Academic Recognition
To qualify for a place on the Dean's List, a student must meet the following requirements:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.70 and above
- All grades above "C"
- Absence of disciplinary actions or misconduct by student
Congratulations to the outstanding students on the Yong Pung How School of Law's Dean's List!
Dual Degree: SMU LLB + Melbourne Law School LLM
Fast-track your legal education with two world-class degrees in four years.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The SMU LLB–Melbourne LLM Dual Degree lets up to two top students each year earn both the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Singapore Management University and the Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Melbourne.
Students complete three years at SMU and then spend one year at Melbourne Law School (MLS), one of the world’s leading law schools.
Why Choose This Path
- Graduate with two prestigious law degrees in just four years
- Gain global exposure at a top-ranked university
- Strengthen your career options in Singapore and abroad
- Receive a 10% scholarship on Melbourne LLM tuition fees
Programme Outline
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a dual degree program that enables up to two students annually to obtain both an SMU LLB and a Melbourne University LLM within four years.
Under this arrangement, students will complete three years at SMU and then go to Melbourne to read an LLM for one year. Upon successful completion of the LLM at Melbourne, SMU law students will graduate with an LLB from SMU and an LLM from Melbourne.
For more information, please visit the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Law School website HERE.
LLB students who have completed 5 terms in SMU (i.e. Year 3 Term 1) can apply for the dual-degree programme to obtain a conditional offer by MLS. By the end of 6 terms (Year 3 Term 2), they must have completed:
- the law core curriculum (16 cu),
- law-related electives (2 cu),
- law elective (1 cu),
- law capstone (1 cu) and
- SMU core curriculum (all 6 modules)
i.e. 26 cu in total by the end of their 3rd year.
Applicants have to be within the top 25% of their cohort to be eligible for consideration.
The University of Melbourne's academic year for the Law School is structured around two main semesters, with specific dates for each. Semester 1 runs from late February to early June, while Semester 2 takes place from late July to late October.
Students are to submit their application to SMU by 1 Oct so that unsuccessful students are able to bid for Term 2.
SMU students will start attending the MLS July intake (Semester 2) in the following year.
You will pay the same amount in tuition fees to Melbourne as any other international MLS LLM student. The latest MLS LLM tuition fee can be found here.
Students will pay SMU fees up to the 3rd year and pay Melbourne University for their LLM studies directly for their 4th year. They do not pay SMU fees in the 4th year.
As the MLS-LLM is an overseas postgraduate degree, MOE will NOT be granting tuition fee grant in the successful applicant’s 4th year (ie, successful applicants will only have 6 terms of MOE tuition fee grant).
There is no dedicated financial assistance specifically for SMU candidates. Successful applicants will undertake the LLM on a fee paying basis as international students at MLS. They will be offered a scholarship in the form of a 10% fee discount on the advertised fee for the MLS LLM.
A total of 8 coursework subjects is required for successful completion of the Melbourne LLM. 8 of the MLS LLM modules will count towards the SMU LLB degree and can be mapped back to SMU as Pass/Fail law electives.
Students who successfully completed 8 coursework subjects of Melbourne's LLM and have it successfully mapped back to SMU will be awarded SMU LLB in the usual graduation timeline stated on OASIS.
They will be entitled to receive a Melbourne LLM degree from MLS upon successful completion of the coursework component of the Melbourne LLM, The SMU LLB degree must be awarded by SMU before the Melbourne LLM is awarded, even if the Melbourne LLM degree has otherwise been earned.
With a July start, the LLM is expected to be completed around June/July. As such, you should expect that you would not graduate in time with your LLB cohort in July/Aug. Rather, depending on when your results from Melbourne are released, the earliest you can expect to be conferred your LLB degree would be the end of SMU Term 1 and you will only be eligible to attend the Commencement ceremony in the following year.
You however may opt to overload in MLS Semester 2 (July – Dec) and do some modules in MLS summer term.
Students should consult and work closely with Melbourne in the selection of courses and corresponding assessment deadlines so that SMU can confirm the completion of your LLM credits in time for graduation.
The Part B course normally starts in mid-July and January each year. In view of possible late degree conferment, students must be prepared to apply for Part B January enrolment.
