Faculty Profile

Dorcas is an Associate Professor of Law at SMU’s Yong Pung How School of Law. She obtained her LL.M from Harvard Law School. As an experienced mediator and former District Judge, Dorcas’ research draws inspiration from, and seeks to inform, the practice of dispute resolution, including mediation and negotiation. She has written on a diverse range of topics, including mandatory mediation, mediation ethics, court-connected dispute resolution, and online dispute resolution. Between 2022 and 2025, she was Principal Investigator of an interdisciplinary research project, supported by an MOE Academic Research Fund Tier 2 grant, exploring the impact of communication media on negotiation. 

Dorcas is an accredited mediator with leading international and Singapore institutions. She mediates with organisations including the Singapore Mediation Centre, Singapore International Mediation Centre, Asian Development Bank, and the Office of the Ombudsman for UN Funds and Programmes.
 

Qualifications

• LL.M., Harvard University
• LL.B. (First Class Honours), National University of Singapore
• Advocate and Solicitor, Singapore
• Certified Mediator, Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI)
• Accredited Mediator, International Mediation Institution (IMI)

Course Taught in SMU

• Legal Research and Writing
• Deal-Making and Dispute Resolution: Negotiation in an Age of Disruption

Research Areas / Areas of Specialisation

• Dispute Resolution
• Courts and Access to Justice
• Civil Procedure and Evidence Law
• Empirical Legal Research in Dispute Resolution