Applications for 2013-2014 admissions are now invited. You must submit your application on or before 30 April 2013. Late applications will not be considered.

Before submitting an application, please read the following two documents:

• How to make your application
• Important notes to applicants

To submit an application, please use our on-line application process at the University's Graduate School webpage.

The basis for admission to the PCLL is almost invariably academic merit.

The most important indicator of academic merit is your common law degree, usually a Bachelor of Laws degree or a Juris Doctor degree though we also consider applicants with CPEs or GDLs.

Your law qualification will be assessed by reference to:

• the classification, including grades, marks or other indicators of merit; and
• the standing of the awarding institution.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for admission to the PCLL set out in the statement issued by the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training (available at www.pcea.com.hk); and must also hold a valid International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Certificate (academic module) with an overall score of 7 or above taken on a date which is not earlier than three years preceding the closing date for applications in the academic year in which you are seeking entry to the PCLL. 

Since the most important indicator of your academic merit is your law qualification, it is irrelevant that you may have a training contract or pupilage arranged.  References letters in support of your application are NOT necessary and we do not conduct interviews.

Applications are dealt with by our admissions panel and we make conditional offers at various stages.  For instance, we will make early offers to applicants with outstanding academic merit. Therefore the earlier you apply the better.  We may also place a number of applicants on a Waiting List and those applicants may be offered places (the decisions will be made in mid or late August 2013) if such are available.  If you are from the Mainland or another jurisdiction and are placed on the Waiting List, you must ensure you extend your respective visas so that you are able to take up a place if offered.

The Programme is taught in two stages. In the first stage of the Programme you will study core practice areas and develop core skills. In the second stage you will choose from a wide range of electives that are designed to reflect the range of work undertaken by solicitors and barristers in practice.

The first nine electives listed below will be taught over the course of term 2.  The last elective, Trial Advocacy, will be taught intensively in the summer term.

It is possible that an elective may not be offered if it is selected by too few students. More

Stage 1: The compulsory Core courses
LAWS5001	Professional Practice	3 units
LAWS5002	Commercial Practice	3 units
LAWS5003	Property and Probate Practice	3 units
LAWS5004	Civil Litigation Practice	3 units
LAWS5005	Criminal Litigation Practice	3 units
Stage 2: The Elective courses. You must choose FIVE in total
LAWS5011	Writing & Drafting Litigation Documents*	3 units
LAWS5013	Lending & Finance	3 units
LAWS5014	Corporate Finance	3 units
LAWS5016	Writing & Drafting Litigation Documents (in Chinese)	3 units
LAWS5017	China Practice	3 units
LAWS5018	Writing & Drafting Commercial Documents (in Chinese)	3 units
LAWS5019	Alternative Dispute Resolution	3 units
LAWS5021	Writing and Drafting Commercial Documents	3 units
LAWS5022	Conference Skills and Opinion Writing*	3 units
LAWS5020	Trial Advocacy*	3 units
Note: Students intending to seek admission as a Barrister should select all 3 courses marked with an asterisk (*) (namely LAWS5011, LAWS5022 and LAWS5020 ).

• The Sir TL Yang Society
• Student Scholarships, Prizes
• Mooting

• UGC-funded places and Distinguished Scholarship places (for local students): HK$42,100;
  
• UGC-funded places and Distinguished Scholarship places (for non-local students): HK$120,000;
• Self-financed places: HK$138,600

• HKSAR Government Scholarships (for UGC-funded postgraduate students)
• Association of China-Appointed Attesting Officers Scholarships
• Law Society of Hong Kong/Bloomsbury Books Prizes
• Prize for Criminal Litigation Practice
• The Boase Cohen & Collins Prize for Civil Litigation Practice
• The Henry Wai Prize for Professional Practice
• The Henry Wai Prizes for Litigation and Professional Ethics
• The Hong Kong Bar Association Prize for Conference Skills and Opinion Writing
• The Hong Kong Bar Association Prize for Trial Advocacy
• The Law Society of Hong Kong Prize for Professional Practice
• The Robertsons Prize for Writing and Drafting Litigation Documents

• Solicitor
• In-house Lawyer
• Barrister
• Public Servant

Students may be eligible to apply for admission as a Solicitor or Barrister of the High Court of Hong Kong after completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) and a training contract (2 years) or pupillage (1 year).

Postgraduate studies for Master or PhD degrees.

Only UGC-funded students are eligible to apply for accommodation in Postgraduate Halls on the Shatin Campus. Students may wish to note that the teaching site for the PCLL is at the CUHK Graduate Law Centre in Central.