Introduction | Programme Aims and Objectives | Programme Structure | Admission Requirements | Visiting "Internal" Students | Admission Guidelines | Applications and Enquiries

PCLL Admission for 2010/11
For entry requirements for the PCLL for 2010/11, please refer to the PCLL Conversion Examination and Administration Limited (PCEA) website. click HERE

Student Residence on Campus
Student residence is available on campus. Non-local students are welcome to apply. However, there is no guarantee accommodation in the student residence can be provided because of limited capacity. Students should be prepared to arrange their own off-campus accommodation if deemed necessary.

For information on the accommodation and fees of the student residence, please visit: www.cityu.edu.hk/sro

Introduction

The Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) was established to provide the necessary professional qualification for LLB and JD graduates or non-law graduates who have passed the Common Professional Examination (CPE). PCLL graduates can enter the legal profession as trainee solicitors or pupil barristers.

Programme Aims and Objectives

The PCLL programme aims to prepare students:

1. to enter the legal profession as a trainee solicitor or as a pupil barrister;
2. to understand and fulfil their professional responsibilities;
3. 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
4. to manage their work effectively.

Upon successful completion of the PCLL programme, students should be able to:

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

Programme Structure

The PCLL is a one-year full-time programme. Courses are taught in a variety of modes including large groups and small groups, skills seminars, problem-based learning groups, simulations, demonstrations, field trips and presentations to practitioners and guest lecturers. Assessment is by way of coursework and final examinations. The programme is taught by full-time staff with legal practice experience and part-time legal practitioners. Members of the Judiciary and the legal profession also participate. Students work in groups of no more than ten.

There will be twelve core courses: Interlocutory Advocacy and Interviewing; Trial Advocacy; Mediation and Negotiation; Litigation Writing and Drafting; Commercial Writing and Drafting; Conveyancing Practice; Wills and Probate Practice; Corporate and Commercial Practice; Civil Litigation Practice; Criminal Litigation Practice; Professional Conduct and Practice; and Solicitors’ Accounts.

Students must also take electives worth 4 credits which will include Bar Course; Foundations in Mainland Related Legal Transactions; International Arbitration Practice; Litigation Practice II; and Understanding Financial Statements and Financial Regulatory Practice.  Each elective will carry 2 credits.

Note: The PCLL (part-time) programme will be suspended for 2010 cohort.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must satisfy ONE of the following to be eligible for admission:

1. hold a law degree from the City University of Hong Kong or the University of Hong Kong or the Chinese University of Hong Kong; or
2. hold a common law degree of equivalent level from a recognized overseas institution; or
3. have passed the common professional examination or equivalent from a recognized institution.

Applicants must also supply evidence that:

1. they are competent in eleven core subjects  (or subjects recognised as their equivalent) namely Contract, Tort, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Land Law, Equity, Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Business Associations and Commercial Law;
2. they are competent in three ‘Top-up’ subjects namely Hong Kong Constitutional Law, Hong Kong Legal System and Hong Kong Land Law; AND
3. they have obtained an overall score of 7 or better in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) from a test taken not more than 3 years before the closing date of application. This is a requirement of the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training in Hong Kong. No exemptions will be permitted.

The IELTS is administered jointly by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), The British Council and IDP Education Australia. For details please see (http://www.ielts.org) or contact:

The British Council
Tel: 2913-5100
Email: enquiries@britishcoucil.org.hk

IDP Education Australia
Tel: 2827-6362

If you intend to demonstrate competence in the core and Top-up subjects and the IELTS before the start of the PCLL programme, you may apply to join the PCLL immediately even if you have not yet passed those subjects or received exemption from the Conversion Examination Board. However, any offer of a place on the PCLL programme will be conditional upon your successfully demonstrating competence in the core and Top-up subjects and supplying your IELTS result before the deadline mentioned on the application.

Conversion Examinations, supervised by the Conversion Examination Board, are offered twice a year in the following subjects:
Core subjects – Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Commercial Law, Evidence and Business Associations
Top-up subjects – Hong Kong Constitutional Law, Hong Kong Land Law and Hong Kong Legal System

Enquiries regarding the Conversion examinations should be directed to:

Conversion Examination Board
Tel: 3761-1123
Email: enquiry@pcea.com.hk

The School offers both UGC-funded and self-financing PCLL places. All applicants for the full-time programme are considered first for the UGC-funded places which are limited in number and awarded on the basis of merit.

The School of Law welcomes applications from Hong Kong and overseas graduates.

Visiting "Internal" Students

The City University LLB/JD programmes provide examinations in the core and top-up subjects for PCLL entry. Thus, if you have not yet passed all those subjects, a possible route is to be a visiting “internal” student in our law courses. You may then attend and pass your 'missing' courses.

Please note that if you apply to be a visiting student, this is subject to approval by the relevant Programme Leaders.

Further, by taking and passing the examinations, your application for PCLL admission will still have to be considered along with all the other applicants.

Please click here for courses: Visiting "Internal" Students. For application procedure and fees, please refer to the "Visiting Students" at http://www.cityu.edu.hk/cityu/prospect/undergrad-frame.htm / http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sgs/vpg/admission

Admission Guidelines

Set out below are the PCLL admission guidelines.

1. Admission to the PCLL is based solely on merit.
2. The most important indicator of merit is past academic performance.
3. Applicants' LLB degrees are assessed by reference to (a) classification, grades, marks, etc and (b) the standing of the law school of the university issuing the degree.
4. Applicants are required to have a minimum of good 2:2 in their law degree (or equivalent) to be considered for admission in the PCLL programme.
5. Warning! Please ensure that you obtain the IELTS result in good time. There have been incidents of applicants only attempting the IELTS tests after the deadline for applications. You should also anticipate that there may be a shortage of places for the IELTS tests which may cause delay.

Applications and Enquiries

The application period normally starts from the beginning of December and ends on 30 April of the following year for the full-time PCLL programme.

Apply online at http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sgs/tpg/admission

Admissions Enquiry:

Telephone: (852) 3442 5588
Fax: (852) 3442 0187
Email: tpadmit@cityu.edu.hk

Further information about the programme is obtainable from:

For further admission enquiries, please contact the PCLL Deputy Admissions Tutor, Ms Heather DOUGLAS.

If applicants do not have their final year LLB results or their IELTS result at the time of application, they should submit the results directly to the General Office, School of Law (Attn:PCLL Programme Team) once available.

PCLL Booklist and Ordinance List 2009/2010