Legal education varies by country so while, for example, Australia recognises the Bachelor of Law, in other places acknowledgement is also given to the
Juris Doctor - Hong Kong, Canada, and the US being some examples. Navigating this murky sea of legal education can be challenging and with the status and value of courses ever-changing, it's worth asking if the Juris Doctor carries the same prestige as other qualifications such as the Bachelor of Law (LLB) and Master of Law (LLM)?
The
Juris Doctor, Hong Kong style is for non-law graduates who latterly decide to study law. Like the LLB, it is a challenging, scholarly course with a dissertation or thesis required. With both courses, further training in the form of the PCLL plus traineeship or pupilage is required for solicitors and barristers respectively. Due to the history of legal training in Hong Kong, there is no significant difference in the amount of prestige awarded to each course and the law profession in general is very highly respected. The JD is offered by The University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, and Chinese University of Hong Kong. For those looking to specialise further, the LLM is the most prestigious course, but will only be required for the most senior positions or for those with a keener interest in academia.
The confusion of the JD’s prestige arises with respect to other countries. For example, in Australia, the LLB is the traditional and most common educational pathway to law. The JD is less well understood and of the universities who began offering the JD, many have retracted it and returned to teaching the LLB. The reasons for this are manifold, but include discrepancy over the status of the degree since it cannot be marketed as an Honours degree, but neither can it be matched with a lower qualification. Of course it might be possible for Australia to make space for the degree, like the
Juris Doctor Hong Kong, it could become a prestigious course; however, Australia currently seems to see little reason to change their current LLB system.
The US and Canada have a different system and again this affects the status awarded to the course in these countries. The US has been offering the JD as one of its most popular law courses for many years and Canada now has a very similar system. In the US, the JD alone is sufficient to get a licence to practice law and the qualification is respected as such. The Doctor of Jurisprudence in Singapore is highly respected too. Alongside the LLB, it offers admission to Singapore's legal profession. A person can practice law with this qualification, although if they wish to be admitted to the Singapore bar, there are further qualifications that must be passed.
While the status and value of a Juris Doctor varies by country, those interested in pursuing a
Juris Doctor Hong Kong are best to focus on the status here. The Juris Doctor offers an unrivalled flexibility for students with various interests who have pursued or are pursuing a non-law Bachelors Degree program. The quality of teaching and the academic rigor is equivalent. In fact, those with a non-law degree and a JD have the advantage of having another area of expertise upon which to draw in their careers.
Since tuition fees often run so high, students are often anxious to know that they will have a good return on their investment. Those who wish to practice law find that that they have many routes into the profession in Hong Kong. Like doctors, lawyers and solicitors are very highly respected and students will find little discrimination between courses, provided that every effort is taken to meet one's learning potential.
