I'm wondering about that too. What's a competitive average when applying for the JD programme in CUHK?

I want to see what the competition level is like for the JD program as well.

Um, American with a BBA & MSA, taken masters level classes in law and taught IP law on an undergraduate level as a substitute prof. I was also the youngest Copyright Specialist in the history of the US Copyright Office. I obviously have a focus of international Intel Prop law, thought HK being the "gateway to China" and all the "issues" in Asia with piracy it was a good goal.

I would assume IP has a large market in HK, can anyone vouch for that?

-Jen

I applied CUHK - LLM (CBL) and Cityu Scope - LLM International Corporate and Financial Law, anyone here know which one is better? Many thanks.

Why LLM itself wouldn't help you to be qualified as HK lawyer? After LLM, can stilll appy PCLL directly? It sounds more superior for LLM when compared with JD. Could pls enlighten as I am still thinking should I study JD or LLM as LLM is relatively cheaper and JD is really costly....

Hello to everyone here interested in the JD and LLM. I am a JD student in CUHK so I can shed some light on these issues. The LLM does not allow you to apply for PCLL afterwards. It is an academic degree, which if coupled with a JD, would be quite useful (lets say if you specialized in Chinese Business Law or International Economic Law). However I'm not sure what use an LLM in common law would be for you. If you are set on qualifying in Hong Kong, I would suggest that you give CityU a try and transfer if you don't like it there. A CPE or a foreign LLB would prove difficult as many are failing qualifying exams due to the change in PCLL admission requirements. A local degree is therefore the best route.

Hi, many thanks for your exp. sharing. Would like to know, is that FT also study in the same class with PT students? That's mean there is no morning class? For FT, is that most of the classes or all classes being held in Central, not in CUHK campus? As I am thinking to study JD or LLB? Although JD only require shorter duration to complete, JD is rel. quite expensive with gov. grant support while LLB has. Any sharing would be delighted?

FTs do not study with PTs. For part-time students, classes will be held on weekday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Evening classes will typically commence at 6.30 pm and conclude at 9.15 pm. Saturday classes will typically commence at 2.30 pm and conclude at 5.15 pm. FT classes will be during weekdays during the day.

Secondly, it doesn't matter if you are FT or PT JD/LLM as all postgraduate law classes are held in Central and not in the CUHK Shatin campus. LLBs will have classes in Shatin. Although the law library is in Shatin, we have a smaller law library in Central as well.

Regarding JD vs. LLB, if you already have an undergraduate degree, I believe that they will disqualify you since they will ask you to apply to the JD instead as that's what happened when I applied to both programs previously, I was not considered for the LLB as they noted I already have a degree. Possibly, the reasoning is that they cannot justify giving someone who already has a degree another UGC funded space where there are many other qualified applicants who are recent secondary school graduates. However, I believe cityu may allow you to take LLB, irregardless of whether you have a first degree or not.

Have you heard back from CUHK regarding the JD programme?

Hi, in fact, I have received the enrollment confirmation for PT JD. I also asked them before whether I can choose LLB, they also suggested me the same thng as yours. But, I am still thinking. As you are the experienced student, may I have your email contact?

Hi Guys,

I've got an urgent question about LLMs in HK and I was hoping to leech off the popularity of this post.

At present I've taken a gap year partly due to the new conversion exams in Hong Kong, before starting the PCLL and the training contract afterwards.

It only recently came to my attention the possibility of doing an LLM in the gap year whilst also preparing for the conversion exams and as such I've already missed the deadlines for HKU and quite possibly for CUHK (apparently there are only a few spaces left and they offer it on a rolling basis so its hard to be sure). That leaves CityU LLM. Do you guys think its worth doing the CityU LLM if I intend to work in HK/China in the future (albeit I have already secured a training contract)?

On one hand some friends have said an LLM is better than nothing at all, on the other hand, others have said having an LLM from a 'not as good university' (with all due respect to those at City U - I personally do not think I have enough knowledge about the comparative ratings within the three law offering universities) will not be perceived well in the eyes of future employers, should I wish to change jobs later on.

What are your opinions on this? Any help would be much much appreciated.

Hello everyone,
Just wondering if anyone knows about the lawyer-licensing-process differences between Canada and HK. In terms of the PCLL changes, which one is easier? -- doing law in HK and then practising in Cda or doing law in Cda and practising in HK? Thanks!

Hello, I am also Canadian and have thought about your question before coming to cuhk to study the JD. I am in 2nd year and hope that I could give you a bit of a perspective.

