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SMU’S JURIS DOCTOR LAW DEGREE

A legal education that rises to the challenges of the 21st century

 

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J.D. Programme

WHAT IS THE J.D. PROGRAMME?

The J.D. programme is a basic law degree for students who have undergraduate degrees in other disciplines and those who have studied law in civil law countries and in other jurisdictions.

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Our Students

Drawn from various educational and professional backgrounds, our J.D. students include recent university graduates and those with several years of working experience.

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Career Opportunities

Students will qualify for legal practice in Singapore (admitted as Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore) if they attain a J.D.

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DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF JD PROGRAMME

 

Exclusivity

JD students are in a class of their own for law core modules

Diversity

JD students come from different jurisdictions and varied disciplines with most of them having prior work experience

Experiential learning

Talks by legal practitioners, mooting experience

Internship

A 6-week internship at law firms, companies and the Singapore Legal Service

 

Last updated on 06 Jun 2017 .

I am thankful that in my time at SMU I learned not only the black letter of the law, (...) but a great measure of empathy and kindness.



Pamela Yeo
Top graduate of the 2018 JD class

The SMU JD programme, being highly rigorous and well regarded by the legal profession, was instrumental in enabling me to make a mid-career transition from my previous senior banking roles in derivatives structuring to this legal position.
John Tan Boon Liang
Admission Year 2012
Legal Counsel
Deutsche Bank AG
I deeply felt that knowledge of the law is essential to navigate policy and professional issues in an ever-changing world.
Thanks to my professors in the J.D. programme, my coursemates and pupil master, I became a lawyer.
Bertha Woon
Admission Year 2009
Director
Bertha Woon Surgery Pte Ltd
SMU's JD program gave me the opportunity not only to receive first-rate academic instruction, but also to put my legal knowledge into practice through SMU's world-leading—and world-beating—international moots program.
Nicholas Liu Sheng
Admission Year 2011
Justices Law Clerk
Supreme Court
The SMU JD post-graduate program is rigorous and intellectually challenging at the same time, requiring all candidates to devote a substantial part of their energies to fulfil its requirements.
Pritam Singh

Admission Year 2009
Member of Parliament
Aljunied GRC

SMU's seminar system afforded me an unrivalled opportunity to engage with and learn from SMU's superb and dedicated faculty.
Suja Susan Thomas

Admission Year 2009
Legal Assistant
Ignatius J & Associates

The SMU Juris Doctor programme was an intensive and rigorous education that surpassed all my expectations. I particularly appreciated the focus on classroom interaction, the perspectives of classmates with different backgrounds, and the quality of the experienced faculty, including leading practitioners.
Chew Xiang
Admission Year 2010
Partner, Restructuring & Insolvency
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP
The SMU JD programme is an excellent gateway for anyone that is seriously considering a career in the law. The programme’s rigorous delivery of an exceptional curriculum, with equal emphasis on both the intellectual and practical aspects of law, has provided me with a good foundation for both my further professional and academic development.
Joey Pang Keep Ying
Admission Year 2011
Vice President
Technology and Operations IP, Group Legal
DBS Bank

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