The National University of Singapore Faculty of Law (NUS Law) is Singapore's oldest law school. NUS Law was initially established in 1956 as the Department of Law in the

University of Malaya The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...

. After its establishment, NUS Law was Singapore's only law school for half a century, until the subsequent establishment of the

SMU School of Law The Yong Pung How School of Law is one of the six schools of Singapore Management University. It was set up as Singapore's second law school in 2007, 50 years after the NUS Faculty of Law and 10 years before SUSS School of Law. Before becoming ...

in 2007 and the SUSS School of Law in 2017. NUS Law is currently located at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus. The current dean of NUS Law is

Simon Chesterman Simon Chesterman is an Australian legal academic and writer who is currently vice-provost at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and dean of the NUS's Faculty of Law and NUS College. He is also a senior director for AI Governance at AI S ...

, who will serve his fourth term until 30 June 2023. NUS Law is the top-ranking law school in Asia, ranked eleventh by the

QS World University Rankings ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...

by Subject in 2022 and ninth by the

Times Higher Education World University Rankings The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'' (often referred to as the THE Rankings) is an annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' (THE) magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli ...

by Subject in 2023.

History

After its establishment in 1956 as the Department of Law of the

, NUS Law attained faculty status in 1959, and Lionel Astor Sheridan was appointed as its founding dean. Its pioneer batch of students graduated in 1961, featuring notable figures such as

Chan Sek Keong Chan Sek Keong (born 5 November 1937) is a Malayan-born Singaporean retired judge who served as the third chief justice of Singapore between 2006 and 2012, appointed by President S. R. Nathan. Prior to his appointment as chief justice, he se ...

and

Tommy Koh Tommy Koh Thong Bee (; born 12 November 1937) is a Singaporean diplomat, lawyer, professor and author who served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1968 and 1971. Early life and education Koh was born in Si ...

. After the division of the University of Malaya in 1962, the faculty continued as part of the new University of Singapore. Subsequently, the faculty became part of the

National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...

which was formed in 1980 by a merger between the University of Singapore and Nanyang University.

Undergraduate programmes

The

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

programme at NUS Law is a four-year programme. Students take compulsory modules in their first two years and elective modules in their third and fourth years. In terms of exposure to non-law subjects, students may choose to take non-law elective modules offered by other NUS faculties, read for minors outside of law, and take on concurrent or double degree programmes. Undergraduate students may go on exchange to study in a law school in a foreign jurisdiction. Students on the exchange programme pay only tuition fees at the NUS Law rate. Selected students can also combine completion of their LL.B. at NUS Law with an LL.M. from a partner institution in four years. The indicative grade profile of the tenth percentile of GCE A-Level applicants offered places in its

programme in 2020 was AAA/A. Applicants are required to sit for a selection test and attend a formal interview to assess their suitability for the study of law.

Graduate programmes

For graduate students, NUS Law offers a J.D. programme, several coursework

LL.M. A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

programmes, and a research

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

programme. Admissions for graduate programmes generally require a good bachelor's degree in law.

Publications

NUS Law publishes the ''Singapore Journal of Legal Studies'', one of the oldest law journals in the Commonwealth. It also produces the ''

Asian Journal of International Law The ''Asian Journal of International Law'' is a peer-reviewed law review focusing on public and private international law. It is an official publication of the Asian Society of International Law and is published by Cambridge University Press. It i ...

'' (which is published by

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press A university press is an academic publishing hou ...

and succeeds the ''Singapore Year Book of International Law''), and the ''Asian Journal of Comparative Law'' (also published by

). Additionally, the ''Singapore Law Review'', which is Asia's oldest student-run legal publication, is managed exclusively by the students of NUS Law.

Centres

NUS Law hosts the following centres: In addition, NUS Law also hosts the Secretariat of the

Asian Society of International Law The Asian Society of International Law (AsianSIL) is a region-wide forum for interaction among scholars and practitioners of public and private international law either based in or interested in Asia. It was established in April 2007 at an inaugura ...

(AsianSIL).

Deans

The deans of NUS Law from 1956 to present are listed below:

Notable alumni

NUS Law has produced a number of notable alumni, including

Senior Counsel The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel (post-nominal letters: SC) is given to a senior lawyer in some countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. "Senior Counsel" is used in current or former Commonwealth countries or jurisdicti ...

