Jiamin graduated from the Singapore Management University JD programme in December 2013. She is currently a Partner with WongPartnership and practices general litigation and arbitration. She was previously in another big 4 law firm, and specialised in IP and technology disputes, sports and gaming.
This Letter is addressed to her younger self 7 years ago in 2011 when she decided to join the JD programme.
Dear Jiamin,
Congratulations on completing 4 years of Engineering School! It was tough, but you know that you still want to enjoy being a student and escape being a working adult just a little more. It will be a difficult few weeks deciding between Law School and the Engineering PhD scholarship that you have been offered. Everyone around you will have a different opinion. Hang in there, because I will tell you that you will never regret picking Law School.
You will eventually decide on SMU’s JD programme, due to the flexibility in curricula and flexible length of study. Know that this will eventually be an important choice as you will eventually be allowed to accelerate your studies and will complete Law School in 2.5 years instead of 3.
Whilst anxiously waiting for the acceptance confirmation, you will try to read some books that random online websites say one should read before starting Law School. Do not fret because you will eventually not finish reading them (and still have not), but still enjoy every bit of the JD programme at SMU.
In a few months’ time, you will meet your JD classmates. Be prepared to embrace diversity, as not all of them will be a fresh graduate like you and may have a very different impression of what university is like. But it is this very diversity that brings colour to the seminar room each day. You will be exposed to perspectives that are so very important in the application of law but will never have thought of if not for these JD classmates. Just as they learn from you in terms of what the latest study apps and tools are, you will benefit from your JD classmates’ diverse backgrounds.
During your first lecture, your professor (who will be an extremely accomplished practitioner) will call your name and ask if you agree or disagree with the author of the textbook chapter. You, along with all engineering students who have never ever questioned any textbook author, will be shocked. You will never realise until much later that through this, your professor had assisted you to change your mindset from an engineer to a law student and to encourage critical thinking, and that is what allowed you to perform in your studies throughout Law School.
You will also eventually form a study group with a few of your JD classmates and hang out with them for the rest of Law School. Cherish them as they will become your closest buddies and support you through thick and thin even years after Law School.
The thought of having to do a minimum number of weeks of internships may seem daunting at first, but you will go on to find your passion in IP law from doing those internships. So much so that you will take up all the IP law elective modules offered by the Law School and land yourself a training contract in IP litigation at a big-4 law firm.
Remember to not keep burying your head in readings. You will trust your study group for their reliable summaries of the readings for classes so go ahead and immerse yourself in the rich student life, events and activities that SMU offers. Live in the moment and you will never regret a bit of it.
Lots of love,
Jiamin
For more details about the SMU J.D. programme, please click here.
To register for the 2021 information sessions, please click here.
嘉敏 12月2013年毕业于新加坡管理大学，获得法律博士（JD）学位，目前是新加坡王律师事务所的律师，其专业领域主要为诉讼和仲裁。加入新加坡王律师事务所之前，嘉敏是另一家“四大”律师事务所的律师，专业领域主要为知识产权和技术及体育诉讼。
这封信是她写给2011年决定就读法律博士时年轻的自己的。
亲爱的嘉敏,
恭喜你完成了四年工程系的学习。尽管过程艰难，但你知道你仍想多享受几年学生生活，远离职场一阵子。是就读法学院，还是接受奖学金攻读工程学博士？做出选择的那几个星期并不容易，身边的每个人对此都有不同意见。你问究竟该如何选择？暂且稍安勿躁——我现在就告诉你，你永远不会后悔选择了法学院。
你最终会选择新加坡管理大学的法律博士，因为它的课程安排灵活机动。这一点非常重要，你可以加快学习进度，在两年半（而不是三年）的时间内学成毕业。
在焦急地等待录取结果的同时，你可以试着随便在网上搜索，看看那些网站推荐的法学院学前必读书。就算你最终读不完——其实至今也没读完——所有的书也不用担心，因为你依旧会很享受在新加坡管理大学就读法律博士的点点滴滴。
你和你的同学很快就会在未来几个月相会。准备好接受你那些各具特色的同学们吧，并非每个人都像你一样是应届毕业生，他们对大学的看法也各不相同。但正是如此的多样性才给课堂讨论带来了缤纷的色彩。你会用不同的角度看待事物，这一点在法律运用上非常重要。然而，假如没有这些JD同学，你也许从来不会注意到它的重要。就像他们将从你这里学到最新科技工具和APP应用一样，你也会从同学们的多元背景中广为受益。
在上第一堂课时，你的教授——一位成就卓越的律师——会问你：“嘉敏，你是否同意教科书中作者的观点？”。你会因为这个问题而感到震惊，就像所有从不质疑教科书观点的其他工程系学生一样。然而，只有在经过很长一段时间之后，你才会意识到，你的教授正在帮助你从一名工程系学生转变为一名法学院学生。他在做的是改变你的思维模式，是鼓励你用批判性的眼光来看问题。正是这一切令你能在整个法学院的学习历程中表现优异。
你也会和几个班上的同学成立学习小组，与他们共同度过法学院生活的点点滴滴。珍惜他们吧，因为他们将会成为你最亲密的伙伴，无论人生潮起潮落，他们会始终给予你无私的支持。
起初，一想到至少要实习几个礼拜，你可能就会心生畏惧，不过，通过实习你会在知识产权诉讼领域找到激情。你对这个领域的热爱将如此深切，以致于不知疲惫地完成法学院所有知识产权方面的课程，并获得一份在一家“四大”律师事务所接受知识产权诉讼业务培训的合同。
记住不要一味埋头于书本之中，信任学习小组中的同伴们对课堂阅读材料做的可靠的总结与摘要。好了，就请尽情享受新加坡管理大学丰富多彩的校园生活吧。活在当下，你将永不后悔。
爱你的,
嘉敏
(想多了解新家坡管理大学的法律博士项目，请点 www.smu.edu.sg/jd)