HK Law Society to consult with profession on exams overhaul in push to boost opportunities for students

The Law Society of Hong Kong is considering an overhaul of the exam system for graduates and foreign lawyers seeking to become locally qualified, with  a consultation on the subject set to be issued this month.

The plans for reform, which were first announced in July last year, include the proposal to scrap the existing assessment procedures at three Hong Kong universities – the University of Hong Kong (HKU) (pictured), City University and Chinese University – to create one common law exam.

Hong Kong law graduates currently have to complete the Postgraduate Certificate of Laws (PCLL) before being awarded a training contract. The one-year course is offered by the three universities, each of which have a limit on the number of students they can take.

Meanwhile, those with law degrees from overseas jurisdictions must also pass a conversion exam to ensure they have sufficient local legal knowledge, while foreign registered lawyers looking to become locally admitted are required to undergo a different assessment known as the Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination (OLQE).

The Law Society of Hong Kong, which is responsible for monitoring the courses, believes all the exams could be feasibly rolled into one, which would be overseen by them rather than the universities. 

They argue this would allow more universities to offer postgraduate training programmes by making course monitoring more manageable, and by removing the limit on the number of students able to take the exam each year. 

As it stands, only graduates with a high 2:1 degree are considered for the course due to university quotas. 

In order to bridge the gap between graduates and 'day one' solicitors, the society is also mulling plans to postpone postgraduate exams until after the completion of training contracts.

It is currently in the final stages of appointing a consultant from the UK to advise on the plans, and expects to issue a public consultation this month, with opinion set to be sought from law firms, barristers, the judiciary, universities and other consumers of legal services. 

Following the consultation, a new common exam overseen by the Law Society could be introduced by 2018.

"Our plan is to have a decision either at the end of this year or early next year on whether to proceed with setting up our own entrance exam," said Stephen Hung, vice president of the Hong Kong Law Society and chairman of the society's legal education committee.

"We should give [the students and universities] at least four years' notice, as I don't think it's fair to change the rules while some students are still studying their undergraduate degree. So in 2018, all the students who graduate from law school would have to sit the common exam."

According to Hung, courses would continue to be set by the universities, and it would be up to the faculties to tailor their teaching to accommodate lawyers with different experience.

"I feel sorry for those who cannot get onto the PCLL," he added. "In my time, you could get a place on the PCLL with a third class honours. Now even a 2:1 will not guarantee you a seat. 

"Last year, 25% of the intake at HKU came from abroad, so you can imagine the competition for local students.

"Hopefully 10 to 15 years down the road, there could be other course providers – with more course providers, there would be more opportunities for students."

According to recent figures, City University alone received 700 applications for the 2012-13 PCLL course, with just 160 places offered.