Students under the Juris Doctor (JD) programme will need to fulfil 150 credit units.
The JD degree programme is meant for students who already have a Bachelor's degree in other disciplines. These students will complete their degree in about 4 years as they will not be doing any electives.
All School of Law students are expected to complete their degree within 6 years. On a case-by-case basis this may be extended to 8 years.
Graduates of the JD programme are required to complete 150 credit units comprising:
- 10 credit units of Preparatory Courses
- 100 credit units of Legal Knowledge Courses
- 10 credit units of Allied Knowledge (relevant non-law) Courses
- 15 credit units of Professional Courses
- 15 credit units under the Legal Clerkship Programme
Graduates are also required to complete as a condition of graduation, the following:
- 20 hours of pro bono services as required under the rules of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education.
SUSS Core
In light of the content of the Preparatory Courses, and the compulsory Allied Knowledge courses, students of the law programmes will not have to take any SUSS Core courses.
Preparatory Course
The Preparatory Courses introduce the students to the nuts and bolts of the study of law and reinforces the importance of being able to read and write well.
Legal Knowledge
Students take 100 credit units of legal knowledge courses covering the foundations of legal knowledge, and other subject areas commonly encountered by the legal practitioner.
Throughout these courses, the students will also be developing their skills of reading, listening, legal research, analysis, and advocacy.
The students will spend the entire second year of their studies on criminal and family law, procedure and evidence, a feature designed to produce law graduates with skills focused on community legal practice. This is one of the distinguishing features of this programme.
Allied Knowledge
All law students will take at least 10 credit units of Allied Knowledge courses introducing them to social services in Singapore, and also to forensics, the science behind crime scene investigations.
Professional Courses
The professional training section echoes the requirements of the report of the 4th Committee for there to be elements of practical/vocational training in this degree. In this, the students will be given training in trial advocacy, ethical legal practice and client care, as well as in mediation. For our students, exposure to practical professional issues this early ensures that these skills will be firmly reinforced when encountered again at Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations.
Legal Clerkship Programme
Practical training within the law degree programmes is a unique feature of the School of Law. The Legal Clerkship Programme will provide students with structured training in the application of their legal and professional knowledge. This clinical training would be the most appropriate platform for authentic practical training in real-life situations. The training would be arranged through institutions that work with criminal and family law, such as the Legal Aid Bureau, the Law Society's Pro Bono Services Office, or the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and relevant state agencies such as the Attorney-General's Chambers.