Attorneys-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Members of the Singapore Parliament The following are lists of members of parliament in Singapore: * 1st Parliament of Singapore#Members, 1965 * 2nd Parliament of Singapore#Members, 1968 * 3rd Parliament of Singapore#Members, 1972 * 4th Parliament of Singapore#Members, 1977 * 5t ...

, Ministers of the

Cabinet of Singapore The Cabinet of Singapore forms the executive branch of the Government of Singapore together with the President. It is led by the Prime Minister who is the head of government. The prime minister is a Member of Parliament (MP) appointed by the ...

and Judges of the

Supreme Court of Singapore The Supreme Court of Singapore is a set of courts in Singapore, comprising the Court of Appeal and the High Court. It hears both civil and criminal matters. The Court of Appeal hears both civil and criminal appeals from the High Court. The ...

Academia

Tan Cheng Han Tan Cheng Han is a Singaporean lawyer and legal academic. Until 2012, he was the dean of the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, where he taught contract law and company Law and directed the EW Barker Centre for Law & Business. F ...

, SC – former Dean of NUS Faculty of Law * Thio Su-Mien – former Dean of NUS Faculty of Law

Arts

* Eleanor Wong – playwright

Business

* Tan Min-Liang – Co-founder, CEO and Creative Director of

Razer Inc Razer may refer to: * Razer (Canadian TV channel), former name of MTV2, a Canadian digital television specialty service * Razer Inc., a Singaporean-American computer peripherals manufacturer specializing in PC gaming * Razer Phone, a smartphone desi ...

Judicial

Sundaresh Menon Sundaresh Menon (born 26 February 1962) is a Singaporean lawyer and jurist who has been serving as the fourth chief justice of Singapore since 2012, appointed by President Tony Tan. Education Sundaresh graduated from the National University of ...

, SC – Chief Justice and former Attorney-General *

, SC – former Attorney-General, and Chief Justice *

Steven Chong Steven Chong Horng Siong (born 22 September 1957) is a Singaporean judge who has been serving as a judge of the Court of Appeal of Singapore since 2017. He had previously served as the seventh attorney-general of Singapore between 2012 and 20 ...

, SC – Judge of Appeal, former Attorney-General, and Managing Partner of

Rajah & Tann Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP is a law firm headquartered in Singapore, with affiliate offices in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam , DUTAMAS Founded in 1976, it is a member firm of Rajah & Tann A ...

Andrew Ang Andrew Ang . (born 25 February 1946) is a Singaporean former judge of the Supreme Court. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Singapore in 1971 and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1973. He lectured for a few years at ...

– former Supreme Court Judge *

Kan Ting Chiu Kan Ting Chiu () is a former Judge in the Supreme Court of Singapore, Supreme Court. Kan retired as a Judge on 27 August 2011 at the age of 65. Kan received his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws from the University of Singapore (now the Natio ...

– Supreme Court Judge * Lai Siu Chiu – Supreme Court Judge *

Andrew Phang Andrew Phang Boon Leong (born 15 December 1957) is a Singaporean judge in the Supreme Court. Early life and education Phang was born in 1957 in Singapore. Phang received his Bachelor of Laws (first class honours) from the University of Sing ...

, SC – Judge of Appeal *

Judith Prakash Judith Evelyn Jyothi Prakash (born 19 December 1951) is a Singaporean judge in the Supreme Court. She was appointed a permanent Judge of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Singapore on 1 August 2016, the first woman to hold this post.. During her ...

– Judge of Appeal * V. K. Rajah, SC – former Judge of Appeal, and Attorney-General * Davinder Singh, SC – former CEO of

Drew & Napier Drew & Napier LLC is one of Singapore’s leading law firms. Founded in 1889, the firm has more than 500 employees. It is regarded as one of the “Big Four” law firms in Singapore. Drew & Napier regularly advises governments, government in ...

Tan Lee Meng Tan Lee Meng (; born 7 July 1948). is a professor in the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law. He was first appointed as a Judicial Commissioner on 2 February 1997, and then appointed Judge in August 1997, serving until he reached the ...

– Supreme Court Judge and former Dean of NUS Faculty of Law *

Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim Malay titles#Tun, Tun Ahmad Fairuz bin Sheikh Abdul Halim (born 1 November 1941) is a retired Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of Malaysia. A controversial figure, he held that position from 2003 to 200 ...

