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Guidebook 2010 Hong Kong Legal Careers

Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

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Legal Law careers guide for Hong Kong, for students.

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Page 1: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

Guidebook 2010Hong Kong Legal Careers

Page 2: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide
Page 3: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

Contents

.....................................................................................................................................................Contents i.............................................................................................................Preface and Acknowledgments ii

...........................................................................................................................Copyright information ii.................................................................................................................................................Disclaimer ii

A Legal Career in Hong Kong ................................................................................................................ 1...............................................................................................Pathways to admission in Hong Kong 3

......................................................When should I apply for internships and training contracts? 5..............................................................................A typical week of an associate with Brenda Lui 6

................................................................................A typical week of a trainee with Winnie Ling 9..........................................................................A typical week of a winter clerk with Erica Lam 11

...............................................................................A typical week of an intern with !omas Liu 14......................................................................................A selected list of law "rms in Hong Kong 16

A Legal Career in China ........................................................................................................................ 20....................................................................................................ACYA: Study and work in China 21

.................................................Interning at a Leading Chinese Law Firm: TransAsia Lawyers 21

PCLL Admission Requirements ......................................................................................................... 23...................................................PCLL Admission Requirements: Competence in 14 subjects 24

...........................................PCLL Conversion Examinations required by Australian students 26.......................................................................Visiting “internal” students (exchange programs) 27

..............................Examination preparation: Commercial providers of preparatory courses 28.............................................................................................Examination preparation: Exam tips 29

........................................................................................PCLL Admission Requirements: IELTS 33

!e Postgraduate Certi"cate in Laws (PCLL) .................................................................................. 35..................................................A side-by-side comparison of PCLL providers in Hong Kong 38

Some Final Information and Tips ....................................................................................................... 44........................................................................................................!e PCLL admission checklist 45

.........................................................................................................................................Plan ahead! 46.............................................................................................................................On the lighter side 48

..................................................................You are about to #y to Hong Kong: A "nal checklist 52

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Preface and acknowledgements

!is guide is a collaborative project between the University of New South Wales Law Society (UNSW LawSoc), the University of Sydney Chinese Law Students Society (USYD CLSS) and the Australia-China Youth Association (ACYA). !e aim of this guide is to combine various information on pursuing a legal career in Hong Kong, especially on qualifying as a solicitor in Hong Kong. Moreover, this guide is prepared by Australian students for Australian students. We have tried to create a publication which Australian students will "nd easy to understand, practical, and useful.

In preparing this guide, we have received much help. We would like to thank all the people who have made this publication possible:

UNSW LawSoc:Valerie SuenSheldon LeungHugo ChanWinnie LiangAlain TehSonya Chen!omas Liu

USYD CLSS:Tracy LiuJessica ChungAmy NganRebecca PuSarah LiHans AngusDaniel Nguyen

USYD CLSS:Tracy LiuJessica ChungAmy NganRebecca PuSarah LiHans AngusDaniel Nguyen

ACYA:Jessica LiangElizabeth ResidePatrick Mayoh

Law !rms:Lovells (Brenda Lui)Fresh"elds Bruckhaus Deringer (Winnie Ling)Mallesons Stephen Jaques (Erica Lam)DLA Piper

Law !rms:Lovells (Brenda Lui)Fresh"elds Bruckhaus Deringer (Winnie Ling)Mallesons Stephen Jaques (Erica Lam)DLA Piper

Universities:City University of Hong Kong!e Chinese University of Hong Kong!e University of Hong Kong

Universities:City University of Hong Kong!e Chinese University of Hong Kong!e University of Hong Kong

Copyright information

Copyright subsisting in this guide belong to the University of New South Wales Law Society (UNSW LawSoc), the University of Sydney Chinese Law Students Society (USYD CLSS) and the Australia-China Youth Association (ACYA). Copyright is protected in Australia by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) which, inter alia, prohibits unauthorised reproductions and unauthorised publications.

Disclaimer

Whilst all care has been taken to ensure that all the information in this guide are correct and accurate, neither the contributors of this guide nor any of the copyright holders are responsibility for any information subsequently proved false, misleading or inaccurate. Readers are advised that a lot of information in this guide are subject to change with time. Further, readers are advised to conduct their own research on important details in order to verify the accuracy of information in this guide.

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A L

egal

Car

eer

in H

ong

Kon

g• Pathways to admission in Hong Kong

• When should I apply for internships and

training contracts?

• A typical week of an associate with

Brenda Lui

• A typical week of a trainee with Winnie

Ling

• A typical week of a winter clerk with Erica

Lam

• A typical week of an intern with Thomas

Liu

• A selected list of law firms in Hong Kong

1Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

Page 6: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

A Legal Career in Hong Kong

Comparing Australia to Hong Kong

We’ve all heard about the downsides of working in Hong Kong: cramped apartments, expensive rent and longer working hours. !e road also seems longer – you will o"cially qualify two and a half years a#er those who $nish university as the same time as you, but what about the bene$ts of working in Hong Kong?

!e bene"ts of working in Hong Kong

Hong Kong $rms have smaller o"ces, giving you greater exposure to di%erent types of work.& In some cases, the type of work some trainees receive can be the same as lawyers with a few years’ of post-quali$cation experience in Australia. You may also want to consider whether you want to work in an international (American, English or Australian) $rm or a local Hong Kong-based $rm. Most international law $rms tend to be biased towards corporate departments and have smaller dispute resolution practices.

!e city o%ers a great lifestyle and there is the possibility of a secondment to London (mainly in corporate or $nance) and/or another part of Asia for a seat during the trainee contract.

From a $nancial perspective, top-tier law $rms in Hong Kong pay at respectable rates - approximately HKD $43,000-45,000 per month or more for $rst year trainees. !e tax rate is also lower than in Australia for the same level of income.

As for working hours, we won’t deny that lawyers work hard in general and working as a solicitor in Hong Kong may not be for everyone. !e amount of work, however, depends on various factors such as the $rm culture, the current market, the practice group you are working in. It would be quite unjust to say that Hong Kong lawyers work a lot more than Australian lawyers across the board. Refer to the sections “A typical week of an associate with Brenda Lui” and “A typical week of a trainee with Winnie Ling” in this guide to determine whether you can handle the workload of associates and trainees.

See for yourself !

If you have the time and assuming you plan well ahead, you can consider doing a clerkship in Australia and an internship(s) in Hong Kong to compare which lifestyle is better for you.

Language requirements

!e Hong Kong legal system operates under a common law system quite similar to the one we have in Australia.& In fact many Ordinances are based on Australian legislation; and retired Australian judges sit on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal.

Having Mandarin or Cantonese language skills is not essential for working in Hong Kong, but knowledge of either language at an intermediate level or above is certainly advantageous. It goes without saying that you should be prepared to be tested on Chinese language skills in most job interviews.

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Pathways to admission in Hong Kong

!ere are two avenues to qualifying as a solicitor in Hong Kong – either as a trainee solicitor or via the overseas lawyer route.

1. #ualifying as a solicitor through the trainee solicitor route

!is is the most obvious pathway to quali$cation for university graduates. In summary, to be admitted, prospective solicitors are required to complete a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or a Juris Doctor ( JD) from a common law jurisdiction, the Postgraduate Certi$cate in Laws (PCLL) in Hong Kong, and $nally a two-year training contract with a law $rm.

!e trainee route as a diagram

Postgraduate Certi"cate in Laws (PCLL)!e PCLL is a one year full-time legal education program provided by three universities in Hong Kong. Apart from securing a training contract, requirements for admission into the PCLL present one of the most challenging barrier to admission in Hong Kong. !ese are:

Complete your LLB/JD before PCLL commencement.

1. Demonstrate competence in 11 core & 3 top-up subjects.

2. Obtain a score of at least 7 from the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test.

3. !e section ‘PCLL Admission Requirements’ will discuss steps 2 and 3 in detail. Moreover, competition for places in the PCLL program is intense and is usually based only on academic merit. A high credit or distinction average in your law degree is generally recommended.

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Training contracts!ese are special employment contracts with law $rms and trainee solicitors are roughly comparable to graduate solicitors in Australia. During the two-year period, trainee solicitors are exposed to work from at least three practice areas and many top-tier $rms second their trainees to overseas o"ces as part of the training.

Competition for training contracts are quite competitive and top-tier law $rms only take on top graduates. Many $rms give priority to law students who have previously completed a vacation placement, internship or clerkship at the $rm. Although this step is not entirely necessary, it will de$nitely give you an advantage in securing a training contract.

Internships are generally for penultimate year students and last between two weeks to a month. !ey are available in June/July and December to February, though not all $rms run schemes for all these months. Interns at top-tier $rms can expect to be remunerated at the market rate and may even receive a living allowance. For Australian students, interviews for internships in Hong Kong are conducted over the phone, on-campus during the Hong Kong Law Fair, or through the $rm’s Sydney or Melbourne o"ces.

2. #ualifying as a solicitor through the overseas lawyer route

Practising solicitors in an overseas common law jurisdiction (including Australian states) with at least 2 years post-quali$cation experience can seek admission through this route. In order to be admitted, $ve Overseas Lawyers 'uali$cation Examinations (four written and one oral) must be sat and passed. In addition, there are certain residency requirements which must also be satis$ed.

An overseas lawyer, pending quali$cation, can also be registered as a foreign lawyer with the Law Society of Hong Kong. Experience gained as a registered foreign lawyer can count towards the 2 years post-quali$cation experience requirement. Registered foreign lawyers, however, must work from within a law $rm.

Barristers

!e pathways to being admitted as a barrister are largely similar to that of a solicitor. Prospective barristers in Hong Kong can either seek ad hoc admission if they have been admitted as barristers overseas or general admission a#er completion of the PCLL. For those who elect to take the PCLL, certain electives must be taken within the PCLL program and you should check with the universities. Furthermore, instead of a training contract, a pupilage is required.

General admission is also available to practising solicitors in Hong Kong or overseas practising lawyers, provided they have completed a pupilage.

Given that the focus of this guide is set on qualifying as a solicitor in Hong Kong, this sub-section is admittedly brief and incomplete. !ose interested in qualifying as a barrister in Hong Kong are strongly recommended to visit the website of the Hong Kong Bar Association at http://www.hkba.org/ for more information about admission requirements.

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When should I apply for internships and training contracts?

Application periods for both internships and training contracts vary with each $rm so it is important that you do some research and constantly watch out for deadlines. It is important to bear in mind that many $rms generally make o%ers on a ‘rolling-basis’ and you might get an advantage if you submit an application early.

For internships, applications can generally be submitted in the middle of the year for a December/January/February internship, or at the end of the year for a June/July internship. However, note that the June/July clerkships are generally targeted at British students while the December/January/February schemes are on a smaller scale and are mainly for Australian students.

For those who participate in an internship, ask the $rm what the arrangements are for interns to apply for a training contract; as interns are o#en automatically considered for training contracts. However, most $rms will not make o%ers for a training contract until August in your $nal year, but some $rms will give out early o%ers to high-quality interns upon completion of their internship in December/January/February.

