Postgraduate Certificate in Laws

PCLL redirects here. For the lacrosse league in the northeastern United States, see Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL)(法學專業證書) is an intensive one-year full-time (or two-year part-time) professional legal qualification programme in Hong Kong. It allows graduates to proceed to legal training before qualifying to practice as either a barrister or a solicitor in Hong Kong. The "LL." of the abbreviation for the certificate is from the genitive plural legum (of lex, legis f., law). The programme can be seen as the equivalent of the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) in England and Wales, which focuses heavily on practical issues, unlike a first degree in law.

Course providers

There are three course providers in Hong Kong:

• University of Hong Kong (HKU)
• City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
• Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) (since September 2008)

Qualification as a lawyer in Hong Kong

As in England and Wales, the legal profession in Hong Kong consists of two branches: solicitors and barristers.

After successfully completing the PCLL:

• Prospective solicitors go on to complete a two year training contract as a trainee solicitor to qualify.
• Prospective barristers, undertake six months of pupillage under a pupilmaster before being called to the Bar (admitted as a barrister) of Hong Kong, gaining limited rights of audience (limited practice). After six more months of......
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