will have classes in this new building. Books will be read; friendships will be forged; eminent lawyers and leaders of the legal profession will be born. If, and when they look back on this day, they might wonder how the law school ever functioned without its own building.”

He was speaking to an audience which included Ms Ho Ching, Executive Director and Chief Executive of Temasek Holdings; Mr Jonathan Marshall, son of first Chief Minister of Singapore Mr David Marshall; members of SMU’s Board of Trustees; SMU Deans and senior faculty members; SMU’s senior managers; students, alumni and staff.

A new home for a growing community

Since its opening, SMU’s School of Law has shared the same building as the School of Accountancy although planning for the new building began in 2010, said SMU President Arnoud De Meyer. The School, proudly welcomed its first cohort of 116 students in August 2007, took in 150 students last year, will take in about 180 students from this year, and will see its tenth intake of students and seventh batch of alumni in 2017, the year in which the new building is slated for completion.

The building’s planned floor area of 22,000 square metres is about the size of three soccer pitches. Prof De Meyer said that the new premises will not only increase the space, but also help to "foster closer ties among SMU's law students, alumni, and the legal fraternity". He added that SMU is located within one kilometre of the Supreme Court and various law firms. "The new building ... will further promote these links and engagement as it will provide an ideal environment in a convenient location for students, alumni and fraternity to meet and interact."

Artist’s impression of the future School of Law building façade at the junction of Armenian Street and Stamford Road. (Illustration © Singapore Management University)

The building has been designed to meet BCA’s Green Mark Platinum standards, with sustainable features that will bring maximum energy savings. It also respects the urban fabric of the Civic District and builds upon the porosity of the city campus to further promote engagement with the community, as a 24/7 public link between Armenian Street and Stamford Green.

Kwa Geok Choo Law Library

Artist’s impression of an evening view of the Kwa Geok Choo Law Library from Fort Canning Park. (Illustration © Singapore Management University)

A key feature integrated into new building is the Kwa Geok Choo Law Library, named in memory of the late Madam Kwa Geok Choo, wife of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The 2,600- square metre Law Library will take on a distinct architectural form that is reminiscent of a pearl. It will seat more than 500 users, and will be fully equipped with modern technology and wired for legal research in the 21^st century. Also housed within the new School of Law building are the David Marshall Moot Court, the SMU Pro Bono Centre and other research centres.

“The project team and architects have also done a good job in incorporating design elements that will bring students and faculty closer to the lush nature that embraces the new building. These sustainable and inclusive design elements are an extension of the current SMU campus design, and stand true to the essence of SMU being both a global city university and integral part of the local environment and community,” said Prof De Meyer.

Prof Yeo said, “We believe that the new School of Law building must have the power to inspire. In fact, the Kwa Geok Choo Law Library will be the inspirational heart of the School of Law. The library is strategically placed at the high point of the site next to Stamford Green and is expressed architecturally as a sculptural form to represent an ‘inspirational beacon’ that seeks to illuminate the lives of SMU’s law students. It will be symbolic of a ‘moral compass’ to remind students of the importance of dignity, truth and justice in society.”

David Marshall Moot Court

Mr Chong said the new moot court facility will "further hone and develop" the students' oral advocacy skills. He added that he was part of the judging panel that selected the SMU team to represent Singapore in the world's largest moot competition – the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition – last year. The team eventually came in second. Mr Chong had remarked then that the team was "one of the finest" that he had judged.

Artist’s impression of the interior of the David Marshall Moot Court. (Illustration © Singapore Management University)

Second-year Law undergraduate Muhammed Ismail Bin K O Noordin, who is also the president of SMU Law Society, said, “Our moot teams are especially interested in the David Marshal Moot Court. For such a young university, our teams have already achieved so much. This high-tech facility will give us a better feel for what competitions will actually be like and to be even better prepared.”

SMU Pro Bono Centre

Dean of the School of Law Professor Yeo Tiong Min added that the new facilities, such as the moot court and the Pro Bono legal clinic, will help to "support the students' training... put them in good stead to raise the bar higher". Currently, SMU students already participate in legal-related volunteer work, within the University's administration building.

When the new building is completed, the SMU Pro Bono Centre will be relocated there, and will further the law school’s pro bono mission and service to the community. The Pro Bono clinic will be supported by volunteer lawyers and SMU law students, and will expose the students to real-life cases, said Professor Yeo.

Main photo: Viewing a model of the future School of Law building at the Ground-breaking Ceremony (left to right): SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer; Dean of the SMU School of Law Professor Yeo Tiong Min; Guest of Honour, The Honourable Attorney-General Mr Steven Chong, S.C.; SMU Chancellor Mr Yong Pung How; Mr Jonathan Marshall (standing at the back), son of first Chief Minister of Singapore Mr David Marshall; Ms Ho Ching, Executive Director and Chief Executive of Temasek Holdings; SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping; and architect Mr Siew Man Kok.

School of Law undergraduate students celebrate in front of the excavator used in the ground-breaking ceremony for the new building.