For those who do not take part in an internship training contract applications are generally accepted two years before the training contract commencement date.

Still not sure which year to apply for an internship or training contract? Check the table below as a guide. If you complete your Australian studies at the end of the calendar year or if you plan to take time o% between studies, you will need to make adjustments to the dates below.

5

Graduating in or before …

Intended PCLL starting date …

!en …

Apply for internships in … Apply for training contracts for …

Session 1, 2010 September 2010!en

N/A 2011Session 1, 2011 September 2011 !en

…Dec 09 – Feb 10; June/July 10 2012

Session 1, 2012 September 2012!en

… Dec 10 – Feb 11; June/July 11 2013Session 1, 2013 September 2013

!en …

Dec 11 – Feb 12; June/July 12 2014Session 1, 2014 September 2014

!en …

Dec 12 – Feb 13; June/July 13 2015

Page 10: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

A typical week of an associate with Brenda Lui

Brenda is an associate at Lo#ells’ Hong Kong o$ce. With e%ect &om 1st May 2010, Lo#ells will merge with US "rm Hogan Hartson. '!e merged "rm will operate under the name "Hogan Lo#ells".

A little bit about yourself.

I grew up and completed all my schooling in Sydney and graduated from the University of New South Wales in mid-2006 with a Commerce (Accounting)/LLB combined degree. A#er completing the PCLL at City University, I joined Lovells as a trainee in August 2007. I spent my $rst 6 months in the $rm’s dispute resolution team, followed by a half year stint in the Lovells London capital markets team (at the same time doing a LOT of travelling around Europe). I then returned to Hong Kong to spend 12 months as a trainee in the Intellectual Property, Media & Technology (IPMT) team, and loved it so much that I ended up qualifying there in August 2009.

Why did you choose your practice area/"rm?

I was actually a winter vacation student at Lovells back in January 2006. Spending 2 weeks at the $rm allowed me to really get to know what kind of $rm it really was. Not only did Lovells o%er many choices of practice areas (which is particularly useful during an economic downturn), it was also widely known for providing top-of-the-range training. As an intern I was asked to dra# Court orders so I knew that Lovells was not the kind of $rm where trainees spent a lot of time photocopying. !e cherry (or cherries!) on the top were the people whom I found to all be genuine and very friendly. I knew it was a place that I would be comfortable spending many working hours in and the training I would receive was guaranteed to be extremely valuable.

I quali$ed into the contentious practice of the IPMT group specialising in litigation and enforcement work. Being a top-tier and highly reputable practice, naturally the work involved large international organisations, world-renowned brands and high-pro$le cases. What I love most about my job though is the variety in my work. I handle both civil and criminal cases on a day-to-day basis, am involved in lobbying for new IP legislation and due to the diversity of our clients I get to learn about a wide range of products and services. Furthermore, I also get to deal with a whole mix of people: clients, Customs o"cers, the Government and advocates from the $lm, music and other industries.

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter?

Yes, but not in Hong Kong. I remember it vividly. Not just because it was snowing heavily in the middle of spring (I was in London), but because it was a rare occasion.

How many hours are you expected to work in a typical week?

!ere is no set number of hours that we are expected to work. !ere are days when I leave at 7pm. !ere are days when I leave at 2am. As a trainee and newly quali$ed lawyer, I think it’s about how driven you are and how much you want to learn.

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Do you have any tips for overseas students thinking of settling and pursuing a legal career in Hong Kong?

I would de$nitely recommend trying an internship at one or more $rms so you can see if you like Hong Kong and what it has to o%er. !ere’s a lot of buzz, it’s fun, the people are great and the city is very lively - but you also need to be prepared to work hard especially if you want to make something out of your career.

A walk-through of your typical week

Monday: I try to arrive at work on time (i.e. 9am) because I have not done any work all weekend and I know there will be many emails to deal with. Put in an order with a colleague for breakfast from a nearby “Hong Kong style” cafe. Check inbox - it actually turns out to be not so bad. Breakfast arrives. Eat breakfast with colleagues.

Receive telephone call from Customs o"cer regarding new seizure of suspected counterfeit goods. Report to client and arrange for a contact to examine the goods to make sure they are counterfeit. Read through contracts and correspondence we received from our client regarding a media-related dispute.

At about a quarter to 1, I take the tram to Central to have lunch with a friend from another law $rm. Return to work a bit a#er 2pm and continue reading through the papers. Consider our client’s position including what causes of action our client may rely on if they wish to start legal proceedings, alternative ways to resolve the dispute and so forth. Discuss the same with the partner-in-charge. Spend some time thinking about how to structure our advice to our client.

It’s 5pm, feeling peckish, so I go grab some cookies from the pantry and duck into a colleague’s o"ce for a quick chat. When I realise 45 minutes have passed I quickly return to my desk, review the structure of the advice then head o% to the $rm library to borrow text books I think I will need. A#er that, I leave the o"ce and go home for dinner.

Tuesday: I spend the morning conducting research for my advice, reading text books and looking for cases online. Before I know it, it’s lunch time. I go to the Japanese restaurant downstairs to have lunch with some colleagues. When I return to my desk I take out a dra# witness statement I am preparing for one of my litigation cases, and I go through it to see what further information we need to obtain from the witness who is coming to our o"ce for a meeting later that a#ernoon.

I then spend some more time researching, when our receptionist calls to tell me that our witness has arrived. I go down to meet the witness and go through the witness statement with her. A#er the meeting, I return to my desk to revise the witness statement in accordance with the further information she has provided. I head down for dinner at a nearby restaurant with a couple of colleagues, then return to the o"ce and leave at about 10pm.

Wednesday: I am determined to $nish the advice today. I get in to work at about 8am and continue researching and dra#ing the advice as I go. I actually spend all day on it, taking only a short break to eat lunch at my desk and for the occasional quick gossip. Soon it’s 7pm and I go downstairs to buy some dinner, then retreat back into my o"ce and keep typing away. I’m lucky that there’s a very senior lawyer at the o"ce still at 8pm and I go over to pick his brain on one of the issues I’m not too sure about. We discuss for about half an hour, then I return to my desk and write write write!!! Before I know it, it’s 11:30pm. I don’t really feel tired; I’m on a roll, so I make the call that I’m going

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to keep at it for a while longer. It’s 1am when I decide to call it a night. I catch a taxi home (it’s on the client), feeling a bit disappointed that I couldn’t quite $nish.

!ursday: I get into work at 7:45am. Not enough sleep, but adrenaline will be enough because I really plan on $nishing the advice today. !ere are quite a number of interruptions during the morning, with a call from Customs regarding a raid action against some shops in Hong Kong they found to be selling counterfeit goods. I then send an email to our client to inform them of the time, date and location of the targets for the raid, and follow this up with a call to our client regarding the strategy Customs planned to use (which I disagreed with). Client agrees that an alternative strategy is better, and I call Customs to discuss this with them. Despite the interruptions, I am able to $nish my $rst dra# advice by noon.

I happily put it to one side, and sit down to discuss with my colleague the latest developments in the lobbying for new legislation regarding online piracy in Hong Kong (as I missed the last meeting we had with the Government on this). We have an internal meeting during lunch (lunch provided of course), and we listen to a number of presentations on recent developments in the law. A#er lunch I revisit my dra# advice, make some changes then pass it to the partner-in-charge to review.

I then call Customs to $nd out the results of the raid action and discuss the strategy used. Following that I report the results of the raid action to our client and brief a paralegal to assist in keeping an eye out for o"cial press releases and news reports on the raid action. I then discuss the advice with the partner, make some further changes then issue the advice. I decide that it’s a perfect night to leave at a reasonable hour especially since I have friends visiting from Sydney. I take o% at about 7pm, start the evening at my one of my favourite restaurants in Wan Chai then move to a dessert bar in SoHo. Time (ies when you hang out with old friends from Oz, and pretty soon it’s 11:30pm. I forget that I’m on a sleep de$cit and it’s !ursday (not Friday) and I decide that it would be good idea to take my friends to have a late-night snack at a 24-hour diner. At about 1am I am kindly reminded that I need to work the next day, so I bid my friends farewell and take a taxi home.

Friday: By some miracle I manage to arrive at work only 5 minutes late. I decide to start the day by having breakfast in a colleague’s o"ce (She had been in at work since 8am, and I thought she needed an interruption). I then check my emails and notice that our investigators have sent us their report on an infringer’s activities in Mainland China. I review the investigation report, consider the evidence our investigators found and how it could be used in legal proceedings. I then dra# an email to the client summarising the report and providing advice on what steps they should next take.

A#er that I attend to some housekeeping matters then make my way to a client lunch with one of the partners at about 12:30pm. Lunch is delicious, the client is very pleasant and easy to get along with and I don’t return to the o"ce until about quarter to 3. Not long a#er I return to the o"ce one of my colleagues pops in and tells me there’s cake in the pantry. It’s an IPMT associate’s birthday and our partner has organised a cake for the group. We all gather round the pantry, sing happy birthday and stay to chat whilst enjoying the cake. I return to my desk to tie up some loose ends for a number of matters and discuss with one of the trainees a concern they had with a research task. A#er returning a call from Customs regarding money used during a raid action a few months ago I realise it’s already 6pm. Since I have lots of very important non-work things to do, i.e. shop for drinks and snacks for the junk trip tomorrow (I was lucky enough to be able to book the $rm’s junk for Saturday) and to buy a new dress and a pair of shoes for a friend’s wedding the day a#er, I decide to call it a week.

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A typical week of a trainee with Winnie Ling

Winnie is a "rst-year trainee at Fresh"elds Bruckhaus Deringer’s Hong Kong o$ce. A little bit about yourself.

I grew up in Australia and graduated from the University of New South Wales in July 2008 with a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance). I joined the Hong Kong o"ce of Fresh$elds Bruckhaus Deringer as a trainee in August 2009 and have been working in the corporate group for the past $ve months, mainly on public and private Merger and Acquisitions (M&A) transactions. As part of my training contract, I will also be rotating into our other practice groups, including Dispute Resolution, Finance, and Antitrust, Competition and Trade, as well as going on secondment to both our Beijing and London o"ces.

Why did you choose your practice area/"rm?

It became very clear to me a#er doing an internship at Fresh$elds back in 2007 that this was the ideal place for me to begin building a career in law. All the lawyers here are really interesting individuals who not only provide a huge amount of support to each other at work but are also good friends outside of work. Moreover, Fresh$elds has a powerful international presence and is consistently involved in exciting and challenging matters that allow its lawyers to develop invaluable skills and expertise. !e fact that the $rm values training and sends all Hong Kong trainees on secondment for nine months was also extremely appealing. Although I had been working part-time at one of the top Australian law $rms for around two years and believed that it also o%ered excellent training, I ultimately decided to move here upon graduation because I knew that I would get really good exposure to major clients and deals at Fresh$elds.

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter?

!ankfully, I have yet to pull an all-nighter, though there have been weeks when I have had to work until 3:00 am or 4:00 am and come into the o"ce on weekends. I $nd that my working hours tend to (uctuate depending on what stages our transactions are at so the associates I work with always try to give me time to recharge my batteries whenever they can.

