Andrew Simester Dean and Professor of Law National University of Singapore

Jean Ho Associate Professor and Director (JD Programme) National University of Singapore

Welcome to the NUS Faculty of Law! At this stage, you will probably be mulling over your choice of courses and universities. As you contemplate your options, let us acquaint you with the NUS Law Advantage and tell you what it is that makes our law school special, and why we want you to be a part of our community.

The Juris Doctor (JD) degree is a graduate law degree that may lead to qualification for the practice of law in Singapore. At NUS, the JD programme comprises: a 2-year single graduate degree programme for candidates holding a basic law degree from another jurisdiction; and a 3-year single graduate degree programme for candidates holding a non-law degree. The 3-year JD can be completed in 2.5 years in exceptional circumstances.

View JD brochure:

You would most likely want to read a JD if you want to practise law in Singapore, subject to the "Qualified Person" requirements imposed by the Legal Profession (Qualified Persons) Rules. NUS Law is ranked the #11 law school in the world by Times Higher Education (THE) 2024, and #1 in Asia by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2024. We offer a comprehensive range of specialisations in areas such as Corporate and Financial Services Law, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, and International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, taught by over 70 full-time faculty members and over two dozen adjunct faculty members.

Each year, a number of visiting professors from some of the top universities in the world, including Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, the LSE, Melbourne, Seoul National University and University of Hong Kong among many others, also offer elective courses taught intensively over three weeks, thus increasing the richness of your academic experience at NUS Law.

The JD, whether in the 2-year or 3-year programme, is made up of a number of prescribed compulsory courses and elective courses which may be chosen from a number of specialisation clusters.

Compulsory courses

The compulsory courses aim to:

Elective courses

The elective courses allow students to pursue their interest in a particular field of law. They may select from a broad and diverse range of subject clusters, including Asian Legal Studies, Corporate and Financial Services Law, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, International and Comparative Law, International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, Maritime Law, Private Law, Law and Society, and Research and Skills.

One of the most intense and valuable educational experiences a student can have is to represent NUS in an international mooting competition. The Faculty of Law has an unparalleled track record in international mooting competitions.

Successful completion of the JD programme leads to the award of the following classes of degrees: JD (Highest Distinction), JD (Distinction), JD (Merit) and JD. Please click HERE.

For purposes of seeking admission to the Singapore Bar, students must attain at least a JD (Merit) to be considered a Qualified Person under the Legal Profession (Qualified Persons) Rules. Please click HERE.

The application period will commence on 1 September and end on 15 October for admission in August of the next calendar year. For detailed information on how to apply, please visit https://law1a.nus.edu.sg/admissions/app_periods_forms.html.

Admission Criteria

Prospective applicants should possess the following academic qualifications to be considered for admission:

English Requirement

Applicants whose university degree is from English-medium institutions in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States will not be required to submit proof of English language proficiency. All others will be required to submit a minimum TOEFL iBT Total score of 100 or minimum IELTS (Academic) overall band score of 7.5. If your degree was conducted entirely in the English medium and you wish to seek a waiver of this requirement, please submit your request together with supporting documents, and it will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

(Note: NUS only accepts TOEFL iBT scores from a single test date, not MyBest scores. TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test scores may be accepted.)

Other Requirements

Two academic referees will be required. Two recommendation letters from the employer can be accepted as an alternative if the applicants have left school for some years. The referee reports or recommendation letters are to be submitted online by your referees.

All applicants should furnish (i) a personal statement; and (ii) a one to two-page curriculum vitae, setting out their educational history and work experiences (if any).

Written Test and Interview

All shortlisted applicants must undergo a written test and an interview. Details will be provided to shortlisted applicants in February 2025.

Written Test: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Interviews: Friday, 21 February and Saturday, 22 February 2025

More details are available at https://law1a.nus.edu.sg/admissions/admin_requirements.html.

Other Relevant Links

• Office of Students Affairs
• Singapore Institute of Legal Education (Admission to the Singapore Bar)
• Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations
• Practice Training Period

	"Solutions to legal problems are not black or white, but like humanity itself, whose problems is law's purpose to solve, solutions might take on more than fifty shades of grey. Uncertainty is a condition of humanity, but the law must still give an answer."
	Professor Mindy Chen-Wishart Dean, Faculty of Law, Oxford University Teaching at NUS Law: Advanced Contract Law
	"NUS Law is a vibrant community that seeks to nurture talent, ignite potential, and create the links that will last across lifetimes across planets and beyond."
	Adjunct Professor Gerardine Goh Escolar First Secretary, Hague Conference on Private International Law Teaching at NUS Law: International Space Law
	"Energy is a huge issue around the world, as in international arbitration. International arbitration has become the standard form for dealing with big-scale international disputes. And it's particularly apt to look at this subject in Singapore, because Singapore has become the Asian hub, and certainly one of the global hubs for international arbitration."
	Adjunct Associate Professor Matthew Secomb Partner, White & Case Teaching at NUS Law: Energy Arbitration
	"It gives me great satisfaction when my students tell me how useful they have found this course in terms of critical-thinking skills, and application to practice. And it gives me even more satisfaction when colleagues, who practice in the same area in other firms, tell me how happy they are with my former students."
	Adjunct Associate Professor Rachel Tan Special Counsel, RPC LLP Teaching at NUS Law: M&A - A Practitioner's Perspective
	"Students will have the opportunity to explore and consider the applications of many traditional areas of law to the sporting world, such as contracts, torts, administrative law, employment law, discrimination law, intellectual property and international arbitration, and students also learn about areas of law which are uniquely sports law such as anti-diving law, match-fixing and ambush marketing."
	Visiting Senior Fellow Paul Czarnota Senior Fellow, Melbourne Law School Teaching at NUS Law: Sports Law & Arbitration

Let us bring you on a tour around our campus to see the environment of our beautiful campus, our facilities and the wide range of student clubs and interest groups you can be part of!

		Campus Tour
		Student Clubs and Interest Groups
Special thanks to the NUS Law Club. Video direction and production: Bryan Ong '22

• Admission Requirements

• Degree Requirements

• Application Procedures

• JD FAQs

• Information on Fees

• Academic Calendar