Juris Doctor

[Chuan-Jin]

What options for JD are available in Singapore other than SMU?

Originally Posted by Chuan-Jin

What options for JD are available in Singapore other than SMU?

There's the NUS 3 year Graduate LLB Programme (GLB) (://law.nus.edu.sg/admissions/3_yrs_grad_prog.html) that's suitable for people who already have a prior first degree. You will be awarded an LLB rather than a JD, although the difference is only one of name. You can take a semester on exchange to a foreign law school too.

Besides NUS and SMU, no other JD or graduate law programmes are recognised by the Ministry of Law for the purpose of qualifying as a lawyer, so steer clear of law courses provided by private providers.

I would caution you to think through embarking on one of these 2 programmes, especially given the recent tizzy over the lack of training contract places in the newspapers after what the Law Minister said. If your purpose is to become a lawyer, that is.

A JD/GLB is an expensive endeavour, as you will be paying full course fees without the uni education subsidy. The cost increases dramatically esp. if you already have a good paying job, so think twice about making a mid career switch and forgoing your career accomplishments thus far. You will be competing with law graduates for training places of which there's a shortage, and your prior degree or maturity may or may not help you in securing one.