Yong Pung How Singapore Management University School of Law
The law school building at the corner of Armenian Street and Stamford Road with the city skyline in the background. Between 2007 to 2016, the law school shared its premises with the School of Accountancy and School of Business at Stamford Road.
The Yong Pung How Singapore Management University School of Law is one of the six schools of Singapore Management University. It was set up as Singapore's second law school in 2007, 50 years after the NUS Faculty of Law and 10 years before SUSS School of Law. Before becoming a law school, the school was a Law Department within the School of Business between 2000 and 2007. Up until 2021, the school was known as the SMU School of Law; in 2021, it was renamed after former Chief Justice Yong Pung How.[1]
The school offers a four-year undergraduate single Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree programme and a double degree programme combining the law degree programme with one of SMU's existing non-law programmes. The school also offers a graduate Juris Doctor (JD) programme as well as a Master of Laws (LLM) programme. The Dual LLM in Commercial Law, which confers LLM degrees from Queen Mary University of London and SMU, was launched in 2015.
Admission to the law programme is competitive: in the 2015 University Admissions Exercise, both the 10th and 90th percentile had an Indicative Grade Profile (of Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level qualifications) of AAA/A; approximately 1,300 applicants were shortlisted for an interview and a written test.[2][3]
Since the launch of its international moots programme in 2011, the school has regularly featured in the championship final of the largest and most established international moot court competitions, and holds the world records for most international moot championship finals in a season and most international moot championships in a season.[4]
History
Initial years
PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Kwa Geok Choo Law Library during the official launch of the School of Law building in 2017Inside the Kwa Geok Choo Law LibraryA segregated third of the function hall in the basement
The School of Law was preceded by the Law Department, which was created in 2000 and part of the university's Lee Kong Chian School of Business, and headed by Professor Andrew Phang (now Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Singapore).[5] A full-fledged law school was established in 2007—fifty years after the establishment of the first and then-only law school in Singapore, National University of Singapore Faculty of Law—following a review by the government that concluded there was a shortage of qualified legal personnel in Singapore.[6][7]
Leadership
The school's first dean was Professor Michael Furmston, a leading authority on contracts and commercial law in the Commonwealth.[8] He headed the school from its inception in 2007 to 2012. Professor Yeo Tiong Min SC was then the dean from 2012 to 2017.[9][10] Professor Goh Yihan SC has been the dean since 2017.[11]
Former Judge of Appeal VK Rajah giving a speech at SMU School of Law in 2017. He was on the school's advisory board between 2008 and 2012 and has been chairman of the board since 2017.
There is an Advisory Board which provides advisory assistance to the School of Law; it routinely includes Supreme Court judges, senior litigators, corporate lawyers, managing partners of law firms, and partners of foreign law firms. The Advisory Board is currently chaired by former Judge of Appeal and Attorney-General VK Rajah SC.[12] Rajah, together with former Supreme Court judges Yong Pung How and Chao Hick Tin, served as Distinguished Fellows.[13]
Milestones
On 18 March 2009, the Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) programme was launched.[14] In May 2010, the Continuing Legal Education programme (since re-branded as SMU Law Academy) was launched.[15]
In March 2013, the school became the first Asian law school to join the THEMIS network[16] and in November that year a partnership was set up with Yonsei University for a dual JD programme.[17]
The Applied Research Centre for Intellectual Assets and the Law in Asia (ARCIALA), as well as the Centre for Cross-Border Commercial Law in Asia (CEBCLA), were launched in May 2015[18][19] and in June that year the school signed a sponsorship and training agreement with WongPartnership.[20] In August, it launched a dual LLM with Queen Mary, University of London.[21]
The law school building relocated in December 2016 to Armenian Street[22] and in October 2017, a Pro Bono Centre was launched.[23] At the same time, the Singapore Academy of Law's Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy (SIDRA) was launched, which subsequently came under the auspices of the law school in 2019.[24]
In June 2018, the school received a $4.5m grant from the National Research Foundation and IMDA to helm a research programme on AI and data use.[25] In July that year it launched the LLM in Judicial Studies[26] and in September the Centre for AI and Data Governance (CAIDG).[27] In March 2020, the Centre for Computational Law was established after receiving a $15m grant from the NRF.[28]
Programmes
A seminar room
Undergraduate LLB
To be admitted to the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme, applicants should have good passes in their respective GCE A-Level subjects and also at minimum an A or a B for H1 General Paper or H2 Knowledge and Inquiry. In the 2015 University Admissions Exercise, both the 10th and 90th percentile had an Indicative Grade Profile (of 3H2/1H1 content-based subjects) of AAA/A.[2] Potential candidates are called for a short written test and a group interview.
