Obtaining a double-edged legal and business advantage
It takes a combination of hard work, dedication, and perseverance to succeed in the demanding legal field. But for Bhawna Chowdhary, thriving in law school has always been about more than just hitting the books. After graduating with a Master of Laws (LLM) Cross-Border Business & Finance Law in 2022 from SMU, she went on to establish her own higher education consultancy firm to help international students navigate the complexities and uncertainties of upskilling.
But this was only the beginning for Bhawna, who had gained her Bachelor’s Degree in Law at Amity Law School, Delhi. The unique LLM curriculum at the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law woke a newfound passion within her – an interest in the impact of technological innovations on the law. And so, she decided to begin pursuing yet another LLM degree law to explore this rapidly developing area in greater depth.
Having had prior law-related working experience as a legal associate, and as one of the founders of an education consultancy, Acclivis Education, furthering her skillsets with an LLM in Singapore seemed like a natural progression to Bhawna.
Attracted by Singapore’s strong growth in fintech (financial technology), Bhawna decided to pursue her studies in the vibrant global legal hub, with SMU as her university of choice.
“I decided to choose SMU because they offer interdisciplinary modules which are more practical and realistic,” relates Bhawna.
“I can apply the knowledge gained from school in my work and create new regulations that keep up to speed with the fast-changing technological developments.”
A cutting-edge curriculum is one of the strengths of SMU’s LLM programme, incorporating the latest research and best business practices to ensure that students are well-equipped with the skills needed to be successful. Indeed, the diverse curriculum includes emerging topics such as Blockchain and Governance, which have been added within the past two years in answer to the ever-changing legal landscape.
SMU’s interactive pedagogy also shines, with seminar style learning that facilitates multidisciplinary exploration of the topics at hand, and hones the students’ analytical, collaborative, and communication skills.
“SMU provides a multi-disciplinary education,” Bhawna elaborates. “I learnt the legal skills and the components of an MBA within my programme and had the liberty to select courses from the Accountancy, Management, and Data Science departments.”
Moreover, public speaking skills are essential for any legal professional, whether it is delivering a deposition, speaking in front of a judge, or presenting to a client. Small seminar-style classes provide students with an opportunity to improve their public speaking skills in a more intimate setting. Enabling greater one-on-one interaction between the professor and student, as well as between classmates, the SMU classroom environment was ideal for Bhawna, as she grasped opportunities to deliver presentations and articulate her opinions to peers.
Giving a leg up for future opportunities
Boasting a distinguished faculty with diverse legal expertise in the Asia-Pacific, SMU provides a wealth of networking and learning opportunities. These opportunities help to provide students with insights into different career paths in the future, setting them up for success.
“I learned a lot from the professor’s experiences, which helped shape my career. Also, the multicultural background of students and faculty makes it easier to gel with the environment and learn new skills,” Bhawana affirms, speaking highly of the professional support that the school provides to support students preparing for the market through resources like career counselling, interview preparation, and curriculum vitae (CV) reviews.
Designed not just for lawyers, the SMU LLM draws a diverse cohort of students from the world of business, fuelling networking opportunities and the rich exchange of ideas and perspectives. As an entrepreneur, Bhawana gained insights that will also help further her business ambitions. During the course, she was able to refine her team building and leadership competencies, as well as develop cross-cultural skills thanks to interactions with international students.
The benefits gleaned from her attendance of SMU’s LLM programme does not end there. Due to her strong academic performance and hard work, the SMU LLM Programme Director also recommended her to pursue an LLM at Berkeley Law at the University of California, Berkeley.
“While at SMU, my modules provided me with a background in fintech laws and regulations. I became highly interested in the subject and decided to pursue it in further detail. This is how I ended up being admitted to Berkeley,” she shares.
A diverse and supportive learning environment
Besides an excellent track record in multi-disciplinary learning and gearing students up for future opportunities, SMU also boasts a diverse student body, consisting of 70 per cent international students. The resulting environment encourages students to think outside of the box, and really internalise how to apply their learnings depending on different contexts and requirements.
Of course, for students leaving their home countries to pursue studies overseas, there is a sense of apprehension as they prepare to enter an unfamiliar environment, often without the support systems that many have established back home. With this in mind, SMU has built an ecosystem of care and support, and a wealth of resources that students can turn to for their different needs.
Bhawna herself has been through the experience and come out stronger for it. She speaks fondly of close friends that she met at SMU, who have supported her and made Singapore feel like a new home. Her advice for prospective students from overseas looking to take the plunge: “Embrace the change. Use the available resources at SMU, participate more in class and make new friends, and everything will start to fall into place.”