How many hours are you expected to work in a typical week?

Unlike some of my friends at other law $rms, I have not been given any billable targets. I am, however, expected to take responsibility for my work, which includes being prepared to put in some extra hours at the o"ce when necessary.

Do you have any tips for overseas students thinking of settling and pursuing a legal career in Hong Kong?

I think that doing a couple of internships is probably the best way to discover whether you would like to relocate to Hong Kong and which law $rm is right for you, which is why I interned in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore before choosing to join Fresh$elds. You should also familarise yourself with the requirements for getting quali$ed in Hong Kong and work towards completing both the conversion examinations and the Postgraduate Certi$cate of Laws as soon as possible. Taking the time to brush up on your Chinese language skills would also be very helpful.

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My typical week

I have been working on several projects since joining Fresh$elds as a trainee, including a number of major acquisitions that have been widely reported on in the press. Every week is di%erent for me but I guess a “typical” week might look a little like this:

Monday Morning Review some of the correspondence and documents from the previous week and draw up a weekly to-do list for each project.Follow-up on outstanding items by sending emails and making telephone calls to the relevant working parties.

Monday

A!ernoon Have lunch with other trainees.Dra! and/or verify various sections of a circular for a public M&A deal.

Monday

Evening Regroup with the associates in each of the project teams I am on to update each other on the progress of the deals and to discuss issues.Have dinner with friends before heading home.

Tuesday Morning Attend a learning and development session on a topic such as “Highlights from Recent IPOs”.Liaise with the relevant working parties.

Tuesday

A!ernoon Have lunch with friends. Review precedents and assist an associate with dra!ing a waiver application to be submitted to the Stock Exchange.

Tuesday

Evening Regroup with the associates in each of the project teams I am on.Grab a quick dinner with colleagues before continuing to work on outstanding items.

Wednesday Morning Attend weekly Mandarin class.Complete a research task for an associate with an urgent question about the Companies Ordinance and the Listing Rules.

Wednesday

A!ernoon Have lunch with other trainees.Obtain documents from the relevant working parties for dra!ing and/or veri"cation purposes.

Wednesday

Evening Regroup with the associates in each of the project teams I am on.Grab a quick dinner with colleagues before continuing to work on outstanding items.

!ursday Morning Discuss issues with an associate before dialling into a conference call with the other working parties on the project.Follow-up on issues raised at the conference call.

!ursday

A!ernoon Attend a lunch time foundation course on a topic such as “Doing Business in China”.Continue dra!ing and/or veri"cation.

!ursday

Evening Regroup with the associates in each of the project teams I am on.Have dinner and drinks with friends before heading back to the o#ce to do a bit more work.

Friday Morning Respond to queries raised by the other working parties via email and telephone.

A!ernoon Review and amend the translation of several English documents into Chinese.Regroup with the associates in each of the project teams I am on.

Evening Catch up with colleagues at the "rm’s Friday night drinks before heading out.

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A typical week of a winter clerk with Erica Lam

Erica is a trainee solicitor at Mallesons’ Hong Kong o$ce, having completed a clerkship at the "rm in February, 2007. A little bit about yourself.

It was not long ago when I was a student at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), studying a Commerce/Law (major in Finance) combined degree. !e $rst two years or so were comparatively worry-free as there was no imminent need to make major decisions, such as whether to graduate and become a banker, a lawyer, or which country I would like to develop my career in. Time (ied and soon into my degree I discovered that my passion really lay with the legal $eld. Having narrowed down my career choice, I wanted to $nd out more about the legal job market in Australia and overseas.

Why I chose Mallesons Hong Kong?

I found out from attending the HK Law Fair held at UNSW that there are indeed many opportunities in the legal $eld outside of Australia. !is option really appealed to me as I have always had a strong attachment with Hong Kong, albeit the rumour that working in Hong Kong is a lot more intensive than in Australia (Yes this is a ‘rumour’ because as a solicitor-to-be, you would have to be dedicated no matter which country you work in!). !erefore, I applied for a winter vacation placement with Mallesons Stephen Jaques, a top-tier law $rm in both Australia and Hong Kong.

What sort of work was I given?

Working with Mallesons as a winter clerk was very rewarding. During my three week clerkship in their Dispute Resolution Group, I was given work from various solicitors ranging from small research tasks and dra#ing articles to attending important mediations. In particular, the mediation hearing was memorable, not because I understood all the submissions that were made by the counsel or my supervising partner (which were quite technical), but rather the privilege to be part of an mediation that could well be one of the biggest mediations in Hong Kong history. What also made the mediation more enjoyable was my supervising partner and other solicitors involved took time to explain the background of the mediation and delegated tasks which I could handle myself or with some assistance from my senior colleagues.

Outside of the o$ce.

!ere were also numerous activities to assist the solicitors (and myself as a clerk) in developing our legal knowledge, such as in-house and external seminars and training sessions. To help us get to know the $rm and its sta% better, Mallesons also organised clerk activities and drinks in the o"ce.

A description of your typical week.

My clerkship at Mallesons started o% with a full day of training from 9am to 5pm where I was taught about the $rm’s network system, intranet, information technology and $rm precedents, etc.

A#er the training, a typical week would involve Tuesday team meetings from 9am to 9:30am, research tasks and dra#ing advice during the day. Depending on the practice group a clerk was placed in, the nature of work would vary slightly. For example, research occupied a lot of my time during my clerkship because I was placed in the Dispute Resolution Group. Clerks placed in the

11

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other practice groups might be more involved in transactional work and less case-law research. I also had the opportunity to attend seminars and in-house training in between work.

Upon dra#ing an initial advice or research memo, I would pass the work to my supervisor for review. My seniors were supportive in that they would give detailed feedback and suggest areas for improvements. Inevitably, there were times when advice was requested at short notice and had to be given within a quick timeframe. !is meant the hours that I was expected to work also (uctuated slightly. While on a typical day, working hours would be 9am to around 6pm with one hour for lunch in between, where required, I would have to stay in o"ce and work, just like other solicitors.

At the end of our clerkship Mallesons held a farewell drinks session for us and presented us with a nice pen as a souvenir to show the $rm’s appreciation for our e%orts.

Tips for overseas students.

I applied to work in Mallesons Hong Kong with an intention of pursuing my legal career in Hong Kong. Although a clerkship is not the only route to obtain a training contract with the $rm, it is de$nitely a very useful way for both the $rm and the clerk to understand each other $rst-hand. Working at Mallesons as a clerk not only enabled me to gain a training contract there, but also an insight on its areas of practice, its culture and its people. Moreover, working in the Hong Kong o"ce allowed me to see what speci$c skills I still needed to gain (e.g. Chinese writing) and hence adequately prepare myself before I started the training contract with the $rm.

In summary, below are some tips for overseas students wanting to pursue a legal career in Hong Kong:

! Apply for clerkships if you are a penultimate year student.

! Be prepared for interviews a#er you have submitted clerkship applications – e.g. questions you might be asked, questions you would like to ask the $rm.

! Adequately equip yourself with skills that are valuable in the legal $eld in Hong Kong - e.g. language skills, research skills.

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What’s new?

!ere is even more to look forward to for new trainees at Mallesons. From 2010, all trainees who start with Mallesons will be involved in our new International Graduate Program. !e International Graduate Program is a fully integrated, market leading program aligned with Mallesons’ 6 month graduate rotation system, and is designed to help you become a successful lawyer in an international market.

!ree exciting training programs support your graduate experience; and are designed to build your practical understanding of, and skills in, our areas of legal practice. !ese training programs are aligned with the rotation system, to ensure that your learning is closely linked to your “on the (oor” graduate experience.

LAUNCH – delivered intensively over four weeks, Launch provides all the knowledge you need about the $rm, your o"ce, and our policies, processes and procedures.

FUNDAMENTALS – this 18 month program focuses on building the knowledge and skills you should possess regarding our business and the legal industry. !e sessions focus on essential practice skills, as well business and legal essentials.

PATHWAYS – in-team, rotation based learning, conducted over a six month period that focuses on the speci$c knowledge and information you will need to be successful in each rotation.

Trainees will have the opportunity to apply to complete a rotation in one of Mallesons’ international o"ces. Our international graduate program promotes and supports the mobility of our sta% across our o"ces by providing a $rmwide program.

13

Page 18: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

A typical week of an intern with !omas Liu

Tom was a winter intern at DLA Piper’s Hong Kong o$ce in January, 2010.

A little bit about yourself.

I am currently in my fourth year of a combined International Studies/Laws degree at UNSW.

!e internship I did at DLA Piper Hong Kong was during their winter intake over the month of January. !e internship ran for four weeks. During this time I worked in DLA Piper’s Litigation and Regulatory Group. Within the practice group I worked most closely with the insurance team.

Why did you decide to intern at Hong Kong?

Before applying for the internship I felt that going to Hong Kong would be a great way to learn about both commercial practice but also the Asia and China market. !is was particularly interesting to me from an international studies perspective as Hong Kong stands at an interesting intersection of law, politics and commerce. Having completed the internship it con$rmed my feeling that Hong Kong is a unique place to learn useful skills and valuable knowledge.

Why did you choose your "rm and nominated your practice area?

!e two preferences I nominated to work in were regulatory and litigation, at the time two separate practice groups. When I started at DLA Piper the two became one practice group. My interest in working in the regulatory group comes mostly from my previous educational and work experience in government and politics. My interest to work in litigation, particularly at DLA Piper, came from the fact that DLA Piper has one of the largest litigation departments of law $rms in Hong Kong. Also, my impression of litigation prior to working at DLA Piper was that it seemed like the most dynamic aspect of legal practice.

Did you pull an all-nighter?

No and there was never the expectation to do so.

How many hours are you expected to work in a typical week?

It is entirely dependent on the work. As a general rule, the interns aren’t expected to work much later than 6:00pm unless there is urgent work. Trainees and associates however generally work until 8 or 9pm most days.

Do you have any tips for overseas students thinking of settling and pursuing a legal career in Hong Kong?

!e lifestyle change is more di"cult than one many initially imagine, particularly if one doesn’t have any family or roots in Hong Kong. If one does have family and friends then I imagine the transition is much easier.

However, Hong Kong is vastly di%erent to Sydney and one shouldn’t expect an abundance of easy comforts such as green ovals or quiet neighbourhoods. If you’re intensely attached to exercise and a healthy lifestyle it will be harder to maintain in Hong Kong than in Australia.

Having said that, there are many things about Hong Kong which makes it an exciting destination to start your career. One prominent factor is that the city can’t be beaten for convenience of all sorts from public transport to dining. Also, the legal culture in Hong Kong is quite unique in a way that

14

Page 19: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

can be best described as ‘entrepreneurial’. Most lawyers there who have worked in Australia or the UK say that in Hong Kong lawyers are trusted with more responsibility and real work at a much earlier level in your career. Finally, Hong Kong’s central role in the Asia region as well as its importance to the China market make working there a valuable learning opportunity.

A walk-through of a few days during a typical week.