MLS Sem 2+ MLS Summer Term (optional)+ MLS Sem 1. Results for MLS Sem 1 are released in July (too late for Jul Part B)
| MLS July 2025 Intake Application Deadline | 31 Jan 25 (outcome on 31 Mar 25) | SMU |
|---|---|---|
| June (Winter Term) | Year 3TB | |
| Monday 2 June to Friday 6 June | SWOT Vac | |
| Monday 9 June | King’s Birthday holiday - No exams are scheduled on this day | |
| Monday 9 June to Friday 27 June | Semester 1 Examinations | |
| Monday 30 June to Sunday 27 July | Winter Term - See the 2025 Handbook for specific dates for subjects delivered over the Winter Term | |
| July (Semester 2) | ||
| Friday 11 July | Semester 1 Results final release date | |
| Thursday 17 July to Thursday 24 July | Special/Supplementary Examinations | |
| Monday 21 July to Friday 25 July | Melbourne Orientation | |
| Monday 28 July to Sunday 26 October | Semester 2 - 12 teaching weeks | |
| August | Year 4T1 | |
| Monday 11 August to Friday 15 August | Employability Week | |
| Mid August | Winter Term Release dates | |
| September | ||
| Friday 26 September | AFL Grand Final Eve holiday - Friday before AFL Grand Final (TBC) | |
| Monday 29 September to Sunday 5 October | Semester 2 non-teaching period & UA Common Vacation Week | |
| October | ||
| Monday 27 October to Friday 31 October | SWOT Vac | |
| November | ||
| Monday 3 November to Friday 21 November | Semester 2 Examinations | |
| Tuesday 4 November | Melbourne Cup Day holiday | |
| December | ||
| Friday 5 December | Semester 2 Results final release date | |
| Thursday 11 December to Thursday 18 December | Special/Supplementary Examinations | |
| Thursday 25 December to Thursday 1 January | Christmas holiday | |
| January 2025 (Summer Term) | Year 4T2 | |
| Monday 6 January to Sunday 2 March | Summer Term - See the 2025 Handbook for specific dates for subjects delivered over the Summer Term, some of which may start in the previous year. | |
| February | ||
| Monday 17 February to Monday 24 February | Summer Examinations | |
| Monday 24 February to Friday 28 February | Melbourne Orientation & Commencement Ceremonies | |
| March (Semester 1) | ||
| Monday 3 March to Sunday 1 June | Semester 1 - 12 teaching weeks | |
| Monday 10 March | Labour Day holiday | |
| Monday 17 March to Friday 21 March | Employability Week | |
| Late Match | Summer Exam release dates | |
You may apply to do an overseas internship or overseas community service while in Melbourne. Do check with DKHMCC and C4SR on the procedures to apply for overseas internship and community service.
If you are unable to complete your non coursework graduating requirements, you are still able to complete it when you return from your Melbourne LLM in August when SMU term starts in Year 5 Term 1.
The SMU Law Academy (previously known as CLE) has an established record of providing the legal profession with high quality seminars and other opportunities to remain fully informed about contemporary legal developments in today’s fast-paced world. Our carefully curated programme is developed with the profession’s multi-faceted needs in mind, and meets the requirements of the mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme administered by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE). Our Academy events are conducted by prominent faculty, practitioners and judges at our modern School of Law building, which boasts state-of-the-art teaching facilities and is conveniently located in the heart of the city, within walking distance of the Supreme Court. Most of our seminars are conducted online to suit the needs of busy working professionals and international participants.
The SMU Law Academy also administers the Auditing Scheme for applicants to audit selected courses in our LL.B., J.D. and the LL.M. programmes. The Auditing Scheme enables members of the legal profession to consolidate and upgrade their understanding of the law in a more comprehensive fashion. For foreign lawyers, this programme offers an ideal opportunity to become intimately familiar with the workings of Singapore law in fundamental areas like contract, tort or IP. Participants can choose from an exciting list of law core modules and electives.
We look forward to welcoming you at the SMU Law Academy.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Competing in an international moot is probably the most challenging law school activity, and there is no better place to do it than in SMU, which is universally regarded as one of the most formidable law schools in the world in international moots despite having graduated its first batch of law students only in 2011. SMU mooters regularly feature in the world championship finals of the largest and most prestigious competitions, such as:
* Jessup (2025 world champions and world championship finalist in 2013, 2014, 2022)
* Vis East (3x world champions)
* Vis (3x world championship finalist)
* International Criminal Court (6x world champions)
* Price (4x world champions)
* Lachs (2024 world champions)
* Frankfurt (3x world champions)
SMU also holds various records in international moots, such as:
* Most world championship final appearances in a single season (11, set in 2024/25)
* Most world championships in a single season (7, set in 2024/25)
* Most Grand Slam finals since 2010
* Most Grand Slam wins since 2010
* Most nica.team points accumulated in a single season (2021/22)
Overall, as of 14 January 2026, SMU’s international mooters have placed in the Top-3 in international moots 185 times (winning 71 of the 122 championship finals they have been in) in addition to winning more than 390 Best Oralist and Best Memorial prizes.
