Course Syllabus

Legal Writing and Drafting

This course will introduce students to the basic principles of effective legal writing and provide the opportunity for students to practice the key skills required to produce good written legal material. Topics addressed will include the clear identification of the purpose of the written piece, its planning, writing, editing, and ultimately its presentation.

Students will practice drafting legal forms and documents in a variety of legal contexts using simple sentences in clear English, in the active voice, and with accurate grammar.

Professional Responsibility and Advocacy

Law Society of Hong Kong: statutory authority, Council, committees, and directorate, membership, practicing certificate, risk management, CPD, professional indemnity scheme, admission and trainee solicitors, legal executives.

Professional Conduct: Hong Kong Solicitors’ Guide to Professional Conduct; relationships with clients, other lawyers and duty to the Court, confidentiality, conflict of interest, fiduciary duty - handling client money, trust accounts, undertakings.

Misconduct: complaints procedures, investigations, discipline, and powers.

Advocacy: taking client instructions, techniques, tactics and preparation for applications, effective speaking, appropriate use of language, presentation, and etiquette.

Applications: uncontested application before a master in chambers, application for a three-minute hearing, taxation hearing before a taxing master.

Company Law and Corporate Governance

This course will examine the corporate vehicle, its registration requirements, regulation, raising capital, and winding up. It will explore the range of theoretical and practical legal issues concerning corporate activities including the enforcement of various corporate governance provisions. Specifically, it will cover the rules relating to membership, meetings, directors’ activities, conflicts of interest, reporting, notifications, inspections, audits, and investigations.

Disputes Resolution

This course will consider various alternative dispute resolution methods including conciliation, mediation, arbitration, mini-trials, private courts judicial adjudication, and the ombudsman’s office within the context of a variety of legal complaints. While consideration will be given to the range of methods, the principal focus will be on mediation and arbitration used to resolve commercial, administrative, and labour disputes.

Hong Kong Commercial Law and Practice

A range of topics will be canvassed in this subject including types of personal property, the protection of interests in property, credit security and finance, and Sale of Goods. It will focus on various types of commercial transactions and the legal relationships created between the parties involved and the protections afforded them. Relevant local legislation will be considered in context and the unique aspects of Hong Kong legislation will be highlighted.

Timetable for 2022/23

Lecture Time            :   7:00-10:00 p.m. (Weekdays);  2:30-5:30 p.m. (Saturdays)

Examination Time  :   7:00-9:00 p.m. (Weekdays);  2:30-4:30 p.m. (Saturdays)

Students who have completed the Diploma in Legal Studies (either the Professional Stream/General Stream) are eligible to enroll.

To study in Hong Kong, all non-local applicants are required to obtain a student visa issued by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR Government, except for those admitted to Hong Kong as dependants, who do not need prior approval before taking up full time and part-time studies.  Non-local applicants issued with a valid employment visa also do not need prior approval to pursue part-time studies.  It is the responsibility of individual applicants to make appropriate visa arrangements. 

Please note a student who has passed a module or elective cannot re-enroll in the same module or elective. Students who have completed this program cannot re-enroll in the same program.

• The CEF Institution Code of HKU SPACE is 100

	Continuing Education Fund Reimbursable Course (selected modules only) Some modules of this course have been included in the list of reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund.
	Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies This course is recognised under the Qualifications Framework (QF Level [4])

Progression Path

Students who complete the Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies might be eligible for the following progression opportunities:

Guaranteed Entry to Other Popular Law Courses

Students who have completed the Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies and who receive a Distinction on the Diploma in Legal Studies are also guaranteed places on the highly competitive Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law (Common Professional Examination)#* offered by Manchester Metropolitan University with HKU SPACE, which is one of the fastest ways for intending lawyers to complete the legal studies necessary to apply to P.C.LL. courses in Hong Kong.

*Admission to the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law (Common Professional Examination)#, is normally only open to University graduates, however, this restriction can be waived for students who complete the Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies

#Non-Local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance

This is an exempted course under the Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance. It is a matter of discretion for individual employers to recognize any qualification to which this course may lead.

Become a Legal Executive

Legal executives are assistants to lawyers who help carry out many types of legal work. This professional title can only be used by students who complete an Approved Legal Executive Course recognized by the Law Society of Hong Kong, and the Professional Stream was one of the first courses recognized by the Law Society for this purpose.

One of the great attractions of the Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies is that it allows students who have already finished the Professional Stream of the Diploma in Legal Studies to complete all the legal subjects necessary to qualify as Legal Executives.

To work as a Legal Executive, students must also satisfy eligibility requirements set by the Law Society. For more information, please visit the ADLS website or see paragraph 2(b) of the Law Society’s Benchmarks for Legal Executive Courses.

Students who have completed the General Stream of the Diploma in Legal Studies are welcome to join the Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies, but cannot qualify as Legal Executives.

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