Monday:

9:30 am - Arrive at the o"ce, read emails, make co%ee

10:30 am - Sit in on a team meeting to discuss yearly targets, client services and upcoming events

12:30 pm - Lunch with the other interns

1:30 pm - 3:30pm - Research and dra# a memo on commercial arbitration in Hong Kong

3:30 pm - 6:00pm - Dra# report on new insurance products

Tuesday:

10:00am - 2:00pm - Attend a hearing at the Court of Appeals and sit in on debrief with Counsel

2:00pm - 3:00pm - Research and dra# memo on limitations clauses in contracts

3:00pm - 4:00pm - Attend meeting with solicitors of an adverse party

4:00pm - 6:00pm - Sit in on teleconference with London Counsel

6:00pm - 8:00pm - Finish odd jobs, work on medium to long-term tasks

!ursday:

9:30am - 11:30am - Research and report on a prospective client

11:30am - 1:00pm - Work on pitch presentation exercise

2:00pm - 5:00pm - Work on report for upcoming CSR program

5:00pm - 6:00pm - Answer emails, $nish odd jobs and talk to HR

7:00pm - 10:00pm - Attend inter-department social bowling event

A description of your typical week.

A typical week usually goes from Monday to Friday, however sometimes a weekend would need to be spent completing some work where there was a hard Monday deadline. !roughout the week there would be a mix of events ranging from formal internship events such as lunch, drinks and exercises as well as on the job tasks such as attending meetings, going to court and performing research and dra#ing tasks.

!e workload varies depending on the department but in Litigation and Regulatory the workload is signi$cant but usually stable. From getting in the o"ce anywhere between 9:00am and 9:35am one would be usually have more than enough work to be occupied comfortably until 6:00pm.

A normal week in litigation also usually involves a considerable number of hours out of the o"ce either meeting with other solicitors and counsel, clients or attending court. Some time is then spent dra#ing notes and memos on the various meetings and events that took place.

On the social side, some teams go for drinks every few weeks on Friday nights, the $rm arranges a proper social event for the interns to meet the fee-earners and management at the $rm and occasionally the departments will organize social events such as bowling nights or hiking days for charity fundraising.

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A selected list of law "rms in Hong Kong

Exhibitors of the 2010 Hong Kong Law Fairs in Australia

Allen & Overy

Website: http://www.allenovery.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Baker & McKenzie

Website: http://www.bakermckenzie.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

DLA Piper

Website: http://www.dlapiper.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Fresh"elds Bruckhaus Deringer

Website: http://www.fresh$elds.com/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Herbert Smith

Website: http://www.herbertsmith.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Linklaters

Website: http://www.linklaters.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Lovells

Website: http://www.lovells.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Mallesons Stephen Jaques

Website: http://www.mallesons.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Norton Rose

Website: http://www.nortonrose.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Richards Butler in Association with%Reed Smith

Website: http://www.reedsmith.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Simmons & Simmons

Website: http://www.simmons-simmons.com/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Website: http://www.skadden.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

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Other "rms operating in Hong KongAllen Arthur Robinson

Website: http://www.aar.com.au/

Recruits: Trainees

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert

Website: http://www.blg.com.hk/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Bird & Bird

Website: http://www.twobirds.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Boase Cohen & Collin

Website: http://www.boasecohencollins.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Boughton Peterson Yang Anderson

Website: http://www.bpya.com.hk/

Recruits: Trainees

Charltons

Website: http://www.charltonslaw.com/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Cheng, Yeung & Co

Website: http://www.chengyeung.com.hk/

Recruits: Trainees

Cheung, Tong & Rosa

Website: http://www.ctrlawyers.com.hk/

Recruits: Trainees

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Website: http://www.cgsh.com

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Cli&ord Chance

Website: http://www.cli%ordchance.com/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Clyde & Co.

Website: http://www.clydeco.com/

Recruits: Trainees

CMS Cameron McKenna

Website: http://www.cms-cmck.com

Recruits: Trainees

Deacons

Website: http://www.deacons.com.hk/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Dechert in association with Hwang & Co

Website: http://www.dechert.com

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Dewey & LeBoeuf

Website: http://deweyleboeuf.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Duan & Duan Law Firm in Hong Kong

Website: http://www.duanduan.com

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Eversheds

Website: http://www.eversheds.com

Recruits: Trainees

Fairbairn Catley Low & Kong

Website: http://www.fclklaw.com.hk

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Fred Kan & Co.

Website: http://www.fredkan.com/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Gall & Lane

Website: http://www.gall-lane.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Gallant Y. T. Ho & Co.

Website: http://www.gallantho.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Grandall Legal Group

Website: http://www.grandall-law.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

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Haldanes

Website: http://www.haldanes.com/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Hampton, Winter & Glynn

Website: http://www.hwg-law.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Harney Westwood & Riegels

Website: http:www.harneys.com

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Hastings & Co

Website: http://www.hastings-hk.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Hau, Lau, Li & Yeung

Website: http://www.hlly.com.hk/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Hui & Lam

Website: http://www.hui-lam.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Ince & Co

Website: http://www.incelaw.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Jimmie KS Wong & Partners

Website: http://www.jimmiewong.com

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

K & L Gates

Website: http://www.klgates.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

K Y Lo & Co Solicitors

Website: http://www.kylonco.com.hk/

Recruits: Trainees

K. C. Ho & Fong, Solicitors & Notaries

Website: http://www.kcho-fong.com/

Recruits: Trainees

K.B. Chau & Co.

Website: http://www.kbchau.com.hk/

Recruits: Trainees

Kennedys

Website: http://www.kennedys.com.hk/

Recruits: Trainees

King & Wood

Website: http://www.kingandwood.com/careers.aspx

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Lau, Chan & Ko

Website: http://www.lauchanko-law.com.hk/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Liu, Chan & Lam Solicitors & Notaries

Website: http://www.lcl-law.com.hk/

Recruits: Trainees

Livasiri & Co

Website: http://www.livasiri.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Lo & Lo

Website: http://www.loandlo.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Mayer Brown JSM

Website: http://www.mayerbrown.com/careers/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Minter Ellison

Website: http://www.minterellison.com

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

ONC Lawyers

Website: http://www.onc.hk/

Recruits: Trainees

Paul Hastings

Website: http://www.paulhastings.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Philip KH Wong, Kenndy Y H Wong & Co

Website: http://www.pwkwco.com/

Recruits: Trainees

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Robin Bridge & John Liu

Website: http://www.rbjl.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Salans

Website: http://www.salans.com/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Sidley Austin LLP

Website: http://www.sidley.com/careers/asiapaci$c/hongkong/recruiting/

Recruits: Trainees

So, Leung, Yip & Sin

Website: http://www.law.com.hk/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Stephenson Harwood & Lo

Website: http://www.shl.com.hk/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Stevenson, Wong & Co.

Website: http://www.sw-hk.com/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Tanner De Witt

Website: http://www.tannerdewitt.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Tsang, Chan & Wong

Website: http://www.tcw.com.hk/

Recruits: Unclear/Unspeci$ed

Vivien Chan & Co.

Website: http://www.vcclawservices.com/

Recruits: Trainees

White & Case

Website: http://hkgrad.whitecase.com/

Recruits: Vacationers & trainees

Wilkinson & Grist

Website: http://www.wilgrist.com/

Recruits: Trainees

Woo, Kwan, Lee & Lo

Website: http://www.wkll.com/

Recruits: Trainee

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A L

egal

Car

eer

in C

hina

• ACYA: Study and work in China

• Interning at a Leading Chinese Law Firm:

TransAsia Lawyers

20Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

Page 25: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

ACYA: Study and Work in China

ACYA is a national grassroots organisation aimed at furthering the interests of young Australians and Chinese. We aim to encourage meaningful cross-cultural encouragement and promote opportunities for young Australians interested in China. As part of our activities, we secure various internships for our members, including internships within the legal industry in China.

Read what one of our members, Patrick Mayoh, has to say about his experience with TransAsia Lawyers

Interning at a Leading Chinese Law Firm: TransAsia Lawyers

A#er leaving the Australian summer as a third year Asian Studies (Chinese)/Law student, I found myself on the 22nd (oor of the World Trade Tower in Beijing’s bustling CBD reading through a satellite television landing agreement written in both Chinese and English. As the CCTV tower loomed over me in the background, I listened to my boss skillfully switch between perfectly (uent Mandarin and English as he advised a leading international media entity on television broadcasting rights in the PRC.

Although I had lived and worked in China (“!e Middle Kingdom”) on numerous occasions before returning to Beijing in the Year of the Ox, I quickly realised that I still had a lot to learn as an intern in a top-tier Chinese law $rm. TransAsia Lawyers has a strong reputation in media & entertainment, employment and commercial law. !e $rm also advises international and domestic clients on Real Estate, Private Equity, IP, M&A, Corporate Accountability, Antitrust, Arbitration & Litigation, and Crisis Management.

TransAsia holds a unique position in the PRC as it has a strong international and Chinese client base as well as close links with the PRC government. !e $rm has advised sizeable corporate entities including Alibaba, Bacardi-Martini, CNBC, Ericsson, Google, Microso#, News Corporation and Time Warner, and has worked with the National Development and Reform Commission of the PRC and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). TransAsia is also in alliance relationships with law $rms around the globe, including its Australian partner Freehills and the leading Canadian $rm Torys LLP.

Working in this dynamic environment provided me with a rich insight into the application of Chinese law to international commercial arrangements. In particular, I regularly assisted partners in advising foreign media entities looking to enter the Chinese market. !roughout my three months at the $rm, I was extremely privileged to work closely with the Managing Partner (and ANU alumnus), Jesse Chang, on numerous media matters. !is direct contact with a guru in the $eld helped me better comprehend the dynamics of commercial relations in China’s highly regulated media industry.

TransAsia’s expertise in media law and the $rm’s recent work with the SARFT comes at a time when the Chinese legal system is required to respond to innovative technologies and a growing body of international companies seeking to broadcast their content in the PRC. !ese demands, along with the state’s desire to closely monitor the broadcast of information to the masses, made for a fascinating internship experience. In the o#en unclear and nebulous media regulatory environment, the answers do not always lie in the black-letter law. As such, common sense and problem solving skills are indispensable.

As part of the media and entertainment law team, I also spent time working on the $rm’s authoritative publication China’s Media & Entertainment Law (Volume III). !is academic slant balanced nicely with the intense periods my colleagues and I o#en had to work to meet strict

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deadlines for international clients (o#en working in di%erent time zones). I was also involved in the research and preparation of TransAsia newsletters on recent legal rulings such as the WTO Appellate Body’s ruling on the PRC government’s regulation of audiovisual imports.

Fortunately, my command of Chinese allowed me to be involved in some of the larger deals. Being able to check English agreements against their Chinese versions and jump on “baidu.com” to search for background information on local companies allowed me to contribute e%ectively to the team’s e%ort. Although most of my colleagues spoke sound English, as a native English speaker in a Chinese law $rm, a slice of my time was inevitably devoted to assisting colleagues edit English e-mails and legal documents for international clients.