Thanks to the Ian Taylor Memorial Fund and support given by Providence Law Asia and the International Moots Alumni Group, more than a hundred students are given the opportunity to compete in international moots every year, regardless of experience, grades, and public speaking background.
With generous funding, students have more than 30 competitions to choose from every year. Just as importantly, mooters representing SMU in international competitions are trained over a sustained period and closely supervised by faculty members and a wide network of practicing lawyers.
Many of our mooters go on to secure the top jobs in the legal profession such as prestigious local and international clerkships, and many also undertake postgraduate studies in the very best law schools. Our alumni also do very well in moots for young lawyers.
There is no better way to acquire the fundamental skills of analysis, research, writing, and advocacy required for legal practice than mooting, and there is also no better way to be connected to the vast network of junior and senior lawyers that SMU’s pool of coaches and judges now comprise, than to do an international moot in SMU. Get in touch via siyuanchen@smu.edu.sg if you have any queries!
Chen Siyuan
Professor of Law
Director, Ian R Taylor International Moots Programme
As of 2023, SMU has regularly placed in the top-3 of the largest and most prestigious competitions in the world -- or Grand Slam moots -- including: the Jessup in Washington DC; the Vis in Vienna; the Vis East in Hong Kong; the Price in Oxford; the International Criminal Court Moot in The Hague; and the Investment Arbitration Moot in Frankfurt.
Chen Siyuan
Associate Professor of Law
Director of the Ian R. Taylor International Mooting Programme
Ian R Taylor International Moots Programme At A Glance
170+
Top-3 finishes in international moots since 2010
380+
Prizes and best memos since 2010
60+
Top-3 finishes in Grand Slam moots since 2010
4
Best track record in Grand Slam Moots
3
Times being the only university to ever defend Grand Slam title
8
World records for most wins in a season in 2025
11
World records for most finals in a season in 2025
500
Alumni coaches and judges
The SMU MCC promotes mooting and advocacy by organising a wide array of moot competitions, even on an international scale. Through our international moots, students would also benefit from collaborating with budding advocates around the world. The club strives to organise events that would give fellow students an opportunity to build on their oral advocacy skills and explore a potential interest in areas such as litigation.
The Student Chapter of the International Law Association (“SILA”) is an official affiliate of the International Law Association’s Singapore branch (“ILA Singapore”), dedicated to furthering the study and development of international law. SILA was launched in 2024 and is a student-led organisation. It aims to foster meaningful discussions on international law and to serve as a unique platform for students to engage with international law and practitioners beyond the classroom.
With this vision in mind, SILA organises several events annually. These range from dialogues to networking sessions. They provide aspiring student-lawyers with invaluable opportunities to forge connections with professionals. In close collaboration with ILA Singapore, SILA also publishes student-authored articles on various issues of international law in ILA Singapore’s official quarterly newsletters.
SILA currently comprises of members from both Singapore Management University and the National University of Singapore, as well as a few alumni. Events and membership are open to all law students from local and overseas universities overseas, provided that the student has some link to Singapore.
Launched in 2024, ESLC aims to bring together like-minded students, academics, policy-makers and practitioners to shape a legal landscape that promotes sustainable futures. Given the prevalence and relevance of sustainability in a broad range of legal niches, our club focuses on cross-sectoral issues in environmental law, ESG and corporate transactions, and sustainability-adjacent laws/policy.
To do this, we have rolled out three categories of core initiatives in our first year:
Knowledge Acquisition — We plan a variety of guest seminars each semester. Each seminar is facilitated by SMU or external faculty or practitioners who introduce their unique specialisations and engage in dynamic conversations with our club members. Past topics include pressing issues in international biodiversity laws and sustainable development.
