School: The University of Hong Kong

Year of study: Three

Duration of programme: Four years

Young Post: What courses have you studied so far?

Choi: In the first two years, I learned the basics of the common law, such as tort (civil law), contract and trusts law.

I also studied Hong Kong's legal system. As a former colony, we follow the common law system enacted by the British.

There is a hierarchy of legal systems in Hong Kong and I learned about how they work.

YP: Which courses interest you the most?

C: I liked evidence law a lot. The course taught us how to tell whether a piece of evidence is admissible in court or not.

On TV, unexpected evidence always pops up in court and changes the outcome of a trial.

In real life, this can never happen, as a piece of evidence must fulfil many criteria before it can be brought into a courtroom.

I liked constitutional law, too. The course touched on fundamental human rights. For example, if a criminal feels he is being unfairly treated, he can invoke the relevant laws which guarantee his basic human rights.

When deciding a case, a judge needs to strike a balance between protecting human rights and helping the police combat crime. I found the concept really interesting.

YP: Have you done any internships?

C: Last July, I went to Beijing and worked as an intern in a mainland law firm for a month.

I had to translate legal documents and compile materials. I read about many legal cases and got to know how the mainland legal system works.

In August, I completed a one-month placement at Gilt Chambers, a renowned local law firm. My mentors there were practising lawyers.

I helped them with research and preparatory work for trials. I got to see first hand how cases are processed and how the lawyers come up with arguments in a case.

YP: How is the course conducted?

C: We have lectures, guest lectures, tutorials and court visits. We often have mooting competitions during tutorials which resemble a mock trial.

We need to take the side of either the defence or the prosecution. We have to apply law to the facts of a case and come up with the best arguments to beat the opposing side.

We also visit magistrates' courts to observe trials. Most judges and counsels are very friendly, and explain legal procedures to us.

YP: How is the course assessed?

C: By exam. In some junior courses, we also did a group project. We have both closed- and open-book exams.

To excel in exams, what matters most is not memorising all the cases and laws, but understanding the concepts, knowing how to analyse a case and applying relevant laws.

Admission

Minimum entry requirements: Seven passes in the HKCEE and four passes in A-Levels, including Chinese and English.

It is preferred that candidates have a Grade C or above in A-Level use of English and Chinese language. Results obtained from retakes will be given less credit.

Career prospects

Graduates can pursue private legal practice or work as government lawyers. For those who seek work outside the legal field, they can assume leadership roles in government, business, finance, and public interest organisations.