The SMU JD interview and test were held on the same day. I had the first Saturday morning slot.

It would appear that they group all the re-applicants together, because I peeked at the attendance sheet in front of one of my interviewers and the re-applicants had been highlighted, along with the years in which they previously applied. The line next to my name said “Direct to interview”. I didn’t see anyone else with that memo. (Also, cultivate your reading-upside-down skills if you’re the snooping type.)

My interview partner was a Japanese paralegal from Rajah and Tann <insert impressed sound here>. My interviewers were Kelvin Low (who had also interviewed me in 2014, and he remembered me) and Goh Yihan. I later found out that Mr Goh was himself new-ish to SMU, having left NUS Law faculty at the end of the 2013/2014 academic year. If I had known this fact during the interview, I would have taken the opportunity to ask his opinion on the two different schools…

The interview was quite routine – they asked for our opinion on current affairs, both legal and non-legal. We discussed the removal of the 8 British universities from the Approved Universities List, as well as Singapore’s over-reliance on cheap foreign labour. Interviewers will ask you for your opinion if you are quiet or if your interview partner is hogging the limelight 🙂

Our writing test consisted of a summary below 200 words, on sexual harrassment cases, and a hypothetical case involving conspiracy to cause financial loss. I felt the hypothetical case was quite straightforward, in that I could not see how I could possibly argue for the plaintiff as the facts of the case did not fit the alleged crime. I did add in a line or two about how the details, if different, could result in a much stronger case for the plaintiff.

Again, please note that you do not need to have legal knowledge for the test, just common sense. Throwing in “mens rea” and “actus rea” or whatever legal jargon will not be an advantage. Personally I find such showing off worthy of an *eyeroll*. Latin terms do not a lawyer make.

After the interview and test, I went off for the Street Food Festival at Bugis and then to Sim Lim Square to buy PC parts. Rebuilding my PC to watch TV and take my mine off the horrible anxiety of waiting for results.