JD Tracks
SMU Juris Doctor Tracks
Corporate Transactions
Law and Technology
Dispute Resolution
There are a multitude of pathways to a career in law. By choosing the most relevant electives, SMU JD tracks allow and guide students to tailor curriculum and to be better prepared to pursue a career in their selected fields. Building upon the multi and interdisciplinary nature of the existing JD curriculum, students who pursue a track will benefit from greater disciplinary knowledge, industry awareness and practical skillset.
Eligibility
A track declaration should be made by the end of Year 2 Term 2*.
The selected track will be indicated in the official transcript.
A track declaration is not compulsory.
*No track declaration is required during the application for SMU JD programme.
Requirements
Students declaring a track will have to complete a total of five (5) course units (CUs) of track-specific courses from 3 different baskets:
Three (3) CUs from the Track Electives
One (1) CU from the Law-Related Electives
One (1) CU of Law Capstone
Corporate Transactions
Law and Technology
Dispute Resolution
Entrepreneurship in Singapore – From Cradle to Grave
Corporate and Securities Laws in China and US: A Comparison
International and Comparative Insolvency Law
Legal and Commercial Principles in Project Financing Transactions
Corporate Insolvency Law
Financial and Securities Regulation
Comparative Corporate Governance
Law of Real Estate Securitisation (LLM)
Corporate Compliance and Risk Management (LLM)
Commercial Law in Asia
Comparative Secured Transactions Law
Law and Technology
IT & the Law
Privacy and Data Protection Law
FinTech: Law and Policy
Computational thinking & Legal Technology
Legal Design
Intellectual Property Law
International Commercialisation of Intellectual Property
Intellectual Assets and the Law in Asian Economies
Blockchain & Governance (LLM)
AI, Law and Ethics (LLM)
Introduction to Large Language Models, GPT and Legal Technology (0.5CUs)
Legal Innovation and Technology (0.5CUs)
Artificial Intelligence Law, Policy & Ethics
International Commercial Arbitration
International Moots 1
International Moots 2
Dealmaking and Dispute Resolution: Negotiation in an Age Disruption
The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and Institutional Arbitration
International Commercial Arbitration
Professional Mediation Skills
International Mediation Law and Practice
Pre-trial Practice in Civil Litigation
Introduction to Civil Procedure
Evidence, Litigation & the Criminal Process
Finance -LKCSB
Finance for Law - LKCSB
Financial Accounting for Law - SOA
Financial Accounting - SOA
Introduction to Programming - SCIS
Business Data Management - SCIS
Data Management - SCIS
Programming Fundamentals - SCIS
Digital Intelligence for Lawyers
Law and Psychology
Introduction to Psychology - SOSS
The Law and Finance of Corporate Transactions
Law of Mergers & Acquisition
Corporate Deals (SMU-X)
Digital Innovation for Access to Justice (SMU-X)
Law and the Digital Commerce (SMU-X)
Dispute Resolution Advocacy (SMU-X)
Law-Related courses and exemptions for JD students
JD students who do not declare a track are not allowed to take a Law-Related course.
For JD students whose undergraduate majors are in the related disciplines or who have satisfactorily completed a 1 CU undergraduate course in the related disciplines as specified below, the 1 CU Law-Related course requirement can be exempted from the track requirement with the Programme Director’s approval.
Related discipline for each track:
Corporate Transactions: Finance or Accounting
Law and Technology: Computer Science
Dispute Resolution: Psychology
A JD student who is granted an exemption should take a 1 CU Law Elective course (inside or outside the track elective basket) in place of the exempted Law-Related course so that the total CU requirement for the JD degree remain unchanged.
Please contact jd@smu.edu.sg for further enquiries.
Updated in August 2023