Teaching Excellence
CUHK LAW takes pride in its uncompromising commitment to teaching excellence. Its efforts and achievements in teaching are recognized locally, regionally and globally.
PROGRAMMES
CUHK LAW offers a diverse range of taught programmes designed for critical and creative thinkers who are ready to become leaders in law and related fields.
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- Juris Doctor (JD)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL)
- Dual & Double Degrees:
STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES
At Faculty and University levels CUHK LAW has agreements with institutions from all over the world, including relationships with key institutions in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, South America, South Africa, and the USA. In some instances study completed on an exchange programme may be counted towards the completion of a student’s degree. Click here for more details.
Through a Summer Study Abroad Programme (SSAP), CUHK LAW provides support to LLB students to cover part of the cost for participating in exchange programmes. The SSAP is intended to encourage students to experience a broad and diverse legal education and gain exposure to different cultures and legal systems. Details are available here.
MOOTING SUCCESS
CUHK LAW is proud of its mooting teams’ success in local, regional and international mooting competitions in 2019-20:
- Winner of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition Regional Rounds and the Best Oralist prize.
- Winner of the 17th Willem C. Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot with the award of an honourable mention (top 10%);
- Advanced to the quarter finals of the 27th Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, the largest international arbitration mooting competition in the world.
- Winner of the 2020 International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition and the following awards:
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- Best Memorial Team Overall
- Best Regional Memorial for Asia
- Best Defense Counsel Memorial
- Second Runner-up Best Memorial
- Second Runner-up Best Prosecution Memorial
NEW COURSES
CUHK LAW offers the following new courses in the academic year 2020-21.
The course explores the manner in which the history of empire has shaped both national and international legal orders. It aims to explore the tensions inherent in the concept by examining the history and evolution of public order governance in the British Empire. The course will examine the ideologies that underpinned approaches to public order governance, considering (elite) attitudes towards the masses of the people and the challenges of governance both at home and in the colonies. The next portion of the class explores ‘everyday’ forms of public order governance, including informal and state violence, the evolution of the police, and the ways in which law evolved in order to ensure wealth generation. Following these examinations, the course turns to consider more exceptional modes of public order governance, including the policing of protests, the imposition of emergency and martial law, the development of intelligence services and counterinsurgency policy. The course concludes with some reflections on the rule of law in the colonial context more broadly, as well as with an examination of some of the ongoing resonances of colonial legality in the contemporary period.
The course examines the ways in which law and the legal system are represented in a variety of films. It also considers the ways in which films engage with legal debates and controversies. It aims to encourage reflection on the cultural lives of the law and also on a central theme in film studies. The course is organised thematically and analyses film and legal process from a variety of jurisdictions across the globe. It explores how key legal issues, procedures, and actors are represented on film and how these representations in popular culture in turn influence understandings of the law, and in certain circumstances even its development. In particular, the module will focus on the genre of documentary film because of its commitment to authenticity and investigation of reality, while giving the students the freedom to explore feature films, TV series, and podcasts.
The course equips research postgraduate (RPg) students with the skills and the necessary confidence to engage in law school classroom teaching as well as to reflect critically and constructively upon that teaching.
The course provides a broad introduction to the future of the legal profession in times when legal technologies are rapidly gaining importance. It discusses the different forms of legal technologies, explores the actual and potential impact of legal technologies on legal systems, concepts and rules, considers the application of legal technologies in particular areas of law, analyses and critiques the impact of legal technologies, including advantages and risks, on legal systems and the society as a whole.
The course discusses the development of the common law during times of decolonization. Students will establish an understanding of the basic concepts involved in the relationship between law and colonial systems and the historical background of colonial legal systems and their current and former international legal status. The course will examine the specific legal standards that developed under the conditions of colonialism, e.g. those related to slavery, restricted definitions of citizenship, capacity for territorial acquisition and native title, and others. Related academic theories and detailed historical studies will also be introduced. The course will also address the various forms that “decolonisation” has taken at the domestic and international levels, and help students to develop their own arguments regarding the best approach for legal systems transitioning towards self-determination.
Browse the course catalog for further details.
RECOGNITIONS
Programmes
CUHK LAW was ranked the most international law school worldwide in 2018 Times Higher Education World University Rankings: Law. In fact, CUHK LAW’s taught programmes comprise highly international features in terms of content and delivery . They are consistently ranked top in international rankings.