Flagship Events and Professional Development — We organise workshops, panel discussions and competitions to raise awareness about issues and emerging careers in this space. The 2025 inaugural iteration of our flagship event, Green Week, comprised outreach booths, a waste management lecture and upcycling workshop, and a panel dialogue and networking session featuring a distinguished and diverse line-up of speakers from academia, practice and public service.
Self-directed Research and Advocacy — Our publications and podcast teams provide platforms for our members to research on hot-button topics, engage in discussion, and showcase their findings through diverse mediums. Through the same platforms, we hope to initiate discourse surrounding and advocate for sustainability law issues within the wider student community.
ACADEMIC YEAR 24/25
Liz FISHER
Professor of Environmental Law, Faculty of Law Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford
Lee Kong Chian Visiting Professor, Singapore Management University
William LUCY
Professor, Durham Law School, Durham University
Lee Kong Chian Visiting Professor, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Death of Law
ACADEMIC YEAR 23/24
Samuel I. BECHER
Professor of Law, Victoria University of Wellington
Lee Kong Chian Visiting Professor, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Understanding Law in Context: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Sandy STEEL
Professor of Law and Philosophy of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford
Lee Kong Chian Visiting Professor, Singapore Management University
CHEN Jianlin
Professor of Law, The University of Melbourne
Visiting Professor of Law, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Commercial Law in Asia
Orkun AKSELI
Professor of Commercial Law, University of Manchester School of Law
Visiting Professor of Law, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Comparative Secured Transactions Law
Felix B. CHANG
Robert J. Watkins/Procter & Gamble Professor of Law
The Ohio State University
Michael E. Moritz College of Law
Allen & Gledhill Visiting Professor, Singapore Management University
Justice Michelle GORDON AC
Justice of the High Court of Australia
Yong Pung How Distinguished Visiting Professorship, Singapore Management University
Özlem GÜRSES
Professor of Commercial Law
King's College London
Allen & Gledhill Visiting Professor, Singapore Management University
CHEN Li
Professor of Law at Fudan University Law School
CAN Eken
Assistant Professor in the Durham Law School
SHEN Wei
KoGuan Distinguished Professor of Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Law School
Gilad ABIRI
Assistant Professor of Law, Peking University School of Transnational Law
Neha MISHRA
Assistant Professor of International Law, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Barry SOLAIMAN
Assistant Professor of International Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Anindya Sundar CHAKRABARTI
Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Management
ACADEMIC YEAR 22/23
James LEE
Professor of English Law, The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London
Lee Kong Chian Visiting Professor, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Advanced Law of Torts
CHEN Jianlin
Professor of Law, The University of Melbourne
Visiting Professor of Law, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Commercial Law in Asia
Orkun AKSELI
Professor of Commercial Law, University of Manchester School of Law
Visiting Professor of Law, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Comparative Secured Transactions Law
Leonardo BORLINI
Associate Professor of International Law, University Bocconi, Department of Legal Studies
Visiting Professor of Law, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: European Business Law
Luke NOTTAGE
Professor of Comparative and Transnational Business Law,
The University of Sydney Law School
Visiting Professor of Law, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Consumer Law in Australasia
Kun FAN
Associate Professor of UNSW Law's Herbert Smith Freehills China International Business and Economic Law (CIBEL) Centre
Martin STRECKER
Associate Professor of Computer Science, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier / IRIT
Adam WYNER
Associate Professor in Law and Computer Science, Swansea University
ACADEMIC YEAR 21/22
Mateja DUROVIC
Ph.D., European University Institute, Florence, Italy
Reader in Contract and Commercial Law, King's College London
Email: mdurovic@smu.edu.sg
Course Taught: Consumer Law, Digital Market and New Technologies (Term 2)
Rafael LEAL-ARCAS
Ph.D. in Law, European University Institute, Florence, Italy
Jean Monnet Chair holder in EU Intl Economic Law and Professor of European and Intl Economic Law, Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Lee Kong Chian Visiting Professor, SMU Yong Pung How School of Law
Email: rlealarcas@smu.edu.sg
Course Taught: Climate Change Law and Policy (Term 2)
Chen Lei
PhD, University of Stellenbosch