The LLB programme is a four-year programme; it is also possible to enroll in the double degree programme (combining law with accountancy, business, economics, information systems, or social sciences) or to do a major (such as the Politics, Law, and Economics programme). Students must also complete ten weeks of internship and 80 hours of community service to graduate. The law school is partnered with law schools including Peking University, University of New South Wales, University of San Diego, and University of St Gallen for direct law-to-law exchange.[29]
Based on the 2017 Graduate Employment Survey, 97.6% of the school's graduates found employment; the school's graduates also commanded the highest mean basic monthly salary among all schools in the university.[30] In the 2018 survey, the overall rate was 92.7%.[31] Alumni of the school are well-represented in the major law firms, the Supreme Court Justices' Law Clerk scheme.[32]
Juris Doctor
Introduced in 2009, the Juris Doctor programme is an additional route for persons who already have a degree in another discipline or a law degree not recognised for the purpose of admission to the Singapore Bar to become members of the Singapore legal profession. Applicants must have completed at least three years of full-time undergraduate education and show proficiency in the English language. SMU's JD curriculum is a mix of compulsory law courses and electives. Similar to all SMU undergraduates, six weeks of internship and 50 hours of community service are required for graduation. Students are required to complete a total of 25 Credit Units of law courses. Although students are expected to complete the programme within three years, the programme may be accelerated.[33] Students may also enrol in the dual-JD programme with Yonsei Law School.
Completion of the either the LLB or JD allows a student to proceed directly to Part B of the local bar examination and be called as a lawyer.[34]
LLM
There are three Master of Laws (LLM) options: the LLM in Cross-Border Business and Finance Law in Asia, the Dual LLM in Commercial Law (Singapore and London), and the LLM in Judicial Studies (which is offered jointly with the Supreme Court of Singapore). The first two options are one-year programmes while the dual LLM is a 15-month programme where students split their time between SMU and Queen Mary University of London.[35]
Professional
The SMU Law Academy or SMULA runs seminars on developments in the law for the legal profession; attendees receive Continuing Professional Development points. Courses taught to the LLB, JD, and LLM students may also be audited.[36] Since 2020, SMULA also offers a preparatory programme for Part A of the local bar examinations.
Student life
International moot competitions
Moot court training session in progress at the David Marshall Moot Court
Since the launch of its international moots programme in 2010, the school has been to the championship final of the largest and most established international moot court competitions: Jessup (2013 and 2014), Vis (2015, 2016, and 2021), Vis East (2015 and 2016), Price (2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020), ICC (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018), Frankfurt (2015 and 2017), IHL (2016 and 2019), and International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot (2016). As of March 2021, SMU has emerged champions 34 times, 1st runner-up 29 times, and 2nd runner-up 30 times in international moot competitions, in addition to winning hundreds of Best Oralist and Best Memorial prizes and dozens of national and regional round championships.[37][38]
SMU set a world record of eight international moot finals in a single season in 2014/15 (winning a world-record five), a feat it bettered in 2015/16 when it reached nine international moot finals.[37][39][4] It also became the first university in the history of international moots to successfully defend a major moot international title when it won back-to-back championships in the ICC moot in 2015 and 2016; it became the second university to do the same when it won back-to-back championships in the Price moot in 2016 and 2017.[39][4]
International mediation and negotiation competitions
SMU has achieved podium finishes in various international mediation and negotiation competitions such as Advocate Maximus (2018 and 2019), ICC Mediation Australia (2020), and CDRC Vienna (2018).[40]
Law reform and public legal education
SMU students have given representations at various law reform efforts, including during the 2016 Constitutional Commission's hearing on the elected presidency[41] and the 2018 Select Committee's hearing on deliberate online falsehoods.[42]
In terms of public legal education efforts, the student club Lexicon collaborates with the Supreme Court of Singapore to write case briefs on selected Court of Appeal judgments.[43] In 2021, Lexicon launched its law journal, Singapore Law Journal.
Research impact
The faculty have appeared as amicus curiae before courts in Singapore and overseas.[44][45] The faculty have also authored various leading texts regularly cited by the courts, such as The Law of Torts in Singapore by Gary Chan and The Law of Contract in Singapore by Goh Yihan et al.
In the QS World University Rankings by subject, the school was ranked 101–150 for Law and Legal Studies in 2021.[46] As a university, SMU was ranked 71–80 in 2021 by QS for Top Young Universities.[47]
The Juris Doctor degree, also known as the Doctor of Law or Doctor of Jurisprudence, is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. In Australia, Canada, the United States and some other common law countries, the Juris Doctor is earned by completing law school.
