Lawyers give back

Graduates from the Class of '86 came together to establish the Class of ’86 Bennett Lam Scholarship Fund in honour of their late classmate

Students from the NUS Faculty of Law have many reasons to rejoice as they start the new academic year in 2008. Law Faculty alumni, legal professionals and law firms have made recent gifts totaling $330,000 to set up scholarships, bursaries and prizes at the Faculty.

The gifts reflect the close ties among law alumni and the strong support they extend to their faculty. The Class of ’86 raised over $100,000 during their 20th anniversary reunion to help set up the Class of ‘86 Bennett Lam Scholarship. It is in honour of their late classmate who went missing during a fishing trip.

Said a statement from the Class of ‘86 Bennett Lam Scholarship committee: "The occasion of our Class’ 20th Anniversary Reunion offered us an opportunity not only to renew our ties with old friends, but also relive the carefree days we had at Kent Ridge. We also felt that it would be a wonderful chance for us to make a small contribution to the future of Singapore’s legal fraternity as it was our legal education which opened many doors for many of us.”

It added: “The establishment of the Class of ‘86-Bennett Lam Scholarship is our gesture of gratitude for all that our teachers have done and in fond memory of our late classmate Bennett who went fishing and never returned. We also hope that this Scholarship will provide needy law students with greater opportunities to access a good legal education and thus give them a better foothold in life."

The Class of ’87 and Class of ’80 also raised money to fund bursaries for students facing financial difficulties.

Many law firms contributed generously to establish scholarships. They include TSMP Law Corporation, Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow and Wong Partnership LLP. The largest single gift of $50,000 from TSMP Law Corporation will help set up the TSMP Law Corporation Scholarship.

Ms Stefanie Yuen-Thio, Joint Managing Director and Head of the Corporate Department at TSMP Law Corporation, said, "Our firm has a long association with the NUS' Faculty of Law as our founding partner Dr Thio Su Mien was its first local and first lady Dean, and we count many of our senior partners as alumni. We owe a lot to the Faculty of Law and this is one way we hope we can give a little back."

Prof Tan Cheng Han, Dean of NUS Faculty of Law and Senior Counsel, said, “I am delighted and humbled by the continuing support of our law firms, alumni and friends. … The valuable support that we are receiving today will help us to continue to provide a rigorous and broad based legal education to bright students regardless of their financial circumstances. They will also help us to acknowledge and encourage students who have done particularly well in their law studies.”