Speech by Ms Indranee Rajah, S.C., Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law & Ministry of Finance, at the Launch of the NUS Law Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Legal Education

31 OCT 2017

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31 Oct 2017 Posted in Speeches

Professor Simon Chesterman, Dean, National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, Justice See Kee Oon, Presiding Judge, State Courts,
Faculty of Law Faculty Members,
Students of NUS Law School,

  1. It is always a pleasure to be back at NUS Law School and I am particularly delighted to be here for the launch of the NUS Law Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Legal Education.

  2. Education for young lawyers is broader than just teaching the law, jurisprudence and concepts of justice and rights. It includes cultivating the practical knowledge and skills, and understanding the potential impact of our work on the lives of clients.

  3. So students who hone their skills through a variety of specifically developed practicums do make an important impact on the community and the society at large. Your abilities, skills and your energy help people facing legal issues to understand their rights and obligations, and where they can go to for legal help. You therefore contribute invaluably to facilitating access to justice.

  4. This is exemplified at NUS, where the energy, passion and commitment of the NUS Law students and staff have led to the development of significant opportunities for law students to serve in the community, while at the same time learning the skills of lawyering.

    NUS Pro Bono Office

  5. Since its establishment in 2012, the NUS Pro Bono Office has supported the further development of the already active student-led pro bono scene. In 2014, I launched Start Now Law, the online portal that NUS students use to track their pro bono activities and opportunities. The average NUS Law student clocks 48 pro bono hours by their second year. This is above the mandatory minimum of 20 hours set by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education.

  6. So today, I am pleased to hear that the NUS Pro Bono Office and the two main student pro bono groups – that’s the NUS Pro Bono Group and the Criminal Justice Club – have developed ongoing partnerships with various organisations, including the Courts, government agencies, such as the People’s Association and the Singapore Prison Service, and Voluntary Welfare Organisations.

  7. What this means is that students are exposed to many different areas of the law in a way that directly helps them appreciate the impact of the law on the lives of many people from all walks of life with different legal issues. They may help charitable organisations with personal data compliance mechanisms, or persons serving prisons sentences, guardians applying for child maintenance, or persons subject to cyberbullying and harassment.

    Clinical Legal Education

  8. In addition to supporting the Pro Bono Office and student groups, NUS Law has further incorporated pro bono work into its formal curriculum. Law students in their third and fourth year may participate in a clinical legal education module, to earn academic credit while providing assistance to the community.

  9. Under clinical legal education, students’ pro bono work is supervised by lawyers and NUS staff. This enables the students to take on a greater level of responsibility. Some of you seated here may help legal aid applicants and organisations providing legal aid, and others may hone your skills in research, drafting and client management.

  10. Clinical legal education began in 2010 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between NUS Law and the Legal Aid Bureau. Associate Professor Lim Lei Theng and later, Associate Professor Ruby Lee, became Assistant Directors of Legal Aid, giving rights of court audience in legal aid matters. Both professors have worked with 214 students to assist in more than 596 legal cases, ranging from property disputes to civil cases to divorce, custody and mental capacity matters.

  11. I believe that students learn something from assisting in real cases, something that you can’t learn just from reading a textbook or listening to a lecture. For example, some students assisted their professors in a divorce case where they helped the wife, who was extremely frightened and worried about the divorce. Over three years, students provided a listening ear and worked with the couple to sort out various issues, such as post-divorce accommodation. As a result, their client eventually grew calmer and more confident in managing her post-divorce life. Beyond the couple, the emotional bonds of the family also started to heal. The most significant moment was when the two children, who had not seen each other for more than two years, played together during the final mediation session. Through such cases, you can learn how to help clients with the emotional aspects of a case, and experience first-hand how your legal training and people skills can help others to navigate difficult situations in life.

  12. The clinical programme has expanded to criminal matters, where students assist in certain cases under the Supreme Court’s Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences (LASCO), as well as advisory work for charities. In such advisory work, students have helped to draft and vet agreements for various charities, which have included nursing homes, a local museum, and an animal welfare group.

  13. Last, a new collaboration with the State Courts began just two months ago. Three NUS law students have started working closely with State Court judges. In the course of their work assisting the judges, students will also learn about criminal procedure and community justice issues from a judicial perspective.

    The Centre

  14. Today marks the launch of the NUS Law Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Legal Education.

  15. The Centre is envisioned as a focal point under which both the pro bono and legal education programmes will be further developed. This increases the quality and quantity of opportunities for NUS law students to learn their craft and advance the law, while supporting the community they live and work in.

  16. I hope that you will find doing pro bono work deeply meaningful, and that such opportunities will hone both your legal and your soft skills. I also encourage all of you to find some time to continue contributing after you enter the workforce, and to inspire others to follow in your footsteps. I think you will find that in practice, doing pro bono work has increasingly become a badge of honour.

  17. I congratulate NUS on this Centre, which is testament to your hard work in providing a strong foundation to our law students and a nurturing environment in promoting pro bono work to increase access to justice.

  18. And I declare the NUS Law Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Legal Education officially launched. Thank you very much.

Last updated on 31 Oct 2017