SOME of the most prominent members of the legal fraternity in Singapore will have a hand in shaping the third law school which will come up at SIM University.

The Ministry of Law announced on Wednesday that it had set up a 12-member steering committee to provide strategic direction for the school on matters such as the educational philosophy, admissions criteria and curriculum development.

The list of members on the panel headed by Senior Minister of State for Education and Law Indranee Rajah comprises several highly experienced legal professionals from the private and public sectors. They include Attorney-General's Chambers chief prosecutor Tai Wei Shyong, chief district judge See Kee Oon, criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan and leading family lawyer Foo Siew Fong. The committee will be supported by a Curriculum Working Group, who will make recommendations on the development of the curricular framework.

Plans to set up a third law school to address the shortage of lawyers in the areas of criminal and matrimonial law were announced by Law Minister K. Shanmugam in May. The part-time undergraduate degree course, which will open in the next few years, is expected to take in about 75 students. Ms Rajah said the school will aim to provide a strong foundation in all core law subjects, while developing in its students specialist expertise in family and criminal law.

A strong emphasis on multi-disciplinary and applied learning will be another unique feature of this school. The Ministry said work experience by way of industry attachments and exposure to pro bono efforts will be an integral part of the course. The new school will work closely with practitioners and the legal service providers to ensure that students are provided with quality student externships.