Programmes

Postgraduate Certificate in Laws

Programme	Postgraduate Certificate in Laws 法學專業證書
Award Title	Postgraduate Certificate in Laws 法學專業證書
Offering Academic Unit	School of Law
Mode of Study	Full-time

Normal Period of Study

- 1 year (full-time)

Maximum Period of Study

- 1 year (full-time)

Credit Units Required for Graduation

Programme Aims

This programme aims to prepare students:

to enter the legal profession as a trainee solicitor or as a pupil barrister;
to understand and fulfil their professional responsibilities;
to undertake a basic range of legal services commonly undertaken by trainee solicitors and pupil barristers or in the very early years of practice; and
to manage their work effectively.

Programme Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)

Upon successful completion of this Programme, students should be able to:

communicate at an advanced level, both verbally and in writing;
obtain and act upon clients’ instructions and provide practical solutions for clients’ objectives and problems;
organize and manage their work appropriately, and to meet deadlines;
research and learn independently;
demonstrate strategic and critical thinking in their professional work; and
identify professional ethical issues which may arise in practice and deal with them professionally.

Programme Requirements

1. Programme Core Courses: (30 credit units)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units
PLE5012	Conveyancing Practice	4
PLE5013	Corporate and Commercial Practice	5
PLE5015	Professional Conduct and Practice	3
PLE5016	Wills and Probate Practice	2
PLE5018	Civil Litigation Practice	3
PLE5019	Criminal Litigation Practice	3
PLE5050	Interlocutory Advocacy and Interviewing	2
PLE5051	Mediation and Negotiation	2
PLE5052	Trial Advocacy	2
PLE5053	Litigation Writing and Drafting	2
PLE5054	Commercial Writing and Drafting	2

2. Programme Electives: (6 credit units)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units
PLE5020	Bar Course	2
PLE5022	Foundations in Mainland Related Legal Transactions	2
PLE5025	International Arbitration Practice	2
PLE5026	Financial Regulatory Practice	2
PLE5027	Family Law Practice	2
PLE5028	Personal Injuries Practice	2
PLE5029	Chinese for Legal Practice	2

Professional Recognition

The Legal Practitioners Ordinance (‘LPO’) requires that persons wishing to practise as solicitors or barristers in Hong Kong must pass the PCLL in the City University of Hong Kong (‘CityU’), the University of Hong Kong (‘HKU’) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (‘CUHK’) in order to become trainee solicitors or pupil barristers before being admitted to practice. A Government committee, the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training (SCLET) oversees the quality of the PCLL Programmes. The SCLET consists of representatives of the Government, the Judiciary, the Law Society, the Bar Association and the Universities. Special Committees of the Law Society and Bar Association have the duty to monitor the quality of the Programmes and the examinations. They set ‘benchmarks’ for the PCLL Programme.

Additional Information

Introduction of a compulsory 70% attendance requirement in small groups in every course in the PCLL programme. The students who fail to fulfil the attendance requirement in a semester (for a semester long course) or in a year (for a year long course) will not, except with valid reasons, be permitted to sit for the final assessment in that course in that semester or any re-sit examination. Consequently, such a student cannot pass the PCLL.

Related Links

School of Law