Preparing for the Legal Profession Amid a Pandemic

The pandemic has been a catalyst for disruption and change across industries and professions. The law sector, in particular, has undergone numerous shifts in recent times. Despite the impact of this unprecedented crisis, which changed the way we work overnight, legal education has maintained its perennial lustre: Demand has grown for lawyers in some practice areas like technology and intellectual property, fraud and investigations, project development and finance, and the dispute resolution practice — which saw some practitioners describing 2020 as the "busiest period in their career".

As Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon remarked during his Mass Call Address: 2021: "[...] we must imagine and develop a new and more efficient way of administering justice if we are going to avoid a justice gap of unmet legal needs. At the same time, the march of technology has opened up numerous possibilities as to how we may do so. Much has changed, and much more will surely change." As such, lawyers of tomorrow need to adapt to a landscape transformed by global events and digital advancement to thrive in a post-pandemic era.

Highly competitive and rigorous, the SMU Juris Doctor (JD) Law Degree provides a legal education that addresses the current challenges faced by the industry. It is a postgraduate programme offered by the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law designed to prepare candidates with prior university degrees in other disciplines or those who have studied law in civil law countries and other jurisdictions to practice the law in Singapore.

The JD programme bears the hallmarks of holistic learning, active seminar-style interactions, and international and practical exposure, synonymous with the SMU pedagogy. Our JD students will have ample opportunities to stay familiar with economics, finance, psychology, and technology, among others, and the development of law in other major economies of the world, such as the US and China. At the same time, our elaborately designed JD tracks enable students to sharpen their expertise in the most promising areas of legal practices from early on. The unique combination of holistic education with specialized skill training gives our graduates a leg up to achieve excellence in their professional careers. We believe that while the legal industry increasingly relies on experts with a deep understanding of the areas of their practices, real depth can only be built on breadth.

As JD candidates possess a variety of prior degrees and work experience and hail from diverse nationalities and cultures, they bring with them a unique vibrancy and gamut of perspectives to the classroom. This diversity of the cohort and a world-class, global faculty contribute to lively discussions and the development of graduates who can distinguish themselves in critical thinking, presentation, and making sound judgments.

A full-time three-year programme, the curriculum was formulated by legal academics and practitioners after extensive discussions and endorsed by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education and Ministry of Law. The Yong Pung How School of Law's participative learning environment helps develop confidence and analytical and presentation skills and cultivates leaders of the legal industry and beyond by building on students' experience and calibre.

Classes are deliberately kept small with a multi-faceted approach to course assessment, including class participation, term assignments and oral and written presentations. A distinctive feature of the JD programme is the opportunity for real-world exposure — students gain insights through participation by lawyers from practice, government and the judiciary in classroom teaching. This provides students with the opportunity to integrate practical expertise with theory and doctrine.

For those considering a career in the ever-evolving and complex legal landscape, here are some insider tips on ways to gain an edge during the SMU JD programme admissions process:

1. Be an early bird applicant
   Candidates may stand a higher chance if they apply early as JD admissions are conducted on a rolling basis. Applications for the intake will close once the class is filled. All remaining applicants will then be considered for the following year's intake.
2. Ensure all required documents are submitted
   All documents (including reference letters) have to be submitted before being shortlisted for a written test. As confidential reference forms are submitted directly to the admissions office, candidates may request referees to inform them when the references have been sent in to plan for submitting application documents.
3. Ace the written test
   The one-hour written test will be conducted once a minimum of 10 applicants has submitted all their supporting documents (including reference letters). The admission committee is looking for analytical ability, fluency, coherence in arguments and the ability to pick out key points. No prior legal knowledge is needed, and there is nothing to prepare. Just keep calm and write.
4. Share your perspectives during the interview
   Only those who have passed the written test will be shortlisted for an interview. The interviews will be conducted once a minimum of 10 applicants has been shortlisted. The interview format generally involves two faculty members and one or two candidates. During the interview, remember to keep your cool and form an opinion — all without taking umbrage when others disagree with your point of view.
5. No "chope-ing"
   Apply during the year you wish to enrol as there is no deferred admission for the JD programme.