Professor of Law, Chair in Chinese Law and Co-Director of Centre for Chinese Law and Policy, Durham Law School
Course Taught: Adv Topics in the Belt & Road Initiative Dispute Resolution (Term 1)
Charlie WENG Xiao-Chuan
MPhil in Finance; SJD, University of Pennsylvania Law School
Associate Professor of Law, University of New South Wales
Course Taught: Critical Topics in Chinese Commercial Law (Term 1)
Daniel Martin Katz
Professor of Law, Illinois Tech - Chicago Kent College of Law
Jones Day professor of Law, Singapore Management University
Course Taught: Legal Innovation & Technology
YAN Yueming
Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK Law)
Visiting Assistant Professor of Law with SMU Yong Pung How School of Law
Aarne RANTA
Professor of Functional Programming, University of Gothenburg
Oliver GOODENOUGH
Research Professor, Vermont Law School
ACADEMIC YEAR 20/21
Chester BROWN
PhD, University Cambridge
Professor of International Law and International Arbitration, University of Sydney Law School
Course Taught: The Settlement of Inter-State Disputes
JIANG Huiqin
PhD in Law, University of New South Wales
Associate Professor, School of Law and Politics, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, China
Course Taught: International Investment Law and the Belt-and-Road Initiative (BRI)
Gary BORN
JD, summa cum laude, University of Pennsylvania Law School
President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration
Chair of the International Arbitration Group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
Course Taught: The SIAC and Institutional Arbitration
ACADEMIC YEAR 19/20
Dov GREENBAUM
PhD, Bioinformatics (Genetics Dept.); Yale University Graduate School of Arts & Sc
University of California, Berkeley
Professor, Harry Radzyner Law School, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya
Course Taught: Introduction to Law and Technology
Orkun AKSELI
PhD, University of Manchester Law School
Associate Professor of Commercial Law, University of Durham School of Law
Course Taught: International and Comparative Secured Transactions Law
CHEN Li
PhD International Law, Fudan University
Vice Dean and Professor of international Law at Law School of Fudan University
Course Taught: Chinese Commercial Arbitration
Hengameh SABERI
SJD, Harvard Law School
Associate Professor of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Course Taught: Public International Law
Graham VIRGO, QC (Hons)
Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Education
Professor of English Private Law, University of Cambridge
Jones Day Professor of Commercial Law, 2019
ACADEMIC YEAR 18/19
Dov GREENBAUM
PhD, Bioinformatics (Genetics Dept.); Yale University Graduate School of Arts & Sc
University of California, Berkeley
Professor, Harry Radzyner Law School, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya
Course Taught: Introduction to Law and Technology
Dino KRITSIOTIS
LL.M. (International law), University of Cambridge (Darwin College)
Professor of Public International Law, Chair of Public International Law and Founding Head of the International Humanitarian Law Unit, University of Nottingham
Course Taught: International Humanitarian Law
David B. WILKINS
Lester Kissel Professor of Law
Director, Center on the Legal Profession
Vice Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession
Harvard Law School
ACADEMIC YEAR 17/18
Gerard McCORMACK
PhD, University of Essex
Professor of International Business Law, University of Leeds School of Law
Course Taught: International & Comparative Insolvency Law
ACADEMIC YEAR 16/17
Chris REED
LL.M. (London)
Professor of Electronic Commerce Law, Queen Mary University of London
ACADEMIC YEAR 15/16
SHEN Wei
PhD (London School of Economics and Political Science)
KoGuan Distinguished Professor of Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Course Taught: International Financial Regulation, Chinese Investment Law
Robin HUANG
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law, University of New South Wales
Professor of Law, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Course Taught: Capital Markets Law in Asia
Eilis FERRAN
Professor of Company & Securities Law
University of Cambridge
Jones Day Professor of Commercial Law, 2015
ACADEMIC YEAR 14/15
Julia HORNLE
PhD, University of London
Professor in Internet Law, Queen Mary University of London
Course Taught: Law of Cybercrime and Digital Investigations
John PHILLIPS
PhD, University of Queensland
Professor of Law, The Dickinson Poon School of Law, King's College London
Course Taught: Banking Law
Sir Bernard RIX
LL.M., Harvard Law School
Professor of International Commercial Law, Queen Mary University of London
Course Taught: Drafting of Commercial Agreements
Jones Day Professor of Commercial Law, 2015
ACADEMIC YEAR 13/14
Adrian BRIGGS
B.C.L. (First Class Honours), University of Oxford
Professor of Private International Law, University of Oxford
Course Taught: Commercial Conflict of Laws
John PHILLIPS
PhD, University of Queensland
Professor of Law, The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London
Course Taught: Banking Law