NUS Law’s freshmen take ethics pledge for the first time, in a promise to honour the values of the legal profession

NUS Law's freshmen take ethics pledge for the first time, in a promise to honour the values of the legal profession

Together with their families, about 220 first-year students participated in the NUS LawFreshmen Inauguration Ceremony (FIC), held for the first time at the NUS University Cultural Centre on 27 July 2024. Taking place annually before the start of each academic year, the FIC officially welcomes students into NUS Law and is the culmination of orientation activities organised by the Faculty.

The event saw Guest-of-Honour Justice Andrew Phang, Senior Judge of the Singapore Court of Appeal, delivering a heartfelt address that called on freshmen to pursue integrity and hold on to their ideals as they navigate their education journey.

In a speech that followed, third-year student and President of NUS Law Club, Noleen Joy Marasigan, urged the freshmen to participate in activities outside of academics to build a community of supportive friends they can surround themselves with, as they embark on their time in university.

She shared, "I am a huge advocate for partaking in whatever it is you enjoy outside of academics and the law. I made so many friends and met so many people.... This proved to be a huge blessing when law school got a bit too much for me…. This community, I daresay, will be the one constant amidst the never-ending change in law school."

A key event highlight was the ethics pledge taken by the freshmen for the first time as a further expression of their commitment to uphold the values of the legal profession. The pledge recitation, which will now be part of the annual FIC programme, follows Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon's acceptance of recommendations by the Ethics and Professional Standards Committee in January this year.

Commenting on the pledge, Professor Andrew Simester, Dean of NUS Law, said, "This initiative coheres with our ongoing mission at NUS Law to educate ethical lawyers of the highest distinction, lawyers who represent their clients with excellence and integrity."

He added, "At the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony, it is important that we emphasise not just the values of a good legal education but also the values our freshmen should have as students of the law and as future lawyers."

Echoing these sentiments was NUS Law Chief Strategy Officer Professor Tan Cheng Han, who was the Faculty's representative on the Ethics and Professional Standards Committee that proposed to establish the pledge. He noted that "the pledge, taking place at the beginning of legal education, will set the right ethical tone and framework that we hope will strengthen the ethical moorings of our future lawyers".

The pledge was followed by a meaningful badge-pinning ceremony, where family members and loved ones attached the NUS Law badge to the students' lapels, symbolising the start of their journey in the Faculty.

The Class of 2028 also witnessed the sealing of a time capsule containing letters written to themselves at the start of orientation. Given to the NUS Law Club for safekeeping, the capsule will be re-opened and the letters returned to the students upon graduation.

Commenting on his FIC experience, first-year student Samuel Ang shared, "The ethics pledge framed my perspective of the next four years: the values I am to embody, the attitude I am to possess, and the actions I am to take to make law school and lawyering a meaningful endeavour. The speeches by the esteemed Justice Phang and the Dean, Professor Simester, gave me valuable insight into the mindset I should have entering law school, providing me with a sense of direction and assurance in the undertaking of a rigorous legal education."

Freshman Cassandra Goh added, "The FIC was a momentous milestone to mark the official start of my law school journey. The ceremony also sparked a deep sense of togetherness for my batchmates and I, reminding us that we will be in this journey together."