Inaugural pro bono partnership
The programme will offer Law students the chance to experience balancing litigation practice with pro bono work
Students from NUS Law will have the opportunity to learn about balancing pro bono work with litigation practice while gaining a holistic experience in criminal defence through the inaugural A&G-NUS CLAS Pro Bono Internship Programme. Jointly established by Allen & Gledhill LLP (A&G) and NUS Law, this is the first formal partnership between a law firm and the law school focusing on pro bono work.
Selected students will be offered off-site internships with A&G under the programme, solely focused on pro bono criminal defence work. Under the mentorship of A&G lawyers who volunteer for pro bono cases under the Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS), the interns will assist the lawyers in management of the defence of the accused persons. The NUS Pro Bono Office will train the students in criminal procedure and drafting.
CLAS assists accused persons without financial means to engage counsel for criminal proceedings to obtain free legal aid from volunteer lawyers.
“The A&G-NUS CLAS Pro Bono Internship Programme is an excellent platform for our students to be exposed to criminal legal aid work under the guidance of top notch litigation lawyers,” said Professor Simon Chesterman, Dean of NUS Law. “In addition, our students will learn first-hand that it is possible to have a successful legal career while still giving back to society by offering pro bono legal aid.”
Interns will have the opportunity to assist A&G lawyers, including accompanying the lawyers to client interviews and court appearances, conducting research on points of law and procedure, as well as drafting documents and assisting in trials. They will thus be able to experience the entire range of criminal defence work for each case they are involved in.
Lee Kim Shin, Managing Partner of A&G, said, "Our firm hopes that the A&G-NUS CLAS Pro Bono Internship Programme will help to strengthen the pro bono spirit in both our lawyers and the participating NUS law students alike and at the same time, provide such students with practical training on criminal litigation.”
NUS Law has a strong tradition of student-driven pro bono efforts. The school is home to the first ever student-run pro bono organisation, the NUS Pro Bono Group, as well as the Criminal Justice Club, a student-run organisation focusing on access to justice for accused persons. The NUS Pro Bono Office oversees and co-ordinates pro bono efforts.