It is important to note that the culture at TransAsia is incredibly hard-working and demands long hours. If you are prepared to put in the e%ort, the experience is extremely rewarding. !e dynamism of TransAsia’s work is truly exciting and would be hard to replicate in Australia. Indeed, whilst at TransAsia, my Outlook would receive new client/new matter messages on the hour, every hour.

!is constant (ow of work added to the buzz of living in a truly international city. From karaoke nights to ice-skating sessions, from dumpling feasts to business banquets, Beijing is fascinating in the opportunities and contradictions it o%ers.

My three months at TransAsia working in a new jurisdiction provided me with a worldly outlook on legal practice and an appreciation of the truly international opportunities that an Asian Studies/Law background o%ers. Having le# TransAsia during the Chinese New Year to continue with my studies at ANU, there were many promising signs that this leading Chinese law $rm will continue to prosper in the Year of the Tiger.

If you have any questions about interning at TransAsia, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. If you would like to apply for an internship position, please contact Henry Makeham (President of the Australia-China Youth Association which facilitates the internship program) at [email protected].

Patrick Mayoh

Patrick is an undergraduate student at the Australian National University, studying a combined Law degree.

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PC

LL A

dmis

sion

Req

uire

men

ts • PCLL Admission Requirements:

Competence in 14 subjects

• PCLL Conversion Examinations required

by Australian students

• Visiting “internal” students (exchange

programs)

• Examination preparation: Commercial

providers of preparatory courses

• Examination preparation: Exam tips

• PCLL Admission Requirements: IELTS

23Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

Page 28: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

PCLL Admission Requirements: Competence in 14 subjects

Apart from getting a training contract, this is perhaps the most di"cult step in becoming quali$ed in Hong Kong. It is, therefore, important that you familiarise yourself with what is involved and how you can overcome this step.

What is it?

!e Hong Kong Conversion Examinations are preparatory exams for non-Hong Kong students to meet requirements for admission to Postgraduate Certi$cate in Laws (PCLL) in Hong Kong. Entry requirements for PCLL require demonstration of competence in 11 Core Subjects:

Contracts; Torts; Constitutional Law; Criminal Law; Land Law; Equity; Civil Procedure; Criminal Procedure; Evidence; Business Associations; and Commercial Law.

Australian students with non-Hong Kong law quali$cations must also demonstrate competence in three Top-up Subjects for the purpose of PCLL admission, namely:

1) Hong Kong Constitutional Law;

2) Hong Kong Legal System; and

3) Hong Kong Land Law.

However, students who have already completed or will complete all or some core subjects in an Australian university may apply for exemptions to the PCLL Conversion Examination and Administration (PCEA) if the subjects are completed as part of their non-Hong Kong common law quali$cation.

How do I get exemptions for the 11 core subjects that have been already completed or will be completed at a university overseas?

To apply for exemption from any Conversion Examination(s), students must submit an Application for Evaluation to the Conversion Examinations Board.

What if my law degree does not involve a course listed above or if I don’t get an exemption?

You must satisfy all 14 subjects before you begin the PCLL program which is a necessary step to being quali$ed as a solicitor in Hong Kong. If your law degree does not require you to complete certain subjects listed above or PCEA does not grant you an exemption, the most obvious route to take is to sit Conversion examinations. !ese are administered by PCEA and obtaining a pass in these examinations demonstrates “competence” in the relevant subject.

Another way of demonstrating competence is to complete the relevant subjects as a visiting “internal” student in either at !e University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, or the Chinese University of Hong Kong. (For more information, see below.)

When are Conversion examinations o&ered?

Conversion exams are usually o%ered in January and in June/July. Students should check the PCLL Conversion Examination website www.pcea.com.hk for speci$c dates.

Application Steps

Application information for both examination registration and evaluation of law degree are available on PCEA’s website (www.pcea.com.hk). !e information package on the website is updated approximately 4-6 months before each examination period. Students are advised to check the website regularly to ensure they prepare their applications on time.

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What do Conversion exams involve?

- Each of the Top-up Subjects of the Conversion Examinations will be examined by a written paper of 1.5 hours duration.

- Each of the Core Subjects of the Conversion Examinations will be examined by a written paper of 3 hours duration.

- Syllabi, past examinations and markers’ comments for past examinations are available on www.pcea.com.hk

At what stage should I take the Conversion examinations?

You can attempt the examinations any time prior to beginning the actual PCLL program. !is means that $rst-year students of a combined degree could also attempt these exams. However, we o%er two main pieces of advice.

Firstly, do not leave them until too far down the track! Plan well ahead, even if this means planning ahead for the next 4 years. !e main problem here is that some students have attempted Conversion exams in June of the year they are due to begin their PCLL program in September of the same year. If, unfortunately, you do not pass, not only will you have to re-take the exam, you will also have to forfeit your PCLL program o%er and wait one whole year for the next intake.

Secondly, make sure you have some background legal knowledge in the relevant subject. For example, Hong Kong Land Law, though focusing on Hong Kong law, employs a lot of legal terminology and concepts. It will make studying a lot easier if you have already completed a related subject at your own university, such as “Property, Equity and Trusts” at UNSW.

How much does the process cost?

Evaluation of your law quali$cation is HKD $1,000 and Examination Registration Fee is HKD $2,000 per subject (correct as at January 2010). !e evaluation of your law quali$cation is a one-o% fee whereas the examination fee is payable for each attempt and for each subject.

Do I have to take all the exams together?

Students may attempt any number of examinations in any given session. !ere are also no restrictions on the number of attempts in respect of any of the examinations. !e only requirement is that you need to complete all before you start the actual PCLL program.

Do grades matter in Conversion exams?

No, there will not be any grade classi$cations. Only passes or fails are awarded.

What if I fail the exam?

A subsequent attempt at a failed examination can be made at a later examination session. !ere is no restriction on the numbers of attempts a candidate may take.

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PCLL Conversion Examinations required by Australian students

Disclaimer: !is section is intended to be a guide only. Whilst contributors to this section have made every e%ort to ensure the information is up to date and correct as at March 2010, exemptions may di%er in the future for reasons such as change in your program’s curriculum. Only an application to PCEA for evaluation of your law degree is o$cial and determinative. Moreo#er, some students may apply for additional exemptions, or partial exemptions, due to any optional subjects completed.Although students are entitled to sit for exams prior to obtaining formal exemptions, all students will be required to apply for evaluation of their law degree before entry into the PCLL program. !erefore, it is recommended that students obtain such an evaluation at the time of or preferably before their $rst attempt at Conversion examinations. You are advised that the deadline for applications for evaluation of law quali$cations is usually 1-3 months before the deadlines for applications to sit the Conversion examinations. As such, you are further advised to familiarise yourself with information found on the PCEA website at least 4-6 months before your intended Conversion examination dates.

Exemptions for individual universities are as follows:Australian National University 3 Top-up subjects

Commercial Law

Criminal Procedure

Civil Procedure !e University of Melbourne (LLB) 3 Top-up subjects

Commercial Law Monash University 3 Top-up subjects

Commercial Law

Criminal Procedure !e University of New South Wales 3 Top-up subjects

Commercial Law

Note : Completion of the elective courses “Commercial Law” and/or “Consumer Protection Law” at UNSW will entitle you to exemption from Parts B and C of Commercial Law respectively.

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!e University of Sydney 3 Top-up subjects

Criminal Procedure Law

Business Associations

Commercial Law

&

Note:

• You can get an exemption from Business Associations if you take ‘Advanced Corporate Law’ in $#h year

• You can get an exemption from Part B of Commercial Law if you take ‘Banking and Financial Instruments’ in $#h year

• Both subjects are available generally only in the $rst semester of $#h year

Visiting “internal” students (exchange programs)For courses you do not obtain exemptions for, another method to satisfy the requirements is to attend !e University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, or the Chinese University of Hong Kong as visiting “internal” students through exchange programs. You may then take speci$c law courses o%ered by these universities which are the equivalent of core or top-up subjects which you did not obtain exemptions for. City University provides a complete list of subjects at the School of Law which are equivalent to core and top-up subjects for PCLL admission. Prospective exchange students who wish to satisfy PCLL admission requirements this way are advised to con$rm the required courses by contacting the three universities directly.

Students are reminded that some core and top-up subjects require exchange for an entire year before being accepted for PCLL admission purposes. Also, there is a risk of your exchange application not being accepted. !erefore, students are not recommended to rely solely on the visiting “internal” student route to satisfy admission requirements.

Examination preparation: Commercial providers of preparatory courses

You can prepare for the Conversion examinations through self-study. You are only required to obtain a pass for Conversion examinations and so the route to getting a pass is irrelevant. In fact, many Australian students who have gone through the Conversion examinations have done so through self-study. However, many other students $nd the Conversion examinations daunting and challenging. Some examinations have also been rumoured to have high failure rates. As such, some students $nd it helpful to attend preparatory courses. !e following institutions provide PCLL Conversion Examination Preparatory Courses:

1) Hong Kong University (HKU) Space – http://hkuspace.hku.hk/

2) IP Learning – http://www.ip-learning.com/

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Preparatory courses are for individual examinations which mean that if you want to attend preparatory courses for 3 Conversion examinations, you will have to enrol into 3 individual preparatory courses. If you happen to have signed a training contract with a $rm, check whether your $rm will support you through these courses. Some top-tier $rms are known to be very generous in providing $nancial support to their future trainees to satisfy Conversion requirements.

Before you decide to enrol in one of these courses, consider the advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages include:

" Instructors will generally discuss current issues in that course which may be examined.

" Getting access to materials prepared for the Conversion examinations that are concise and organised – saving you some time and e%ort for self-study.

" You are taught the material by knowledgeable instructors, which is better than trying to learn the entire syllabus through self-study.

Some disadvantages:

" Fees for these courses can be expensive. If you don’t have a place to stay, accommodation costs will add to these.

" Course dates are not necessarily set with Australian students in mind. In the past, some courses begin (and $nish!) before Australian students complete their end-of-semester examinations at their own universities.

" !ese courses, whilst undoubtedly helpful, do not guarantee a pass and you are still expected to put in some solid study.

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Examination preparation: Exam tips

General tips

! Past examination papers and markers’ comments are available on the PCEA website (www.pcea.com.hk). !ese are essential to look at if you want to comfortably pass your Conversion examinations. In addition, markers’ comments sometimes contain cases, legal developments and concepts which may become useful in future exams.

! 'uoting Hong Kong cases and legislations are essential for the three top-up subjects. Markers will automatically award a fail if you do not mention Hong Kong law in these examinations.

! Using proper English and full sentences are important in Conversion examinations. From reading markers’ comments documents from the website, you will get the impression that many markers get “turned o%” by poor English.

! For subjects that prescribe multiple journal articles as essential reading, you are generally not required to memorise the message in each and every prescribed article. On the contrary, students are generally only required to have an idea of what each leading commentator’s views on certain legal topics.

! At least one week of solid self-study is recommended for each top-up subject, except Hong Kong Land Law which should be studied over 2-4 weeks. Two weeks or more is probably required for core subjects, especially Commercial Law which has three distinct parts.

