The JD is a full-time, two-year law degree that provides comprehensive and in-depth legal education to students without prior background in the law. The emphasis of the programme is not on rote learning of legal rules, but on critical appreciation and assessment of the underpinnings of these rules. The JD programme typically has an annual cohort size of about 70–90 students. We believe an intimate environment will facilitate interaction and enhance the learning experience.

The programme will provide students with a solid foundation in traditional common law subjects, which are the bedrock of the Hong Kong legal system. In addition, the programme will introduce students to new ways of thinking about the law. Courses on interdisciplinary and theoretical approaches to the law are a required component of the programme. These courses will challenge students not only to understand what the law is, but also to contemplate what the law should be. The programme also includes a broad range of electives, which will allow students to explore their academic interests and to develop a specialty. Such exploration and specialisation will culminate in a capstone requirement, which can be satisfied through submission of a dissertation, in which students are expected to engage with and advance the scholarship on cutting-edge areas of law, completion of a legal clinic course, or participation in an international mooting competition.

The JD programme offers all the courses required for admission to the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws programme (PCLL). Graduates who have taken these courses will be eligible to apply for admission to the PCLL and eventually to practise either as a barrister or a solicitor in Hong Kong. Learning in the JD programme will not be confined to the classroom. The Faculty of Law is a serious community of research and scholarship. As a leading centre of legal research in Asia, our Faculty offers students a chance to benefit from the constant stream of visiting academics from around the world. Recent visitors included eminent academics from institutions such as the University of Oxford, Harvard Law School, and Yale Law School, to name but a few. The Faculty hosts frequent talks and workshops, and participates in numerous international mooting competitions, which are excellent opportunities for students to hone their research, writing, and advocacy skills.