The Faculty of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the oldest law school in Canada, and continually ranks among the best law schools in the world. The faculty is known for its holistic approach though highly selective and competitive process for admission. Only 180 candidates are admitted for any given academic year and the acceptance rate is generally at 11%. Its civil law degree is ranked as the best in Canada, and consistently outranks Europe, Asia, and Latin America's top civil law schools.
Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions – except the United States. It historically served this purpose in North America as well but was phased out in favour of the Juris Doctor degree. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in India, Pakistan, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Israel, Brazil and Zambia.
Singapore Management University (SMU) is the third autonomous university in Singapore. The university provides broad-based business programmes modelled after the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Moot court is a co-curricular activity at many law schools. Participants take part in simulated court or arbitration proceedings, usually involving drafting memorials or memoranda and participating in oral argument. In most countries, the phrase "moot court" may be shortened to simply "moot" or "mooting". Participants are either referred to as "mooters" or, less conventionally, "mooties".
Boston University School of Law is the law school of Boston University, a private university in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is the sixth autonomous university in Singapore. Established in 2017, SUSS focuses on applied degree programmes primarily in the social sciences. In 2017, SUSS received its inaugural class of 2,137 graduates.
The National University of Singapore Faculty of Law is Singapore's oldest law school. NUS Law was initially established in 1956 as the Department of Law in the University of Malaya. After its establishment, NUS Law was Singapore's only law school for half a century, until the subsequent establishment of the SMU School of Law in 2007 and the SUSS School of Law in 2017. NUS Law is currently located at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus. The current dean of NUS Law is Simon Chesterman, who will serve his fourth term until 30 June 2023.
The UCL Faculty of Laws is the law school of University College London (UCL), itself part of the federal University of London. It is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties and is based in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the world's leading law schools, and ranked 8th globally in the 2018 Times Higher Education World University Rankings for Law.
The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) is a public law school and a National Law University located in Kochi, India. It was the first National Law University established in the State of Kerala and one of 23 NLUs in India. Admissions to the university are done on the basis of the Common Law Admission Test.
Auckland Law School is one of the eight faculties that make up the University of Auckland. The Faculty of Law is located at the City Campus, between Waterloo Quadrant and Eden Crescent. It is in close proximity to the Auckland High Court. In 2020, Auckland Law School ranked 50th in the world and best in New Zealand on QS World University Rankings. The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Law is the largest of its kind in New Zealand. It boasts experts in a variety of fields, including commercial, public, human rights and environmental law.
The Faculty of Law, University of Delhi is the law school of the University of Delhi and the largest law school in the world. It is one of the legal institutions of India with the unique distinction of producing the largest number of sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India.
Strathclyde Law School was established in 1964 and operates within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law is a law school in Hong Kong.
The Price Media Law Moot Court Competition or Price Moot in short, is an annual international moot court competition. Described as a competition "for raising the profile of freedom of expression by bringing informed and effective debate and discussion on significant issues of information flows and technology to many parts of the world", the Price Moot focuses on international media law and related human rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and various facets of privacy. The main sources of law engaged include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. Recurring topics include online hate speech and the responsibility of internet intermediaries. With more than a hundred teams taking part annually, the Price Moot is the world's largest competition in its field and is considered one of the grand slam or major moots.
The Asia Cup Moot, or Asia Cup in short, is an annual international moot court competition that is open to law schools in Asia. The competition inaugurated in 1999 and is held in Tokyo, Japan. It is jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the International Law Students Exchange Council, and the moot problem typically contains issues pertaining to public international law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights. The top 10–12 scoring teams for the memorials qualify for the international rounds in Tokyo, but generally each country except Japan is only permitted to send one team. Each team may feature up to four oralists. As of 2020, 53 different law schools have competed in Tokyo since the moot's inception.
The School of Law of City University of Hong Kong was founded in 1987, as the second law school in Hong Kong.
The Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court or Frankfurt Moot is a moot competition co-organised by the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. It is the oldest student competition in the area of investment arbitration, with the first edition of the moot taking place in 2008. As the class-leading moot in its field, it is considered one of the grand slam or major moots. With the exception of India, national rounds are not conducted, but each university may only send one team, unlike the Foreign Direct Investment Moot. Like other arbitration moots, pre-moots are also conducted by institutions such as the International Chamber of Commerce and European Court of Arbitration.
Goh Yihan is a Singaporean legal academic. He is the dean of the Singapore Management University School of Law.
The Singapore University of Social Sciences School of Law is an autonomous school of Singapore University of Social Sciences. It was established as Singapore's third law school in 2017 after the NUS Faculty of Law and the SMU School of Law. The school was established to address the shortage of practitioners in family and criminal law. In 2018, it was reported that of the 60 pioneer SUSS law students, seven have dropped out or deferred their studies setting the attrition rate at 10%.
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