PCLL
The PCLL, or the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws, is an intensive one-year full-time (or two-year part-time) professional legal qualification which allows graduates to proceed to legal training before qualifying to practice as either a barrister or a solicitor in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), People's Republic of China.
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PCLL requirements
Equivalent to the LPC in London in its purpose, its requirements are slightly different: a full law degree with second class honours or above (US: GPA 3.0+) is required. Usually a LL.B. degree is required; BCLs, BAs, JDs and LLMs are sometimes accepted, but probably not one-year conversion courses as one would not have studied the eight requisite subjects for a sufficient number of classroom hours. Note also that students who did not study Hong Kong law before are required to attend extra 'conversion' classes to familiarise themselves with the system, as it is only substantially based on English common law.
PCLL cost
The PCLL in HKU for the 2005-2006 academic year will cost HK$95,000.00 (US$12,180.00 approximately) for all non-government-subsidised full-time students. Only certain local Hong Kong law students can meet the prerequisites required for the discounted, government-funded fee of HK$42,100.00 (US$5,400.00 approximately) (2005-6 academic year).
Students wishing to take the two-year part-time course at HKU will have to pay HK$110,000.00 to complete the programme (US$14,100.00 approximately) (2005-7 academic years).
The PCLL in City U for the 2005-6 academic year will cost HK$108,000.00 (US$13,850.00) (non-government-funded), or at least HK$60,000.00 (US$7,700.00) (non-local students), or $42,100.00 (US$5,400.00) (government-funded local students).
PCLL Application Deadline
For the PCLL starting in the academic year 2005, the deadline for HKU's and City U's was on Apr 30, 2005.
Where is the PCLL offered?
The PCLL is currently offered by The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) may offer this in the near future, with their new J.D. programme starting in the academic year of 2006.
The HKU PCLL admission details
The HKU intake is currently slightly under 300 students per year (and decreasing), with approximately 70-80 of those from its own LL.B. programme. Others come from the HKU SPACE programme (for mature students), mainland China and students from the world's most prestigious universities, especially from England, Canada and Australia. The minimum academic level required for acceptance into this programme is being raised with each intake. Previously, all HKU's LLB graduates would be admitted into its PCLL programme; now, just over two-thirds are admitted (that means a decent 2:2 honours in the LL.B.). Non-HKU students usually require a 2:1 honours (GPA 3.3+).
The City U PCLL admission details
The City University of Hong Kong's PCLL programme's intake is substantially less, standing at about one hundred this year.
The PCLL course content
There are six (?) compulsory courses in the first of two semesters which all students must take. For the second semester, students must choose one of two streams: the commercial and corporate practice stream (for all but litigation solicitors) or the litigation stream (for barristers and litigation solicitors).
Links
Need more information?
HKU's PCLL: http://www.hku.hk/pcll/
City U's PCLL: http://www6.cityu.edu.hk/puo/prospectusprod/ProgrammeDetail/progDetail.aspx?id=20040705105853