– former Chief Justice of Malaysia

Public Service

– Ambassador-at-Large for Singapore and former Dean of NUS Faculty of Law *

Ong Keng Yong Ong Keng Yong (born 6 January 1954) is a Singaporean diplomat who served as the 11th secretary-general of ASEAN between 2003 and 2007. He is currently the Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the ...

– Director of the Institute of Policy Studies and former Secretary-General of

ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...

Daren Tang Daren Tang Heng Shim (born 1972) (Chinese: 邓鸿森) is the fifth and current Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). He is also Secretary-General of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of ...

– Director General of the

World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, 15 specialized agencies of the United Nation ...

Woo Bih Li Woo Bih Li is a Singaporean judge of the Supreme Court. Woo received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Singapore in 1977, and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court the following year. He joined the Singapore ...

, SC – Supreme Court Judge * Walter Woon, SC – former Attorney-General

Politics

K. Shanmugam Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam ( ta, காசிவிஸ்வநாதன் சண்முகம்; born 26 March 1959), better known as K. Shanmugam, is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister for Law since 2008 ...

, SC – Minister for Law, and Home Affairs *

Desmond Lee Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee (30 August 1908 – 8 December 1993) was an English classical scholar specialising in ancient philosophy who became a Fellow and tutor of Corpus Christi College at Cambridge University, a lecturer in the univers ...

– Minister for National Development *

Edwin Tong Edwin Tong Chun Fai ( zh, s=唐振辉, p=Táng Zhènhuī; born 1969) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law concurrently since 2020. A member of the ...

, SC – Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law *

Indranee Rajah Indranee Thurai Rajah ( ta, இந்திராணி ராஜா; born 1963) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance since 2018, Second Minister for Nati ...

, SC – Minister in the Prime Minister's Office *

S. Jayakumar Jayakumar or Jeyakumar is a Sinhalese and Indian surname. It consists of two parts: ''jaya'', which means ''victory'' in Sinhalese and is also the name of a Hindu demigod, and ''kumar'', meaning ''child'', ''son'' or ''prince''. The name may refer t ...

– former Deputy Prime Minister, and Dean of NUS Faculty of Law *

Halimah Yacob Halimah Yacob (Jawi script: ; born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and former lawyer who has been serving as the eighth president of Singapore since 2017. Prior to her presidency, she was the country's Speaker of the Parliament of S ...

– 8th

President of Singapore The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Singapore, Republic of Singapore. The role of the president is to safeguard the Reserves of the Government of Singapore, reserves and the integrity of the Singapore Civil Service, public serv ...

Ho Peng Kee Ho Peng Kee ( zh, s=何炳基, p=Hé Bǐngjī; born 9 May 1954) is a Singaporean legal academic and former politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and the Minis ...

– former Senior Minister of State for Law, and Home Affairs *

Hri Kumar Hri Kumar Nair (born 16 June 1966) is a Singaporean lawyer and former politician who has been serving as Deputy Attorney-General of Singapore since 2017. A former member of the People's Action Party, he was the Member of Parliament representin ...

, SC – Deputy Attorney-General and former Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC *

Sin Boon Ann Sin Boon Ann (; born 19 March 1958) is a Singaporean former politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC from 1997 to 2011, where he was replaced by then Minister of Education Heng Swee Keat. Sin is currently the deputy managing d ...

– former Member of Parliament for

Tampines GRC The Tampines Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the eastern region of Singapore. The GRC encompasses Tampines with five divisions: Tampines East, Tampines West, Tampines Central, Tampin ...

Sylvia Lim Sylvia Lim Swee Lian (; born 1965) is a Singaporean politician, lawyer, former police officer and lecturer who has been serving as Chairwoman of the Worker's Party since 2003. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Paya Le ...

– Chair of the Workers' Party *

Karpal Singh Dato' Seri Utama Karpal Singh s/o Ram Singh Deo ( pa, ਕਰਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ, Karpāl Siṅgh; 28 June 1940 – 17 April 2014) was an Indian Malaysian politician and lawyer. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bu ...

– Former Member of the Malaysian Parliament

References

External links

NUS Law Website
{{Authority control 1956 establishments in Singapore Law schools in Singapore National University of Singapore