If footballers can play charity matches and performers can do charity concerts, can lawyers do the same?

Our Partner Andrew Chan thought “why not”? So an idea was conceived. What if members of the NUS law graduating class of 1992 came together to do a practice law seminar to raise funds for the pro-bono efforts of the Singapore Law Society and NUS Law Faculty? What if members of the class bore fully the expenses of the seminar such that all fees received go towards such pro-bono efforts? What if leading lights of the class gave of their time to speak at the seminar?

On Wednesday, 1 August 2018, the idea became reality. Senior Judge, Tan Lee Meng (who was the Dean of Law School when class of 1992 were in NUS) was the guest of honour. Justice Tan officially opened the well-attended Practice Law Seminar. Leading lights of the class covered various topics ranging that of international arbitration, family and personal law, financial and regulatory issues, corporate governance, cross border insolvency and dealing with vulnerable persons.

Our Managing Partner, Jerry Koh, spoke on corporate governance and Andrew spoke on drafting in the context of insolvency. The seminar which was jointly organised by the pro bono offices of Law Society and NUS Law Faculty had the support of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association. A significant amount of fees were collected which were then channelled to the pro bono efforts of each of the joint organisers.

Andrew (who chaired the organising committee) said that it is difficult to think of a better way to assist good pro bono efforts, bring classmates together, impart legal knowledge and to do a memorable project for our beloved Law School and the Law Society. Inspired by the effort, Andrew is now exploring whether other graduating years of NUS law school could also do something similar. For now, NUS class of 1992 are in any way on par with footballers and performers.