International student spotlight: Singapore to Sydney for the LLB

Why do students come from all over the world to study at Sydney Law School? We asked Michelle Choy, who moved from Singapore to Sydney to study her Bachelor of Laws with us.

Michelle graduated from Sydney Law School in 2021 and has since gone back to Singapore where she topped the Singapore Bar Examinations Part A. The exams are a requirement for all foreign graduates returning to Singapore. Graduates have returned from studying at world-renowned universities all over the world including University of Cambridge, Oxford University, King’s College London, Harvard University, and New York University.

“This is no doubt due to the world class education I received from Sydney Law School, and the stellar teaching staff that have honed and nurtured my skills” Michelle said about her success in the Bar exams. 

We asked Michelle why she chose to leave her home country of Singapore for Sydney to study her law degree.

This is what she said: “Sydney Law School is one of the top ranked law schools in the world and the opportunity to also pursue a double degree at the same time was very attractive to me. I was still unsure about pursuing law so having that additional option was nice. Furthermore, the double degree expands the job opportunities and avenues that I would be able to go into. The beautiful architecture was also an added plus!”

While completing her required Bar Examinations Michelle has been working at Wong Partnership, one of the Big Four Law Firms in Singapore. She finished her Relevant Legal Training with the firm and, after completing Part B of the Bar Examinations, will continue on to complete her Training Contract. It was during her time at the firm that she discovered the global scale of a law degree.

“I was given the opportunity to join in on an international arbitration with a foreign client, and it really opened my eyes to how transverse and globalised the law industry has become. I look forward to seeing where my law journey takes me, and what new experiences I have to discover and experience.”

We spoke to Michelle about her time as an international student at Sydney Law School. 

I really loved the teaching culture I experienced here. In Singapore, it is more of a top-down teaching approach. But at USYD, there isn't that big of a gap between the students and teachers, and I felt much more comfortable voicing my thoughts or asking questions. 

I would like to give a special shoutout to Dr Kevin Walton and Mr Harrison Simons. They were both so proficient in their areas of law but were still so relatable in their teachings and patient in explaining concepts during my consults with them. 

Sydney is a beautiful place, and to have been able to call it home for 3 years was really a blessing, even though my last two years were stolen by COVID.

The friends that I made there will always be near to my heart.

Having left all family and friends behind, the new friends that I made really became my home away from home, and my support system without which my journey would have been very different.

I also love the weather, especially being from Singapore, where its perpetually summer! 

I would say jump at the chance to go! Even if not just for the reputation of the school, the experiences you gain living overseas and the life-long friendships you make at your home away from home makes it all worth it! It is completely different, and you might be nervous or scared at first but believe in the process and yourself and you will embark on the most amazing journey. 

Definitely the rigorous curriculum and the amazing teachers and their teaching methods. The teachers really do want you to learn and even when you are going down the wrong track, they will try to find strong points in your argument and help you reach the correct destination. This taught me to never discount what anyone says, as there is something to be learnt from everyone's point of view. It also taught me to never be afraid of voicing my opinions and my thoughts, as my time in USYD with my teachers have given me the confidence that there is always some value in what I'm saying.