Media

Hong Kong University and Penn Law to Establish Unique JD/LLM Student Exchange Programme

27 Aug 2010

 

To prepare students for the increasing internationalization of the legal profession, Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School have established a new JD/LLM joint degree student exchange programme. Announcement of the programme was made yesterday (26 August) at the opening reception of HKU's JD programme.

The joint degree exchange programme will be operated on a reciprocal basis. Each year, three Juris Doctor (JD) students each from Penn Law and HKU may spend their third year at the partner institution and complete a Master of Laws (LLM) programme in one year's time. Admission will be administered by the home institution, while selection will be carried out by the host institution. A review of the exchange programme will be conducted after its third year.

"In the last decade, we have seen a rise in the number of joint legal education programmes, particularly between US institutions on the East Coast and Europe. The new programme with Penn Law is an acknowledgement of the globalization of the practice of law," said Professor Johannes Chan, SC (Hon), Dean of Law at HKU. "Under this programme, students will benefit from both institutions, which distinguish themselves as some of the oldest and most academically vibrant law schools in their regions."

Professor Eric Feldman, Deputy Dean for International Affairs at Penn Law, also looked forward to the new JD/LLM programme. "This programme offers students at Penn Law and HKU a unique opportunity to pursue a truly international legal education, and will serve as a model for years to come," Feldman said. "Penn is delighted to be collaborating with HKU on this new endeavor, which is the culmination of Penn's steady effort to offer students a global legal education at the finest academic institutions around the world."

Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

The Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong is the oldest law school in Hong Kong and one of the most prestigious law schools internationally. It has been training graduates who are today distinguished legal professionals and leaders of the Hong Kong community. Building upon its unique position as the only common law jurisdiction in China, capitalizing on the "one country, two systems" principle, the Faculty has a unique and irreplaceable role to play in scholarship, research and education on common law and comparative law as well as the development of the rule of law in China and Asia. In 2009, HKU launched its JD programme, which has been attracting top graduates from universities in the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia and Mainland China.

To read more about HKU Faculty of Law, visit: http://www.hku.hk/law

University of Pennsylvania Law School

The University of Pennsylvania Law School has as distinguished a history as any law school in the United States. James Wilson, signer of the Declaration of Independence and a justice of the United States' first Supreme Court, delivered the University's first lectures in law in 1790. Following this auspicious beginning, the University began offering a full-time programme in law in 1850. Since that time, Penn Law has been at the forefront of legal education in the United States. Recognizing that lawyers of the future will be well-versed not only in legal tradition but also in the broader fields of our society, Penn Law has embraced its relationship with the finest array of graduate and professional programmes in the nation.

To read more about Penn Law, visit: http://www.law.upenn.edu/

For media enquiries, please contact: Ms Rachel Li (Tel: 2859 2919 / Email: lirachel@hku.hk)