In the Eduniversal Best Masters and MBAs Ranking 2019, CUHK LAW’s LLM in Chinese Business Law (CBL) Programme was ranked 1st in “International Business Law in Far East Asia”. Being the third consecutive year to rank top in the ranking exercise, the CBL programme was consistently rated as a Top 200 master programme worldwide since 2013.
CUHK LAW’s LLM in Energy and Environmental Law (LEL) Programme was ranked 5th in “Energy and Natural Resources in Far East Asia” by the Eduniversal Best Masters and MBAs Ranking 2019. The achievement came only one year after the LEL programme was launched in 2018-19 as the first programme specifically dedicated to the legal aspects of energy security and sustainability in Hong Kong.
CUHK LAW’s LLM in International Economic Law (IEL) Programme has been awarded Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships 2021-22 by Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee (UGC) in recognition of the programme’s contribution to the training of legal talent to support Hong Kong’s strategic position as a regional and international business centre.
Teachers
The following CUHK LAW professors received awards in recognition of their teaching excellence in 2019-20:
- Prof. Jyh-An LEE was awarded the CUHK Vice-Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award 2019.
- Prof. Anatole BOUTE was awarded the Outstanding Fellowship of the Faculty of Law as of 1 August 2020.
- Mr. Matthew CHEUNG, Prof. Michael LOWER, and Mr. Paul SCHMIDT were awarded the Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards 2019-20.
GRANTS
The following CUHK LAW members were awarded the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant (TDLEG) for 2016-2019 Triennium from the University Grants Committee (UGC) of Hong Kong which supports projects to promote innovative and improved methods of teaching at both the University-wide and faculty/department levels. Results of the TDLEG for 2019-22 will be available here.
| Project Title | Awardee | Duration | Awarded Amount (HK$) |
| Using Superhero Films to Construct Transitional Courses to Assist Students in Developing their Learning Skills for University Studies (Funded by the Special Funding Scheme to Enhance Student Engagement and Address Student Learning Needs supported by the TDLEG for 2019-22) | Prof. Steven GALLAGHER | 9 months | 200,000 |
| Standardized Clients in Professional Legal Education: Training Law Students to be Effective Corporate Legal Practitioners | Prof. Queenie LAI | 2 years and 7 months | 459,250 |
| Learn with a Purpose: Forging a Community of Inquiry in Undergraduate Courses | Prof. Michael LOWER | 1 year and 8 months | 66,300 |
| Online and Blended Problem Based Learning (PBL) Pilot Project | Prof. Steven GALLAGHER | 1 year and 5 months | 599,100 |
| Prof. Michael LOWER | |||
| Mr. Mitchell STOCKS | |||
| Prof. Paul MAHARG |
In addition, the below CUHK LAW members’ projects were also awarded the Courseware Development Grant Scheme (CDGS) for 2018-19 from the University. The CDGS for 2019-2022 allocated by the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant will be available here.
| Project Title | Awardee | Awarded Amount (HK$) |
| Collaborative learning: co-creating innovative materials for an innovative Law course | Prof. Angela DALY | 90,000 |
| Micromodules for Conflict of Laws; Contract Law and Commercial Law (Final Report – PDF) | Mr. Alan GIBB | 30,000 |
PUBLICATIONS & BLOGS
CUHK LAW runs a ‘Learning Matters‘ blog which serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas on how to improve teaching and learning. The blog features interviews with teachers about their teaching practice and draws attention to articles and policy documents about legal education. It has a special focus on innovations that promote collaborative approaches to learning, promote active students engagement and develop students creative, critical and caring thinking skills.
CUHK LAW’s Centre for Financial Regulation and Economic Development (CFRED) has created a ‘Machine Lawyering’ blog designed as a public forum to bring together leading thoughts and important developments in the ensemble of processes and questions that are arising from the application of information technology to law, legal transactions and regulation.
CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & PUBLIC TALKS
CUHK LAW organised the third biannual international conference “Directions in Legal Education 2020” from 18-20 June 2020, bringing together over 90 speakers and 420 registrants from around the globe to discuss the challenges of and best practices in legal education and teaching law in times of crisis. Watch the presentation videos on the conference website here.