! If possible, get hold of past summaries from friends and, if you have a training contract, ask your $rm whether they have some of the prescribed textbooks which you can’t get your hands on.

Speci"c tipsCore subjectsCore subjects

Commercial Law (general)

!is is an open book exam. Two weeks’ worth of preparation is encouraged. Part B is probably the most di"cult part of the three sections. Also bring a commercial law textbook to the exam if possible.

Commercial Law Part A Part A is a choice of two problem questions. 1) Exceptions to the nemo dat rule; 2) Duties of the Seller for Sale of Goods. It would be wise to look at the past papers for the duties question. !e January 2010 duties question was very similar to the July 2009 past paper (the only di%erence being the good sold). As a quick pointer the relevant duties in past papers have been implied terms as to quality and $tness, sale of goods by sample, sales of goods by description. Also, remember to deal with the available remedies.

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Commercial Law Part B !is is de$nitely the most di"cult part. !e questions in past papers have (peculiarly) always included a question relating to nemo dat. However, this has changed recently due to a change in the syllabus.It is di"cult to prepare for this question. !ere are a variety of topics which can be tested. I would probably advise students to take in a textbook for reference. One question in the January 2010 paper related to title of goods found in a store (from memory) which was not in the syllabus.

Commercial Law Part C In terms of format, the two questions usually have one essay and one problem. Although the law of guarantees seems like a weighty topic, it has never ever been tested. However, this is not to say you should disregard it completely. It will be asked sooner or later.!e problem question usually tests topics relating to Unconscionable Contracts Ordinance, Control of Exemption Clauses Ordinance, and Supply of Services (Implied Terms) Ordinance. !e essay question has usually revolved around the law of misrepresentation, undue in(uence and unconscionability in both Hong Kong and the student’s own jurisdiction.

Criminal Procedure !is is an open book exam. As noted from past papers, Criminal Procedure Law is separated into two parts: Part A - one problem question with sub questions and Part B – three short answer questions unrelated to the problem question. Part A has three/four sub questions. !ere is about half a page of facts dealing with a criminal o%ence. !e $rst sub question always asks which court will hear the matter. !e remaining two/three sub questions will deal with any of the following: Appeals against Sentence and/or Conviction, Transfer of Proceedings, Voir Dire, Admissions, Alibi Evidence.Part B questions will be taken from any part of the syllabus. Note: As long as you have Amanda Whitford’s Criminal Procedure in Hong Kong textbook, coupled with some notes, this exam is relatively straightforward. Hence, it is highly recommended that students buy or borrow the textbook. Word has it that Whitford sets the paper herself so the short answer questions in Part B can usually be found in it.

Civil Procedure%

!is is an open book exam. !ere is, however, a huge amount of content to cover. Moreover, some of the procedural rules have been revised recently, so be wary of old notes. !is is the hardest open book exam.

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Business Associations For the unlucky students (only about 30) who have to take Business Associations, the Stott textbook is succinct and very helpful in terms of cases and legislation. From the past papers, questions relating to Partnerships (rights and duties) and Directors Duties have always come up. Recently, Protection of Minorities and Winding Up have been tested (in the 2009 and 2010 papers). Other topics which are tested are Comparison of Partnerships and Registered Companies, Corporate Constitution and Powers conferred by Companies Ordinance and Articles of Association. Note: Unlawful Financial Assistance was tested three times in previous papers, but it is doubtful that it will come up again (it was tested for three consecutive papers in earlier years). In terms of format, there are usually one/two essay questions and the remainder consist of problem questions.

Top-up subjectsTop-up subjects

Hong Kong Legal System

Most likely the easiest top-up course but you need to have enough time to remember key details as it is a closed book exam. PCLL preparatory notes or summaries from past candidates are highly recommended.

!e questions have always been in essay format. !e most popular topics which are tested are Judicial Independence, Stare Decisis and Access to Justice.

Only one past paper has tested the Interface between the Two Systems. Introduction to Legal Research has never been tested, nor have Comparative Overview of PRC and Common Law System. I would recommend that you study these topics too, as PCEA may test them in the future. [Note: they were not tested in the January 2010 paper.]

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Hong Kong Constitutional Law

!is is an open book exam. It is strongly advised that the candidate has PCLL preparatory notes, or past summaries to work with.

Generally, there are a choice of four questions, usually consisting of one/two problem questions and three/four essay questions. Candidates would need to answer one question which would require an in-depth knowledge of one area of the syllabus, and one question which requires a broader knowledge of the syllabus. Attempting as many past exams as possible, and taking these into the exams are recommended as similar exam questions have been reused in the past. For example, Ng Kung Siu and the franchise questions have been tested twice.

!ere are core themes that are continually recycled. In terms of topics tested, the trend from the past papers appears to be: Executive Led/Separation of Powers, Rights and Freedoms (BORO and ICCPR).

Also, the PCEA have begun testing knowledge of particular cases: Ng Ka Ling, Ng Kung Siu etc. If students want to prepare answers, a summary of the relevance and implications of prominent cases would be useful.

Hong Kong Land Law !is is a closed book exam. It is the hardest conversion exam with a fail rate of reputedly over 50 per cent, partly because of the closed-book factor. I would advise that you do not bring any scrap paper into the exam and that you give at least a month of consistent preparation.

Note: Be aware that the examination of content relating to the Land Titles Ordinance has been delayed many times. You should, however, be prepared that it will be tested in your examination period and allow extra time to study. No materials would have been prepared for that sub-topic for students unlucky enough to be the $rst batch to be tested.

Candidates& are& allowed& to& bring& into& the& examination& a copy of the Con#eyancing and' Property' Ordinance and the& Land Registration Ordinance. !e Ordinances may not be annotated but can be highlighted. No other materials are allowed. !ere is generally a question on formalities which directly relate to these legislations.

!e textbook, A Student’s Guide to Hong Kong Con#eyancing, may be helpful in your studies.

Topics which are popular include adverse possession (which usually takes up an entire question), deeds of mutual covenant, priority and land registration, government leases and conditions.

!e length of questions in this exam has generally been quite short so there is more than ample time to complete the two problem questions.

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PCLL Admission Requirements: IELTS

!is is a relatively simple step (compared to the Conversion exams!). When you apply for a place in the PCLL program, you are required to produce evidence that you have achieved an overall score of at least 7.0 from an IELTS test.

What is the IELTS?

!e IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an internationally recognised English pro$ciency test, with two streams: the Academic Module and the General Module. For the purposes of PCLL admission, you are required to take the Academic Module. !e test is comprised of four components, namely, Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Candidates are given a score from 1 to 9, with 9 being the highest score.

In Australia, the test is administered by IDP Australia and conducted across many test centres (generally a university). IDP Australia’s o"cial website is www.idp.com/examinations/ielts.aspx

Do I REALLY have to sit the test?

Unfortunately, yes. !is also includes native English speakers who have studied in Australia for the last 16 years! As long as you are applying for a place for the PCLL program, you have to sit the IELTS.

When should I sit the test?

To answer this question, you must take into account two important facts. Firstly, your test results must not be more than three years old at the time of application. Secondly, the results must be obtained by the start of the PCLL program, or at an earlier date nominated by the PCLL providers, generally mid-August.

Typically, PCLL applications are accepted between December and April for entry into the program in the coming September (see below for more details). Hence, for example, if you want to start your PCLL in September 2012, the latest date you could apply would be 30 April 2012. !is means any IELTS results before 30 April 2009 are invalid. You should also aim to have your results ready before 30 April 2012, just to be on the safe side.

How long do I have to wait to sit the test and for the results to come back?

!e waiting period for an IELTS test has been improved signi$cantly in Australia but it is still a decent wait. !e last time we checked (February 2010), the average waiting time to sit the Academic Module in Sydney and Melbourne is about 4-6 weeks. IELTS test places in Australia are in high demand as the test is also standard for some migration applications. So again, planning ahead is important. Visit the IDP website for the next available test date in your city (remember, you are looking for the Academic Module).

Test results are generally available for pick up at the test centre 13 days a#er your test date. Accordingly, from application to results-in-hand, you are looking at a period of about 2 months or more.

!ere is also the option of taking the IELTS test in Hong Kong if it is more convenient for you. For more information, you can visit http://www.britishcouncil.org/hongkong.html

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How do I apply to sit the test? And how much will it cost?

Once again, please follow the steps as aforementioned and visit the IDP website. !ere are multiple test centres in each capital city in Australia. !e website provides you with the link to each test centre which, when you click through, should have a sub-webpage containing application instructions. As at February 2010, test fees in Australia stand at AUD $310.

Do I need to prepare for the test?

For those who have studied in Australia for some time, a score of 7 can be easily achieved without any study whatsoever. However, if you are not very con$dent, you should borrow some study aids from your university or local library. Most test centres also o%er preparatory courses, obviously with a price tag attached.

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The

Pos

tgra

duat

e C

ertif

icat

e in

La

ws

(PC

LL)• A side-by-side comparison of PCLL

providers in Hong Kong

35Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

Page 40: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

!e Postgraduate Certi"cate in Laws (PCLL)

We’ve talked through all the admission requirements but what is the PCLL a#er all?

!e PCLL is a professional legal education program which must be completed before a prospective solicitor can commence the two-year training contract in Hong Kong. !e PCLL is compulsory for students who obtained their law degree in Hong Kong and overseas. It is roughly equivalent to Practical Legal Training (PLT) in NSW and Victoria. Contrary to what my parents think a#er my 99th attempt at explaining to them, the PCLL is not designed to ensure you understand Hong Kong law. !at is achieved through the Conversion exams. Rather, the PCLL focuses more on practical aspects of legal work, such as dra#ing and negotiation skills.

At the moment, there are three PCLL providers: !e University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong and !e Chinese University of Hong Kong. !e PCLL only starts in September of each year and $nishes in May/June the next year and you begin your training contract in August or September.

!ere is intense competition

PCLL places are highly sought a#er and not all of Hong Kong’s LLB graduates are guaranteed a place. You are competing against applicants from universities across the globe – Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the UK (including Oxford and Cambridge) etc. One contributor to this guide has heard that as little as one o%er is made for every ten applications received.

Websites of PCLL providers recommend to us that a “good 2:2 honours” or a “2:1 honours” is usually required for admission into the program. !is is normally translated as a high credit or a distinction average in an Australian law degree. !e message is quite clear – study hard!

When and how to apply?

Applications generally open between December and April for entry into the PCLL program in the following September. Applying early by January or February is recommended as early o%ers are o#en handed out to applicants who have obtained or are expected to obtain a good average mark in their law degree.

Students are expected to apply to each university directly. Each university has its own procedures and rules regarding application, and students are advised to familiarise themselves with these rules before applying. You can apply to one, two or all of the universities but will be required to nominate preferences. Very few o%ers are made by the universities to students who have nominated them as second or third choice. For this reason, it is very important which university you nominate as your $rst choice. See the next section for a comparison of the universities.

Structure of the program

!e PCLL program is a one year full-time program. For the 2010 intake, !e University of Hong Kong is the only university providing an alternative two year part-time PCLL program.

