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The undergraduate degree in law at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has an international focus by design, with graduates going on to work for local and global law firms, following a specialism or applying their legal knowledge in multinational corporations. Once they have completed their degree, they should know their way around the legal system in China and Hong Kong and also be able to describe the principles of international law or laws of other jurisdictions.
“On the one hand, the course is designed with compulsory aspects that reflect the law here and in mainland China, but we also ensure we give students an international perspective so they can operate globally,” explains Michael Tsimplis, programme director for CityU’s Bachelor of Laws. “They may not know a country’s legal system inside out, but they respect foreign systems and are not surprised when they work for an international business and different rules apply.” The school is staffed by faculty from different countries who can offer their own perspectives on comparative law, so students gain awareness of global systems.
In addition, CityU’s School of Law offers a range of routes for students looking to explore international legal practice. There is a collaborative programme with Georgetown University in Washington DC, where students can obtain legal degrees in both jurisdictions. Students can also study an intensive course at the University College Oxford during the summer term as part of the Global Legal Education and Awareness Project, which promotes excellence in legal education. “They get the benefit of going to a foreign university, finding out about themselves and working as a group within a different educational system,” he adds.
There are also a number of exchanges available for students to study outside of Hong Kong at CityU’s partner institutions around the world. The school was the second law school in Asia to join the THEMIS Network, which began as a collaboration between European law schools. Students who participate in the programme take part in an international exchange at a partner university and receive a joint international certificate upon completion. One former student who attended an exchange at Bocconi University in Milan discovered an interest in the legalities around trademarking and fashion. “Exchanges open the minds of students in a different way, and they may end up working in sectors that are not dominant in Hong Kong,” Tsimplis says.
When it comes to work experience, CityU’s School of Law offers a number of internship programmes with firms in Hong Kong as well as the legal departments of major employers. Practitioners come to the school to share aspects of specialisms such as maritime law, and students get the opportunity to participate in international mock trial competitions.
CityU also offers four double law programmes where undergraduates can gain a second degree in complementary subjects such as accountancy, maths, public policy and criminology, over a period of five years. Companies based in China often seek legal expertise in Hong Kong, so there is a thriving labour market when they graduate. Ultimately the aim is to provide students with options, Tsimplis says. “Students may decide to work locally and not become international lawyers, but we help them to understand what they can have.”
Find out more about the School of Law at the City University of Hong Kong.
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