CUHK LAW also organised the following seminars and career activities in 2019-20:
- Teaching & Learning Discussion Group – Student Engagement in Lectures: Professor Angela DALY and Mr. Alan GIBB, CUHK LAW (27 March 2019)
- Teaching & Learning Discussion Group: Ms. Ebele Angela ONYEABO and Mr. Paul SCHMIDT, CUHK LAW (25 April 2019)
- Teaching Induction Programme 1st Meeting: Professor Michael LOWER, CUHK LAW (4 September 2019)
- Teaching Induction Programme 2nd Meeting: Professor Steven GALLAGHER and Professor Michael LOWER, CUHK LAW (2 October 2019)
- Teaching & Learning Seminar – S.H.I.F.T Approach: Ms. Ezrina FEWINGS, Educational Enhancement United Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Western Australia (30 October 2019)
- Teaching Induction Programme 3rd Meeting: Professor Steven GALLAGHER and Mr. Grégoire LUNVEN de CHANROND, CUHK LAW (6 November 2019)
- Teaching & Learning Workshop – Advance HE Senior Fellowship/Fellowship Application: Ms. Angel FAN, CLEAR, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (19 February 2020)
- Teaching & Learning Seminar (Online) – Reflective Assessments in Problem-based Learning: Dr. Jenny GIBBONS, York Law School, UK (1 April 2020)
- Teaching & Learning Seminar (Online) – Becoming a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy: A Law Teacher’s Journey: Ms. Michala MEISELLE, University of Derby (England), UK (11 June 2020)
| Career Seminars | |
| 9 September 2019 | Introductory and Career Planning (GLC) |
| 19 September 2019 | Career Planning (LSK) |
| 23 September 2019 | Introduction to Career Planning and Professionalism (LSK) |
| 26 September 2019 | Finding and Applying for Internships and Mini Pupillages (LSK) |
| 27 September 2019 | Finding and Applying for Internships and Mini Pupillages (GLC) |
| 10 October 2019 | Job Interviews and Follow-up (LSK) |
| 10 October 2019 | Job Interviews and Follow-up (GLC) |
| 14 October 2019 | Career Seminar for LLM Students |
| 13 February 2020 | “The Hong Kong Bar and Applying for Pupillage/Mini Pupillage” (online) |
| 28 February – 31 August 2020 | “Personal and Professional Skills” (video recording) |
| 28 February – 31 August 2020 | “What to Expect from a Law Firm” (video recording) |
| 17 March 2020 | Online Career Seminar for LLM Applicants – “My Life as a Lawyer” |
| 24 March 2020 | Online Career Seminar for JD Applicants – “Careers of Solicitor vs Barrister” |
| 25 March 2020 | Online Career Seminar for LLB Applicants – “Legal Careers Sharing by CUHK LAW Alumni” |
| 26 March 2020 | Online Career Seminar for LLM Students |
| 3 April 2020 | Online Seminar for PCLL Applicants – “Legal Careers Sharing by CUHK LAW Alumni” |
| 17 April 2020 | Online Career Seminar for PCLL Applicants – “My Life as a Lawyer” |
| Career Talks / Conferences | |
| 21 May 2020 | Asia Bar Review “Online Legal Career Seminar 2020” |
| Career Talks | |
| 20 September 2019 | Career Talk by Herbert Smith Freehills |
| 9 October 2019 | Career Talk by Eversheds Sutherland |
| 11 October 2019 | Career Talk by Luk & Partners |
| 16 October 2019 | Career Talk by Deacons |
| 23 October 2019 | Career Talk by King & Wood Mallesons |
| 23 October 2019 | Career Talk: The Best of Times – The Worst of Times |
| 30 October 2019 | Career Talk by Securities and Futures Commission |
| 30 October 2019 | Career Talk by Clifford Chance |
| 6 November 2019 | Career Talk by Morrison Foerster – “Acing the Law Firm Recruitment Process” Workshop |
| 8 November 2019 | Career Talk by Lipman Karas |
| Firm Visits | |
| 10 July 2019 | Skadden Outreach, Action & Respect (SOAR) Reception |
| 28 August 2019 | J.P. Morgan – Winning Women in Markets |
| 6 September 2019 | Kao, Lee & Yip Solicitors & Notaries Information Session |
| 11 September 2019 | Clifford Chance Hong Kong Open Evening |
| 12 September 2019 | Kao, Lee & Yip Solicitors & Notaries Information Session |
| 18 September 2019 | Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Hong Kong Office Open House Event |
| 4 October 2019 | Ribeiro Hui Sharing Session |
| 10 October 2019 | Allen & Overy Open Evening |
| 7 November 2019 | Eversheds Sutherland Open House 2019 |
| 27 November 2019 | Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Hong Kong Office Open House Event |
| 12 & 13 December 2019 | Herbert Smith Freehills First Year Workshop 2019 |
| 9 January 2020 | Stephenson Harwood Hong Kong Open Evening |
| Fair / Information Day / Open House | |
| 6 March 2020 | Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Day of Fintech Career Accelerator Scheme (FCAS) |
| 3 April 2020 | Clifford Chance GLOW 2020 |
| 6 July 2020 | Slaughter and May Open Evening |
| CV Workshops | |
| 26 – 30 September 2019 | Personal CV Workshops at LSK and GLC |
| 2 – 24 October 2019 | Personal CV Workshops at LSK and GLC |
| Personal Meetings for Career Advice | |
| Ongoing | Personal Meetings for Career Advice at LSK and GLC |
| Ongoing | Personal Meetings for Career Advice (online) |
On 28-30 July 2020, the following CUHK LAW members presented at the Teaching and Learning Innovation Expo 2019/20 organised by CUHK’s education support departments:
- ‘Do Law Teachers in Hong Kong have an Awareness of Outcomes-based Education (OBE)?’ by PhD student Ms. Jenny CHAN.