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!e exact structure of the PCLL program varies between the universities. For more information, please refer to the next section. Please note that intending barristers are required to take speci$c courses as electives within the PCLL program.

What is the cost of the PCLL?

!ere are two types of places: UGC-funded and Self-funded. !e former is simply a government supported place and students are required to pay HKD $42,100. !ese places are available to both Hong Kong residents and overseas students, and are allocated based on academic merit. On the other hand, the cost of self-funded places di%ers between the universities.

If you’ve signed up to a training contract with a top-tier $rm, your course fees will generally be taken care of by your $rm, regardless of whether you get a UGC-funded place or not. Typically, your $rm will also pay you a stipend of approximately HKD $50,000 for your PCLL year.

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A side-by-side comparison of PCLL providers in Hong Kong

At the moment, there are three PCLL providers in Hong Kong. Successful completion of the PCLL program at any of the three universities below is a step towards admission in Hong Kong as a solicitor. You are entitled to apply to any or all of the three universities, but bear in mind that your chances of receiving an o%er from your second-choice and third-choice universities are extremely low. Various factors may a%ect your decision on which university to apply for as “$rst-choice”. !ese may include the prestige of the university, the quality of the teaching sta%, locality etc. To help you gain an idea of each university, we have compiled the comparative table below. However, it is important that you conduct your own research some point down the track. !e websites at the very end of the table are excellent starting points.

!e Chinese University of Hong

City University of Hong Kong

!e University of Hong Kong

Number of PCLL places Up to 130 for the 2010/2011 Academic Year.

Intake target: 120 (including 53 government funded places).

Approximately 240 full-time places and 60 part-time places.

Applications Apply online at:

http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/gss/

Apply online at:

http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sgs/tpg/admission

Hard-copy and online applications can be accessed at:

http://www.hku.hk/pcll/application/index.html

Minimum academic achievement for admission

!e qualifying standard for admission varies from year to year, and we expect that the qualifying standard for 2010 intake will be higher than previous years.

Varies from year to year depending on the number of applications received. PCLL places are awarded on the basis of merit.

Overall Distinction or ‘High’ Credit in law subjects.

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!e Chinese University of Hong

City University of Hong Kong

!e University of Hong Kong

Core Courses Term 1:

• Professional Practice

• Commercial Practice

• Property and Probate Practice

• Civil Litigation Practice

• Criminal Litigation Practice

• Civil Litigation Practice (3 credits)

• Commercial Writing and Dra"ing (1.5 credits)

• Conveyancing Practice (5 credits)

• Corporate and Commercial Practice (6 credits)

• Criminal Litigation Practice (3 credits)

• Interlocutory Advocacy and Interviewing (2 credits)

• Litigation Writing and Dra"ing (1.5 credits)

• Mediation and Negotiation (2 credits)

• Professional Conduct and Practice (3 credits)

• Solicitors’ Accounts (1 credit)

• Trial Advocacy (2 credits)

• Wills and Probate Practice (2 credits)

• Civil Litigation• Criminal Litigation

• Corporate & Commercial Transactions I

• Property Transactions I

• Professional Practice and Management

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!e Chinese University of Hong

City University of Hong Kong

!e University of Hong Kong

Electives List Term 2:

• Writing and Dra"ing Litigation Documents*

• Conference Skills and Professional Conduct

• Lending and Finance• Corporate Finance

• Writing and Dra"ing Opinions and Advices*

• Writing and Dra"ing Litigation Documents (in Chinese)

• China Practice• Writing and Dra"ing

Commercial Documents (in Chinese)

• Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Writing and Dra"ing Commercial Documents

• Trial Advocacy* (Term 3, 2 weeks in May)

* Note: students who intend to go to the Bar must take the 3 asterisked courses.

• Bar Course (2 credits)• Foundations in

Mainland Related Legal Transactions (2 credits)

• International Arbitration Practice (2 credits)

• Litigation Practice II (2 credits)

• Understanding Financial Statements and Financial Regulatory Practice (2 credits)

Litigation-speci"c

• Commercial Dispute Resolution

• Matrimonial Practice and Procedure

• Personal Injury Litigation

• Property Litigation

• Trial Advocacy

Transaction-speci"c

• Corporate & Commercial Transactions II

• Listed Companies• Property Transactions

II

• Wills and Estate Planning

• China Practice

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!e Chinese University of Hong

City University of Hong Kong

!e University of Hong Kong

Format of teaching A combination of lectures and small tutorial groups. Since the emphasis in all courses is the acquisition of skills, classes are designed to be, and are very interactive.

Most teaching takes place during the day at the Shatin Law Faculty Campus. !ere may be occasional evening classes, Saturday morning classes, and classes at the Graduate Law Centre: Bank of America Tower in Central.

Guest speakers from the professions and the judiciary also make an appearance from time to time. For instance, !e Honourable Mr Justice Ma, Chief Judge of the High Court, gave a talk to PCLL students on 23 January.

Normally day-time classes, there may be some evening classes for guest lectures and some Saturdays required for assessments.

Mainly large-group morning sessions and small- group a"ernoon practice sessions. Evening classes and weekend classes may be required, particular for Advocacy.

Contact hours per week Between 39 and 42 contact hours per course spread over each 13 week term, save for Trial Advocacy which is delivered in an intensive 2 week term in May, and which has slightly more contact hours. !e number of hours per week is variable.

!e contact hours vary from week to week. In order to meet the teaching pattern of individual courses, the contact hours may be irregular. Students have to take 19 credits in Semester A and 17 credits in Semester B. Each credit carries about 13 contact hours.

Approximately 20-24 hours per week for First semester and approximately 12 hours per week for Second semester.

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!e Chinese University of Hong

City University of Hong Kong

!e University of Hong Kong

Expected hours of preparation work

Lots. It is an intensive course and there are reading and preparation tasks for each course each week.

Depends on students. Not applicable.

Typical#class sizes !e size of the Large Groups has yet to be decided for the next intake. Tutorial group sizes will be around 10 or 11 for the Core courses and a maximum of 15 for the Elective courses.

About 120 students for large groups and not more than 10 students for each small group.

Around 12-14 students per group.

Support for new students In addition to Orientation Day there is a Student Handbook containing a wealth of information about the PCLL, the Law Faculty plus the resources and support o#ered by the University.

A University Orientation Programme and the PCLL Orientation Programme will be held before class commencement each year.

Di#erent administration departments, such as :

• Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies;

• Student Development Services;

• Student Residence O$ce;

• Education Development O$ce;

will provide assistance to students.

Campus facilities:• State-of-the-art IT

services

• Excellent library facilities and collections

• Modern, Olympic-sized swimming pool

• Gymnasium and other sporting facilities

• Large Group Session: Introduction to the PCLL

• Small Group Session: Orientation Workshop (Peer Interview and Feedback)

• Optional Library Tour

• Large Group Session: Practical Legal Research & Writing

• Other campaigns organised by the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS), HKU.

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!e Chinese University of Hong

City University of Hong Kong

!e University of Hong Kong

Where do I "nd more information?

Faculty of Law, !e Chinese University of Hong Kong

Email:[email protected]

Website: www.law.cuhk.edu.hk

School of Law, City University of Hong Kong

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.cityu.edu.hk/slw

Faculty of Law,!e University of Hong Kong

Email:[email protected]

Website:www.hku.hk/pcll/

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Som

e Fi

nal I

nfor

mat

ion

& T

ips • The PCLL admission checklist

• Plan ahead!

• On the lighter side

• You are about to fly to Hong Kong: A

final checklist

44Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

Page 49: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

!e PCLL admission checklistTo help you digest all the information on PCLL and its admission requirements, we have compiled a checklist. !is is only meant to be a guide and depending on your personal circumstances the list may not be exhaustive.

Complete your law degree.

# Apply to PCEA for an Evaluation of Law #uali"cation.

# Apply to sit and pass core subjects and top-up subjects which you did not get an exemption for.

# Subject 1: _______________________________________

# Subject 2: _______________________________________

# Subject 3: _______________________________________

# Subject 4: _______________________________________

# Subject 5: _______________________________________

# Subject 6: _______________________________________

# Sit the IELTS English pro"ciency test and obtain a score of no less than 7.Remember that the test results must not be more than 2 years old at the time of application and MUST be obtained before you commence the PCLL start date or an earlier date prescribed by the university

# Collect all supporting documents relevant to your application and have copies notarized for a notary public (if required).

# Apply to a university for a place on the PCLL. (And get an o%er!)

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Plan ahead!By now, you probably appreciate the amount of work involved in being admitted to the PCLL program. !e key is to plan ahead, even if it means planning ahead 3 years for junior students!

A real story: Why you should plan ahead

One day in October 2009, an Australian law student told one of the contributors of this guide that she suddenly wanted to become a solicitor in Hong Kong. However there was a catch to this: the student is expected to graduate in June 2010 and she doesn’t want to take time o% study or work. She must also satisfy all the PCLL admission requirements in less than a year! From tireless e%orts, the contributor was able to help plan out everything for her friend but let’s just say the eager student who suddenly had a change in mind in her career will have a LOT of hard work to do. Furthermore, the student will have to pass every single Conversion exam in the June/July attempt – plenty of study and no room for failure!

You can make your own experience a lot easier. What follows is a table which the aforementioned contributor used to help her friend plan ahead. It contains a sample plan. Why not plan your own in the blank one provided below?

46

Month\Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

JanuaryInternship 2 + Conversions

Summer Course 2

FebruarySit the IELTS

examApply for the

PCLL program

March

Semester 1,

1st year

Semester 1,

2nd year

Semester 1,

3rd year

(Exchange to Switzerland!)

Semester 1,

4th year

Semester 1,

5th year

+

Overload to ‘accelerate’

%April Semester 1,

1st year

Semester 1,

2nd year

Semester 1,

3rd year

(Exchange to Switzerland!)

Semester 1,

4th year

Semester 1,

5th year

+

Overload to ‘accelerate’

%May

Semester 1,

1st year

Semester 1,

2nd year

Semester 1,

3rd year

(Exchange to Switzerland!)

Semester 1,

4th year

Semester 1,

5th year

+

Overload to ‘accelerate’

%June

Semester 1,

1st year

Semester 1,

2nd year

Semester 1,

3rd year

(Exchange to Switzerland!)

Semester 1,

4th year

Semester 1,

5th year

+

Overload to ‘accelerate’

%July &More

Conversions &

%August

Semester 2,

1st year

Semester 2,

2nd year

Semester 2,

3rd year

Semester 2,

4th yearStart PCLL in

Hong Kong%September Semester 2,

1st year

Semester 2,

2nd year

Semester 2,

3rd year

Semester 2,

4th yearStart PCLL in

Hong KongOctober

Semester 2,

1st year

Semester 2,

2nd year

Semester 2,

3rd year

Semester 2,

4th yearStart PCLL in

Hong Kong

%November

Semester 2,

1st year

Semester 2,

2nd year

Semester 2,

3rd year

Semester 2,

4th yearStart PCLL in

Hong Kong

%December &Internship in

HK $rmSummer Course

1

Page 51: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

Your own plan!

