[Sponsored Article] The three-year JD (Juris Doctor) programme offered by the School of Law at City University of Hong Kong is a leading choice for graduates with a first degree in a non-law discipline who have now set their sights on a career as a barrister or solicitor. The taught courses, covering both theoretical and practical aspects, include required classes and electives amounting to 72 credit units, giving students a solid grounding in civil, criminal and commercial law, but also the chance to specialise in areas like Chinese law or alternative dispute resolution. Along the way, there are legal placements, typically of around four weeks, with Hong Kong law firms, banks, NGOs, mainland courts, or assisting in-house counsel at major international firms. There is extensive professional training in drafting, case presentation and advocacy skills, with the possibility of taking part in high-level international mooting competitions. And, when health and travel restrictions permit, there are also interesting opportunities to complete certain courses at partner universities in Paris or Switzerland. “My principal function is to teach the students to think like lawyers; that there are not right or wrong answers, only good and bad arguments.” says Dr Mark Kielsgard, associate professor and JD Programme Director. “I focus on this from my first tutorial and I lecture on how to write a good coursework essay. There is a particular way of structuring your arguments and conclusions. It’s not absolute; it is all about communicating and articulating well. At the outset, students want to tell you everything they know about a subject, whether it is relevant or not, but it is the practicalities that count - and the authorities they can cite.” Another point emphasised early on is that the law changes, as does the context and environment in which it is practised. New types of case will appear, some no doubt linked to technology, others to international trade and finance, and anyone expected to resolve them will benefit from specialist knowledge and insights. With that in mind, CityU is planning to introduce a new joint JD and MBA programme in September this year. Students will take the two degrees in parallel, though the majority of MBA-related courses and electives will be in the third year. The broad aim is to meet the increasing need expressed by employers for recruits trained in both law and business and who, therefore, are able to handle the kind of the multidimensional problems that span the legal and corporate worlds. “It is a good fit for us,” Kielsgard says. “There is a synergy, which should also help the respective schools to attract more mainland and international students.” According to Dr Sara Tsui Fung-ling, the Teaching Fellow and JD Programme Associate Director at the School of Law, the joint programme is expected to have an initial intake of between 10 and 20. A few details are still being finalised, but the feedback from focus groups has been very positive and, in an informal survey of CityU alumni, there was a pretty broad consensus that the new option is a big plus and will definitely help careers. “As the programme continues, if the applicants are there, we will make room for them,” Tsui says. “In terms of policy, we will have both face-to-face and hybrid teaching. For the JD, there are also small tutorial groups, and individual and group essay assignments, which closely mirror what solicitors have to do. And we regularly invite students to seminars to share their views on topics like online teaching – some love it - and to show we are listening to their concerns.” She adds that most students pick up the correct English legal terms and phraseology without too much difficulty. However, those who struggle initially, or are reluctant to speak up in class, or persist in thinking there is just one answer to every legal question, always have somewhere to turn for support. “They have to understand and accept when they need assistance,” Tsui says. “Once they seek help, things are easier. At CityU, we are a very tight law school and always open to any student setting up an appointment.” Typically, candidates for the JD programme have a first degree from leading universities, including those in Britain, Australia and the United States. To impress, though, they must also be articulate, principled and ready to work hard. In due course, the majority usually go on to take the one-year PCLL (Postgraduate Certificate in Laws) before finding a role in the profession or an adjacent field. “The JD is graduate school; it is competitive” says Kielsgard. “Just getting the degree is not enough to get into a good law firm or chambers. So, I tell the students to be serious, to have the right level of dedication. They will have people’s livelihoods and lives in their hands. It is a sacred trust.” In another development, CityU’s School of Law has also established two collaborative programmes with Georgetown University in the United States. One offers City’s JD, the other its LLB, alongside Georgetown’s LLM, with three and four years of full-time study required to complete the respective options. The first cohort of students should be able to enrol for the 2022/23 academic year. “These collaborative programmes are testimony to our school’s strong global alliances and provide CityU students with an opportunity to obtain professional degrees in the US and Hong Kong,” Kielsgard says. “They will enhance employability in both jurisdictions with an overall reduction in study time.”