- ‘Integrating Flipped Electronic Delivery and Active Learning’ by Prof. David DONALD.
- ‘Law and History for Continuing Legal Education?’ by Prof. Steven GALLAGHER.
- ‘Collaborative Inquiry-based Learning at the Heart of Undergraduate Teaching’ by Prof. Michael LOWER and Ms. Vivian CHEN.
In addition, the following CUHK LAW members were invited to speak and be interviewed in 2019-20:
- CUHK LAW PhD student Songyin BO won the Young Asian IP Scholar Award for her paper presented at the 5thAsian IP Works-In-Progress Conference 2020 co-held by the City University of Hong Kong School of Law and the Singapore Management University School of Law.
- The CUHK LAW Dean, Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) and Faculty Secretary were invited for an interview on legal education in times of a pandemic, which was published in the American Bar Association (ABA) Journal.
STUDENT VOICES
"After entering into the workplace for a considerable number of years, I firmly believe CUHK JD Part-time Programme is a wise choice for full-time professionals striving for a good work-study balance edge. The JD Programme has a flexible curriculum which allows students to cater for their personal living pace, and concurrently offers a wide spectrum of electives to further broaden the knowledge scope and create a fabulous brain-crossing opportunity with their careers. The professors encourage critical thinking and in-depth sharing on various law topics, which grant students further insight and solidifies the learning experience. Whether applicants are aiming for a career switch or simply learning law for self-enrichment, this programme deserves my high endorsement and I am confident that the skill-set and knowledge accumulated from the programme will efficiently facilitate further excellence in the next stage of career progression."
"Doing the CUHK JD Programme has been a truly rewarding and enjoyable experience. What I especially love about the Programme are the highly qualified and international faculty members, who bring to us not only high-calibre teaching but, more importantly, insightful understanding into their respective expertise. The faculty members who are practitioners share with us their first-hand experience and insights in landmark cases that they have been involved in, while the academics open our eyes with their in-depth knowledge through stimulating in-class discussions. Their passion and willingness to teach have been especially inspiring for aspiring lawyers like me. The Programme also provides a wide range of electives that includes more niche areas of law, so every student will always be able to pick something s/he is interested in. All in all, the JD Programme has been a truly invaluable and privileged experience and I believe wholeheartedly that the teaching and training the Programme provides will equip every student with the necessary skills to excel in their careers."
"Choosing the JD Programme has been one of my best decisions. First, the well-designed curriculum and remarkable list of electives have provided me to immerse in an intellectually stimulating environment while also receiving a holistic legal education. Second, the highly qualified and caring Faculty members, who come from both academia and practice, have offered me opportunities to explore the sophisticated legal world from numerous perspectives at an early stage. Third, the clinical and extra-curricular opportunities as well as my participation in the Jessup Moot have provided me with a good mix of academic and practical experience.
Although the JD Programme is demanding, it is rewarding. Whether you are going down the solicitor or barrister track, or pursuing a non-legal career after graduation, the JD Programme will prepare you for the greater challenges ahead and transform you into a more competitive candidate in the market."