47

Month\Year

January

February

March

%April

%May

%June

%July

%August

%September

October

%November

%December

Page 52: Hong Kong Law Careers Guide

On the lighter side

How to spend a potential ‘half-gap’ year

!e major intake for the PCLL is in September of each year. !is may lead to a potential 10-month gap between graduation and beginning the PCLL in Hong Kong. A few ideas to consider include:

! Studying at the College of Law in Australia during the gap period, giving you the possibility of being admitted in both jurisdictions.

! Accelerating/extending your degree by one semester so that you graduate in the middle of the year.

! Satisfy the conversion requirements (though this is not recommended).

! Study a language, especially Mandarin.

! Work full-time and earn money, especially if you don’t have permanent residence in Hong Kong.

! Travel around and/or take a vacation.

A practical ‘how to’ guide to Hong Kong.

!is section is nowhere detailed enough to be able to provide exact details of how to get around Hong Kong. However, it aims to be substantially broad so that readers can use the information to conduct further research for their stay.

a) Accommodation

Q: How expensive is it?Hong Kong’s accommodation costs are comparatively expensive compared to Australia’s. !is (uctuates at times – however, you can expect to be paying more for renting a (at in Hong Kong which could be noisier, more cramped, and has less aesthetically pleasing views compared to an Australian one. For a typical Hong Kong resident, accommodation can use up to 70% of their weekly income. Some ideas for you to take on board:

$ If possible, try to stay at a relative’s or friend’s house.

$ Live with a friend or (at-mate to split the cost.

$ Allocate a portion of funds in your bank account before travelling to Hong Kong to cover this.

Q: In which district should I stay?!e overwhelming majority of law $rms in Hong Kong are located on Hong Kong Island in the districts of Central (中環), Wan Chai (灣仔) and Admiralty (金鐘). Although you may have greater luck in $nding cheaper accommodation in, for example, New Territories (新界), you need to consider:

$ Transport costs: travelling long distance is more expensive.

$ Time: you may not want to live far away in a country totally foreign to you if your $rm has a reputation of releasing trainees at midnight at the earliest.

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Q: If I don’t have any "iends or relatives who live in Hong Kong, where do I #nd accommodation?You can $nd a variety of places in Hong Kong to stay to meet your budget. !ese include:

1. Hotels

$ If you are $nancially well-equipped, you can consider staying at a hotel. Hong Kong’s luxury hotels are ranked highly in the world.

$ To begin your Hong Kong hotel search, visit http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/jsp/hotel/search-index.jsp

$ Even if you arrive at Hong Kong International Airport without a hotel reservation, you can still receive assistance at the Hotel Reservation Centres immediately a#er passing through Customs. !ey can arrange accommodation and transport for you at no extra charge for hotels that are members of the Hong Kong Hotels Association (HKHA).

2. Serviced Apartments

!e World of AsiaXPAT has a website allowing you to search for serviced apartments according to your budget – see http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/property/serviced.asp. !e Geoexpat website may also be useful: http://www.geoexpat.com/resources/property/serviced-apartments/

$ Generally at least 1 month lease is required.

$ Prices vary from HK$6000 per month depending on a variety of factors including district, size and facilities available.

$ However, please be aware of several issues when looking into serviced apartments:

! Some cheaper serviced apartments may enter your room without notice to show prospective tenants (you are advised to check before-hand).

! Others may have shared bathroom facilities. It is recommended to inspect the location yourself or ask a friend/relative in HK on your behalf to do so.

! Also check forums such as Geoexpat to view the opinions or recommendations of others on HK apartments: http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/

3. Budget Accommodation

$ To ensure your own security and also for your personal belongings, make sure that you $nd a place to stay which has been o"cially issued with a licence from the Hong Kong Government. !ese are able to be searched quickly and conveniently at the Hong Kong Government’s licensing website:

http://www.hadla.gov.hk/en/hotels/index.html

$ Also ensure that you stay somewhere which has been validated as 'uality Tourism Services (QTS) accredited. !ese places have been assessed for maintenance of service standards. For more information, visit: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/jsp/qts-va/index.jsp

4. Youth Hostels

$ While YMCA and YWCA hostels in Hong Kong are more akin to 3-4 star hotels with similar rates, young travellers on minimal budgets can choose from 7 hostels run by the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association. Most of these hostels are located in the New Territories. More information available at: http://www.yha.org.hk/

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b) Weather

Q: What’s the weather like? What clothes should I pack for Hong Kong?Remember that the seasons are opposite to Australia’s since Hong Kong is in the Northern Hemisphere. Hong Kong’s seasonal temperatures are similar to Australia’s, although its summers are renowned for being extremely hot. !is is due to contributing factors such as the high humidity, air pollution and high-rise buildings blocking cooling breezes.

c) Transport

Hong Kong has one of the world’s most e"cient transport systems. Over 90% of daily travels are on public transport – the highest percentage in the world.

Q: What are the methods of transport I can use to get around Hong Kong?

! Mass Transit Railway (MTR) (地鐵) – the rapid transit railway system.

! Trams (電車) – the only tram system in the world exclusively with double-deckers.

! Double-decker buses (巴士) – for most main and longer distance routes.

! Public light buses (小巴) – for destinations where standard bus lines do not reach as frequently or directly.

! !e Star Ferry (天星小輪).

! Walking.

Q: Is there something similar to a TravelTen I can use so that I don’t have to buy tickets all the time?

All of Hong Kong’s transport is now paid by using the Octopus card (八達通). !is is a stored value card which you can purchase and recharge at any MTR station. !ere is a counter at Hong Kong International Airport where you can buy one as soon as you enter the country. It is now widely accepted on:

! Railways

! Buses

! Ferries

! Trams

! Outlets – convenience stores (eg. 7 Eleven), food outlets (eg. McDonalds, Café De Coral) and clothing outlets (eg. Bossini)

d) Eating

Like Sydney, Hong Kong is another country where East meets West. You will $nd a wide diversity of cuisines from traditional Chinese restaurants (酒樓) and tea-houses (茶餐廳) to Italian and Japanese. !e OpenRice website provides an interesting guide to Hong Kong eateries: http://www.openrice.com/

For those who are on a budget, there are three well-known fast-food outlets with franchises all over Hong Kong which serve traditional Chinese food at a%ordable prices. !ese are:

1) Café de Coral (大家樂)

2) Maxim’s (美心)

3) Fairwood (大快活)50

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While you are there, make sure you try traditional Chinese desserts in street shops or outlets such as Honeymoon Dessert (滿記甜品) and 許留山 (Hui Lau Shan).

For wild drinkers, the Lan Kwai Fong (蘭桂坊) upper section of Central (中環) is the place to be a#er work. !is is an area where many tourists gather to have fun and relax.

e) Culture

Hong Kong is a highly developed $nancial hub packed with high rises and modern shopping malls. !e New Territories side o%ers slightly more grasses and open space. Due to the rugged terrain, however, there are opportunities for hiking with expansive views over the territory, as well as beaches for swimming. For more details, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaches_of_Hong_Kong and related links.

According to a recent study sponsored by HSBC, Hong Kong’s citizens su%er from some of the highest rates of anxiety disorders. Relative to Australia, Hong Kong culture is generally far from relaxed and is always ‘on the go’ due to the convenience of services. If you live on Hong Kong Island, you may expect to hear the sounds of late night transport and construction activity occurring throughout the night; though you may become accustomed to this over time. Moreover, the population density is amongst the highest in the world. Trams and trains are normally packed at any hour of the day.

!ose in the professional services will generally work a 6-day week with a half-day on Saturday. Sunday is normally conceived as a ‘family day’. A 9am-5pm working culture is mostly non-existent with employees leaving at 6pm at the earliest. Trainees can expect to work longer hours, but this depends on the $rm you work at.

f ) Language

Hong Kong’s o"cial 2 languages are English and Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin). You should be able to get around Hong Kong without a problem provided you have a $rm grasp of either language. All street signs and directories are bilingual.

g) Exercise and Leisure

Hong Kong’s busy streets render it di"cult to exercise. !ere are several urbanised public parks available, however see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_urban_public_parks_and_gardens_in_Hong_Kong for more details.

!ere are also a variety of gyms in Hong Kong, such as Fitness First and California Fitness. Also, for those who enjoy reading in their spare time, you can visit the Hong Kong Public Libraries website at http://www.hkpl.gov.hk/ for further information.

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You are about to 'y to Hong Kong: A "nal checklist

We hope that those who wanted to make the move to Hong Kong a#er reading this guide will overcome all the various hurdles: getting a training contract, Conversion examinations, IELTS, PCLL o%er etc. So as a parting gi#, we leave you with a checklist in this last section to make moving to Hong Kong for your PCLL year and training contract less of a hassle.

Here are some things you need to think about before leaving Australia:

# Fill in an Overseas Noti"cation Form to remove your name from the electoral roll and to avoid any penalties for not voting.

Having your name removed will bar you from voting whilst overseas but is compulsory if you are leaving Australia inde$nitely. Registering as an overseas elector is possible if you intend to return within 6 years.(See http://www.aec.gov.au/ for more information).

# Ensure you have enough money until you get your $rst paycheck in Hong Kong.

Most $rms will pay you a stipend during your PCLL year but having more in store is always better. Accommodation is still quite pricey in Hong Kong and if you intend to rent a place bear in mind the deposit, bond, rent in advance etc.

# Sort out your money matters in Australia.

As a student you might not have a mortgage or car loan, but you might be on a mobile phone plan that uses direct debit or have a credit card. To prevent unnecessary expenses, you should sort out $nancial arrangements before you leave. Ask yourself if it’s time to terminate that phone plan or pay o% the credit card.

# Sort out your tax matters and see whether you are eligible to lodge a tax return early.

If you move to Hong Kong permanently, you might become a non-resident for Australian tax purposes. If this is so, you will only need to lodge an income tax return in the future for Australian income only.If you have a HELP loan, your debt will be indexed each year until it is paid o%. (Search “Leaving Australia” and “Working overseas” at http://www.ato.gov.au/ for more tax matters.)

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# Organise the sending of your personal belongings to Hong Kong.

If you have a lot of personal belongings which you just cannot leave in Australia, chances are the baggage allowance the airline gives you will not be enough. !ere are various options, but if you are willing to pay some money there are many relocation companies (e.g. Pack Send and Chess) which you can look into.

# Set up a bank account in Hong Kong for your convenience.Hong Kong has multiple local banks, o%ering various $nancial products. For example, Hang Seng Bank is a popular choice for overseas students $rst visiting Hong Kong because of its low fees for everyday accounts.

# !e Department of Foreign A%airs and Trade recommends that you organise insurance, take important personal records (e.g. birth certi$cate) with you and to have a health check-up before you leave.

For more important tips, visit http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/.

Register for a identity card within 30 days of arriving in Hong Kong.

!is is compulsory for persons permitted to stay in Hong Kong for more than 180 days. For more information and online appointments, visit: http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/idcard/hkic/index.htm.

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A collaborative project between:

UNSW Law SocietyChinese Law Students Society

Australia-China Youth Association

Design by Daniel Nguyen