And why only Law? Didn’t NYU consider other subjects for the Master’s programme at NUS?

There are other programmes being developed, but the two Law schools operate as separate entities from their respective universities. NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts has just opened up a campus in Singapore, for example.

Meanwhile, NUS has collaborations with other universities, such as the graduate medical school with Duke University. But the Law school tie-up was something that both universities saw as an important gap to be filled.

Graduates with Master of Law degrees from NYU and NUS should be very desirable employees. We’ve been developing a programme to ensure the maximum opportunities possible for these students: these include a practice interview evening and an Asia Job Fair.

As NYU students they are entitled to all the assistance that our Office of Career Services offers. We’re helping with internships everywhere, from major international firms in Singapore to NGOs in Cambodia. But ultimately it’s up to the student to work out the path he or she wants to take, we’ll open doors but it’s up to the student to walk through one.

It was important as a matter of principle from the outset that this should not be seen as a “lesser” NYU degree. So the tuition for the LLM is the same as for the degree taken in New York.

That being said, living expenses are far cheaper in Singapore than New York; we estimate the costs as being between one-third or half of the cost of living in Manhattan.

An NYU School of Law degree is expensive — there’s no doubt about it. But such a qualification greatly increases the earning potential of those who attain it. In addition, there are a good number of scholarships available.

In the first four years of the Singapore programme, for example, there are up to 50 full-tuition scholarships offered solely on merit.

Students can find everything they need, through www.NYUNUS.org. Applications are done through the NYU School of Law Graduate Online Application.

Students applying to do the LL.M. in Law and the Global Economy offered in Singapore may choose an optional concentration in either U.S. and Asian Business and Trade Law or Justice and Human Rights.

It’s very competitive, but we have an excellent record of students from Indian Law Schools doing very well.

Students in the programme get access to a wide range of NYU faculty and the entire NUS faculty. This year, around 20 members of the NYU faculty and global faculty have come to Singapore to teach in the programme.

NYU faculty comes over to teach intensive two or three-week classes. This enables us to offer a wide range of classes without compromising the programme in New York.

Students in the dual LL.M. programme have been extremely enthusiastic about the classes, the faculty, their peers, and life in Singapore. The workload is very, very heavy — but these students are earning two graduate degrees from leading Law Schools. Some cope with it better than others, but all of them seem genuinely positive about the programme.

It’s important to note that this is a joint venture of equal partners. I myself am on the permanent faculty of NUS, as well as holding a global professorial position at NYU.

The partnership with NUS enables us to offer students the wide range of subjects in which NUS is a leader, as well as having access to programmes like its Shanghai tie-up with East China University of Politics and Law.

There are basically two types of students who we believe are interested in the programme — Asian students who hope to acquire proficiency in U.S.

Law and benefit from the distinct methodology and style of American legal education, while also developing a comparative understanding of Asian Law, and students from the rest of the world who recognise the importance of Asia and want to combine the rigour of an American Law degree whilst simultaneously acquiring proficiency in Asian Law and institutions. These are clearly very diverse categories.

This year we have students from 23 countries across six continents!

The New York State Court of Appeals permits a person with an undergraduate Law degree from most Common Law countries to take the Bar examination in New York, depending on the length and nature of their legal education. Unfortunately this does not include India.

If a person’s undergraduate or graduate legal education does not automatically qualify him to take the exam, he can petition the court for permission based on his record. We’ve informed the court of details of the LL.M. programme in Singapore, which the court has said it will consider in responding to individual petitions from students.

We have an interest in students being able to take the Bar exam if they wish, so we’ll be helping with those letters.

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