To be honest, the study of law is very jurisdiction specific. Hence you should think about where you want to practice after you finish your degree. The current PCLL conversion exams have put a dent on the eligible applications for this year's admission cycle. This is a big deterrent but not an insurmountable goal if you really want to come here after doing an LLB/JD in Canada.

The main difference is that Canadian law schools restrict the number of applicants that can get into law school (through a tough gpa/LSAT requirement), but the result is that most if not all law students could become lawyers after articling. In Hong Kong, admission into LLB or JD is not difficult, but the hurdle to overcome would be pcll admissions, with about 1/3 of the class getting a pcll space.

Therefore, my suggestion is that if you see yourself coming to practice here in the future, do your JD or LLB here (especially if u do not have a degree yet, doing an LLB would save you a lot of money by not having to do a first degree). It is a lot more difficult to transfer back to Canada with a Hong Kong Law degree. You would have to do maybe 10 conversion exams and at least 1 more year in a Canadian law school under the NCA route, which is a bigger pain in the ass than coming to HK with a Canadian law degree. After that you still have to article with a lawyer. Bottom line, study where you want to practice.

Hey all,

First of all, thank you to everyone for your thoughtful comments and replies already on this forum. My queries may be slightly out of place, but I thought perhaps you would have some insight.

I am a full-time graduate business student who has already received his JD and passed the Bar exam in Florida. I will be studying at CUHK from March to June. Do you think that I need an LLM to gain an internship while living and studying in HK? I would very much like to work while there.

Sincerely,
=/\=

Thanks "yello-jo" for your detailed insights! I'm not sure where the future will lead, but it seems conversion processes for both Canada and HK have changed recently.

It's great to hear you're in your second year at CUHK. Congrats! Any words of wisdom to give a ft JD freshman?

Thanks!

Hi everyone :) I'd love to benefit from everyone's wisdom here... but unlike everyone else I'm a Hong Kong resident currently living in the U.S. Over here a J.D. degree is a 3-year program and you'll be eligible to practice if you pass a Bar Exam specific to the state you live in. My goal has been to finish my undergraduate studies here and go to law school, after which practice in Hong Kong. So recently some friends recommended taking the J.D. programs at CUHK and CityU. I was wondering if this would be a good idea at all for a U.S. student? My second concern is that although I most likely will not return to U.S. to practice, it'd be nice to be certified here as well. Would anyone recommend obtaining a J.D. in Hong Kong and then a LL.M. in U.S.? Or would anyone recommend getting the J.D. in U.S. first and then find a way to be certified in Hong Kong (does this affect my chances at getting into PCLL?)? Thanks so much beforehand!

Hello Everyone,

I apologize in advance for leaching off this post, but I have several concerns that I would like to address and any advice and/or experience would be greatly appreciated. First off, how many hours of homework or readings is required during a standardized week of study and is it feasible to hold a part-time/weekend job while studying under the Juris Doctor Program at CUHK? Second would it be possible for any students who are either in second year or completed the JD Program to provide notes taken in class or samples of efficiently organizing a study system?
Does anyone know when we will be able to start purchasing textbooks and where we might be able to purchase used textbooks to reduce the cost? I will be leaving my personal email all replies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Hi, everyone,
I have accepted the offer of LLM(CBL) in CUHK 2012-2013. I have a special feeling and emotion toward HK,which constitues the main reason for my decision on this.plus, I am not sure right now whether I want to be the certificated lawyer of HK in the future. I am intented to figure it out during the one-year study of LLM. Is there anyone who decides to go for LLM in CUHK?

Hi Kynsee,

I saw your post and thought I would reply. You do know that the LLM does not lead to qualification in HK? If you want to qualify in Hong Kong, the LLM will not help at all. The law society will look primarily at your undergraduate course and your experience before deciding whether to let you take the bar exams in HK. Some LLMs, but only very few of them, end up as paralegals in Hong Kong law firms. Most just return to their own countries dissapointed at the employment prospects. I think sometimes, some law schools choose only to paint a rosy picture of post-degree employment. The truth is that the Hong Kong legal market is very competitive. Most top tier firms prefer to hire graduates of the top law schools in the west and australia. Sometimes, JDs from the HK universities manage to get in but usually that is because these lucky ones have amazing bachelor credentials (e.g. top ivy league education for their undergraduate).

If you are not planning to qualify in Hong Kong and just want to get exposure to "common law", have you thought of options in the UK or Australia? Personally, I think that would be a smarter investment.