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In an effort to be innovative in providing a legal education that meets market needs, the City University of Hong Kong's (CityU) School of Law recently announced the launch of two programmes for next year - a two-year Juris Doctor (JD) programme and a four-year Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree course.

They have been created in response to recommendations made by a commissioned consultation on legal education in Hong Kong.

Since its establishment, City University has strived to take   a different educational path from that of the  University of Hong Kong (HKU).

'We have moved out of the shadows of HKU,' said  Stephen Hall, associate professor at  CityU and programme leader for the JD course. 'We play quite a different role in legal education in Hong Kong.'

Enrolment for the undergraduate course indicates  that the university is attracting  students from different backgrounds.

'We have  noted a stable demand  from mature students  for our law programmes. The JD programme will be the solution to  the problem of over-subscription by graduate students - we can give the LLB slots back to the school-leavers,' Dr Hall said.

The JD course  is expected to  attract recent graduates with a non-law degree, or experienced executives  looking for a career change.

The programme is planned  in six semesters over two years on a full-time basis (or three years on a part-time basis).  JD graduates  would have to follow  a further one-year study course for a Postgraduate Certificate in Law (PCLL) in order to be recognised as a lawyer in Hong Kong.

The programme will serve as a solid foundation for students who wish to acquire a professional qualification  for leadership roles in commerce, industry, government, media or community service.

'You will acquire a comprehensive legal knowledge in contracts, company, criminal, property, constitutional and administrative laws.  Plus, you will gain a good understanding of both the Hong Kong and PRC legal systems.'

The law school believes that graduating students  with  a broad overall knowledge  would be more sought after for corporate executive positions than those with a general MBA degree.

As the only law school in Hong Kong that provides such courses, the CityU School of Law  aims to differentiate itself from other legal education providers in four ways: admission of bachelor graduates or above; a significantly shorter duration of study; exemption from  general elective courses, and a compulsory legal research paper.

'We are benchmarking against the best practices. We are using a partnership approach with our students,' Dr Hall said.

Studies in Britain indicate  an increasing number of law graduates who are likely to enter  the professions rather than becoming barristers or solicitors.  In the United States,   legal education  is seen as the foundation of many careers that are not limited to independent legal practice.

'In my  experience at a university in Australia, only 50 per cent of the students will  pursue a legal profession after graduation. I believe this trend  will become more common in Hong Kong,' Dr Hall said.

This is where the four-year LLB course comes into play.  The undergraduate programme   covers the rudiments of  theory and practice  in law, and provides  a critical understanding of law and legal institutions.

Apart from the core subjects, students can  choose to specialise in such  areas as  intellectual property,  international law and  criminology.

Classroom presentations, interactive teaching and  group activities are part of the study programme.

Anthony Upham, associate professor and LLB programme leader,  said the school had invested a great deal of resources in order to make the programme  user-friendly.

'We have teamed up with some of the region's  leading legal experts, and we are committed to  a programme that will  help students gain the  knowledge  they require, and  also help them acquire a broad  outlook on work and life,'  Mr Upham said.



CityU law courses tailored for market