"I have been fortunate to be awarded the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Scholarship from KAS RECAP for LLM in Energy and Environmental Law. The LLM program provides a micro and macro understanding of energy and the relationship between energy and the environment. The lectures are well-organized and well-structured and the faculty offers a large number of elective courses. The faculty hosts diverse and interactive lectures and seminars by visiting professionals which provide an opportunity to engage with various ideas and a invaluable chance to network. Being part of the vibrant culture of Hong Kong has been a culturally enriching experience. "
"The LLM in Chinese Business Law has given me a deeper understanding of Chinese law and Chinese legal culture. It also helped me to better grasp the economic, political, and social implications of doing business in China. All professors were leading experts in their respective fields and encouraged the students to participate in class discussions. I appreciated the international and diverse learning environment at the Faculty, and I am happy to have made great friendships during my time here. The Faculty staff was very helpful and provided spectacular assistance to the international students. I was able to grow professionally and personally and I am very thankful for the time I spent at CUHK."
"After completing my legal studies in Switzerland and qualifying as an Attorney-at-law and working at court in Switzerland for some time, I wished to return to university in order to further develop my knowledge of international business law. When I learnt about the LLM in International Economic Law Programme at CUHK, I was convinced from the very first moment that this would be the right programme for me: not only is Hong Kong a common law jurisdiction where I (as a civil lawyer) would be exposed to another legal system, but it would also be an opportunity to learn more about Asia. These expectations were fully met by CUHK’s LLM Programmes. The professors are all experts in their respective fields. Also, learning together with my fellow Asian students has proven to be a culturally enriching experience. Last but not least, I do not want to miss the opportunity to say thank you to CUHK’s administrative staff who was always very supportive and made my life at the university as pleasant as possible."
"I can highly recommend CUHK's Part-time LLM in Common Law to (civil law trained) lawyers and business people looking for a more detailed and fundamental understanding of the (Hong Kong) common law system. The teaching is of a very high standard by excellent - mostly international - professors, and the teaching complex is state-of-art and easy to reach in down-town Hong Kong. Learning outcomes are practically relevant and academically stimulating, and therefore, in my opinion, highly valuable and useful both personally and professionally."
"I am completing a four-year PhD in Laws Programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. When you join CUHK Law, you become a member of a vibrant and international academic community with distinguished professors working on cutting edge areas of global and regional relevance. CUHK Law offers a great opportunity to study law in a culturally diverse city at one of Asia’s leading law faculties. I have had a rewarding academic experience at The Chinese University of Hong Kong which has opened up several opportunities. These include participation in international conferences, internships and academic exchanges abroad. Importantly, I have had a wonderful relationship with my supervisors who supported my research and academic progress. "
"Having completed an overseas law degree, the CUHK PCLL was critical in achieving two things – familiarising me with the local legal system and equipping me with the practical skills necessary for a trainee solicitor’s day-to-day work.
The courses offered by the Faculty are varied in range and thorough in depth, catering to each student’s interests and chosen career paths. In addition to being taught the relevant principles, we were trained to exercise pragmatism, whatever the task at hand.
I am grateful for the programme’s team of dedicated academics and practitioners. The use of interactive teaching methods served to spark enthusiasm, deepen understanding and even to cultivate friendships amongst us.
I highly recommend the CUHK PCLL to those seeking a supportive community, in which one experiences a stimulating transitional year from paper to practice!"
The courses offered by the Faculty are varied in range and thorough in depth, catering to each student’s interests and chosen career paths. In addition to being taught the relevant principles, we were trained to exercise pragmatism, whatever the task at hand.
I am grateful for the programme’s team of dedicated academics and practitioners. The use of interactive teaching methods served to spark enthusiasm, deepen understanding and even to cultivate friendships amongst us.
I highly recommend the CUHK PCLL to those seeking a supportive community, in which one experiences a stimulating transitional year from paper to practice!"
"The CUHK PCLL Programme has a comprehensive and flexible curriculum, that equips students with essential skills for their future careers as trainee solicitors or as pupil barristers. It offers students with all-round training in different core practice areas in the first semester. In the second semester, the Faculty offers a great variety of electives, so students may tailor their training for their intended areas of future practice. The whole curriculum is well-designed to cover important aspects of legal practice, as well as to cater for the needs of different individuals in their career development.
The professors at CUHK have in-depth experience in the legal profession and guide students to grasp the essence of different practice areas. The small groups are highly interactive. Students are assigned legal tasks that closely resemble those they will encounter in the real world. Tutors also provide timely feedback in small group sessions. They are willing to spend their personal time after class to answer students’ questions. The Faculty also has close connections with the legal profession. This enables students to meet with current legal practitioners in workshops and networking sessions.
After completing the CUHK PCLL Programme, I feel I am well-prepared to handle the tasks I will be assigned as a trainee solicitor. "
