To provide a well-rounded legal education to those who already possess a first degree in a non-law discipline (or a law degree from a non-common law jurisdiction) and who wish to enter the legal profession in Hong Kong or who wish to equip themselves for a career in law-related employment.

The School of Law prepares candidates for the legal profession and for law-related careers in public service and private enterprise. Our law degree meets the needs of those who would like to join the legal profession in Hong Kong, or seek other law-related opportunities in the Chinese Mainland and the Asia-Pacific region.

The CityUHK JD Programme is highly competitive. It seeks elite students with outstanding credentials in order to hone them into exemplary legal professionals.

To be eligible for admission, candidates must satisfy the following entry requirements:

• a bachelor's degree in a non-law discipline; or

• a bachelor's degree in law from a non-common law jurisdiction, obtained after at least eight semesters of full-time study.  

For applicants whose entrance qualification is obtained from an institution where the medium of instruction is not English, the minimum English language proficiency requirement is:

• a minimum total score of 100 (for tests taken prior to 21 January 2026) or 5 (for tests taken from 21 January 2026 onwards) (Internet-based Test) in TOEFL^#; or
• a band score of 7 or above in IELTS, with no individual score below 6.5^#; or
• a total score of 550 in the Chinese mainland's College English Test (Band 6).

(TOEFL, IELTS and CET-6 scores are considered valid for two years. Applicants are required to provide their English test results obtained within the two years preceding the commencement of the University’s application period. 'TOEFL iBT Home Edition', ‘TOEFL MyBest Score’, ‘IELTS Indicator’, ‘IELTS One Skill Retake’ and ‘IELTS Online’ are not acceptable.)

^#Applicants are required to arrange with the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send their TOEFL results directly to the University. The TOEFL institution code for CityUHK is 3401. Applicants are required to send their IELTS result(s) via the IELTS Results Service e-delivery to the University. 

As future legal professionals, JD students must complete 72 credits comprising:

- Required courses: Legal Methods, Research and Writing and Hong Kong Legal System; 

- Electives offered in JD, LLM and LLMArbDR programmes; and

- Core courses required for admission to the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) Programme and  thereafter to the legal profession in Hong Kong are:

• Commercial Law 
• Company Law I and II
• Constitutional Law
• Administrative Law
• Criminal Law I and II
• Equity & Trusts I and II
• Law of Contract I and II
• Law of Evidence
• Law of Tort I and II
• Land Law I and II

Stream

JD students may, by choosing the right combination of electives, specialize in one of the following streams:

• International Commercial Law
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Chinese and Comparative Law

JD and LLB lectures will be delivered together in most courses. Tutorials are held separately.

The CityUHK MBA programme is also offered to JD students who wish to gain concurrent knowledge in business and in law, to expand their employment opportunities. JD students will have the opportunity to earn their JD and MBA degrees in a fast-track mode over three years.

The Juris Doctor (JD) is a first law degree recognized for the purposes of application to the PCLL, a practical training programme completed to enter the legal profession in Hong Kong. Completing the JD does not automatically guarantee entry into the PCLL, however most JD applicants do gain admission based on their academic credentials. Admission to the PCLL is determined based on supply and demand.

• CityUHK Law School was the first law school in Hong Kong to offer a JD programme.
• Candidates will have the opportunity to complete a JD at CityUHK and an LLM at renowned overseas institutions including Georgetown University (USA), Melbourne University (Australia), University Paris 1 (France) and Université de Fribourg (Switzerland) via an accelerated path.
• Candidates will have the opportunity to complete the CityUHK JD and MBA in three years.
• Candidates may elect to study an intensive summer course at University College Oxford (U.K.)*.
• Candidates can join Legal Placements at Hong Kong law firms, government departments, banks and international companies, plus courts in the Chinese Mainland and overseas NGOs.
• Candidates can join exchange studies at an overseas university in Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, Netherlands, UK and USA, based on the SLW's existing exchange agreements.
• Extensive professional training will be provided to candidates to sharpen their advocacy skills for participation in international mooting competitions.
• Candidates interact with world-class scholars on cutting-edge issues without leaving the CityUHK campus.
• Some courses have been included in the list of reimbursable courses for the Continuing Education Fund (CEF). For application details, please refer to http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/cef/en/index.htm.
• Outstanding applicants are eligible for scholarships.
• Financial support is provided to students for participation in overseas-learning activities, mooting competitions and overseas placements.
• Short-term elective courses are taught by renowned scholars.
• Admission scholarships are provided to outstanding students.

* subject to renewalAdmission scholarships are provided to outstanding students.

Course Descriptions
School of Law