Juris Doctor programme promotes critical thinking
Special course allows students to switch courses and pursue a career in law
[Sponsored Article]
The JD (Juris Doctor) programme offered by CityU’s School of Law has a very clear purpose: to allow students with a Bachelor’s degree in another discipline to change to law and prepare them for the PCLL and a future career in the legal profession.
This switch is achieved via a fast-paced curriculum which combines theory and practice with opportunities for local internships and semesters overseas at partner schools in Mainland China, Britain, Europe, Australia and the United States.
Such an approach gives students a global view, with an understanding of common law and different jurisdictions, as well as the technical expertise, forensic thinking and personal skills to go on to successful careers as solicitors and barristers, in government service or in various branches of the corporate world.
“We set high academic requirements for entry and candidates must have a good standard of English,” says JD programme director Dr Mark Kielsgard, who notes that around 100 students are admitted each year. “We are very selective in whom we choose and we teach more or less under the British system with lectures, tutorials and small class sizes which allows for more individual attention.”
In tutorials, there is particular focus on developing critical thinking. Students are put on the spot and expected to propose or defend a position with well-reasoned arguments, relevant examples and eloquent explanations.
“Public speaking plays an important part in almost every area of the law, whether you become a barrister representing clients in court or an in-house counsel,” says JD programme associate director Ms Sara Tsui. “So, we create an environment where students have to practise that in classroom discussions and moot court sessions, which also hones their ability to think critically and answer unexpected questions.”
In other respects, practical skills are taught in group writing assignments, preparing 2,000 to 5,000-word essays, and in classes on legal method which show, for example, how to draft documents and cite authority.
Students can complete the programme in two years but are strongly advised to take three years. Core courses cover all the main aspects of criminal, civil and commercial law. But the school also emphasises the benefits of studying overseas and doing credit-bearing placements to learn about the court system in Mainland China or experience the routines of a law firm, a barristers’ chambers, or a big finance company’s legal department.
“Getting a law degree is a huge commitment of time and money, so students must be motivated and ready to jump into the deep end from day one,” Dr Kielsgard says. “Many opt for the JD because they feel the need for a change, they have a sense of justice or they have come up against problems with a legal aspect in the course of their previous employment.”