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Social Sciences Social Sciences

Higher Diploma for Legal Executives

Programme Code: HD142 hdle@hkuspace.hku.hk
 
qf

QF Level: 4
QR Registration No.: 09/002830/4
Registration Validity Period: 01/09/2009 to ongoing 
Successful completion of this programme leads to an award within The University of Hong Kong system through HKU SPACE

Application Code 報名編號 : HD142

Programme Aims & Features

  • Legal Executives enjoy professional legal status and may be given certain limited rights of audience in accordance with the Court’s Practice Direction to represent lay client. To use the professional title “Legal Executive(LE)*”, graduates of this programme must fulfill the Benchmark standard of The Law Society of Hong Kong (HKLS). 
  • This programme aims to equip students with the fundamental legal knowledge and administrative skills to support legal professionals in law offices or related public services, or to carry out administrative duties in the general administration units of business and industrial organisations. The legal knowledge and practical skills learnt from the course can pave their future career pathway in the legal sector and support their pursuit of further studies. 
  • Specialism courses are taught by experienced legal practitioners and legal academics.
  • In accordance with The Law Society of Hong Kong’s Benchmark, students will attend interactive sessions in medium class-sized groups; Workshops focused on law-related work and skill-based tasks.

*To be eligible to apply for Legal Executives title, DSE Level 3 or above in English is required, alternatively a result of overall score of 6 in IELTS within 2 years upon application will be accepted. For more details, please see below “The Law Society of Hong Kong - Legal Executive's Benchmark.

Professional Accreditation

The Law Society of Hong Kong
Under The Law Society of Hong Kong's Benchmark, HDLE graduates will be eligible to use the title "Legal Executives".

Hong Kong Judiciary 
Legal Executives are given certain limited rights of audience in accordance with the Court's Practice Direction 14.1 (Rights of Audience before a Master) and Practice Direction 27 (Civil Proceedings in the District Court) to represent lay clients.

U.K. Institute of Paralegals
The Higher Diploma for Legal Executives program (HDLE) is recognised by the Institute of Paralegals (IoP), the U.K. professional body for paralegals which sets national competency standards for paralegals and others. (see https://theiop.org)

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
HDLE graduates can apply for Paper F4 exemption from the ACCA. 

 

Opportunities for Further Studies

UGC-funded Universities

Graduates are eligible to apply for admission to the following bachelor‘s degree programmes offered by 8 UGC-funded local universities (including HKU). The list below shows the degree offers that our graduates/ students received in the past*:
 
The University of Hong Kong
BA
BSc Information Management
 
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
BA English
BChinMed
BSSc Gender Studies
BSSc Global Studies
 
City University of Hong Kong 
LLB  Bachelor of Laws
BA Chinese and History 
BA English Studies
BA Linguistics and Language Applications 
BBA Business Analysis
BBA Global Business Systems Management 
BSocSc Asian and International Studies 
BSocSc Criminology
BSocSc Criminology and Sociology 
BSocSc Environmental Policy 
BSocSC Public Policy and Politics
BSocSc Public Policy, Management, and Politics
 
Hong Kong Baptist University
BComm
BSc
 
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
BA (Hons) Language and Speech Sciences
 
The Education University of Hong Kong 
BEd (Hons) (Primary) - General Studies
BEd (Hons) Physical Education
BEd (Hons) (English Language) – Primary
 
Lingnan University
BSocSc (Hons) China and Asia Pacific Studies Stream
 
 
Graduates are also eligible to apply for the below degree programmes offered by other institutions:
 

Other Local and Overseas Institutions

University of London
BSc Accounting and Finance
LLB Bachelor of Laws
 
The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
BBA (Hons) in Professional Accountancy

Hong Kong Shue Yan University offers articulation routes to special HDLE graduates. Graduates with a GPA of 3.0 or above are eligible to apply for senior year admission to the following bachelor‘s degree programmes*:

Programmes that accept Year 2^ and Year 3# entries:
BA Economics and Finance
BBA (Hons)
BBA (Hons) Digital Marketing
BBA (Hons) Corporate Governance and Risk Management
BBA (Hons) Human Resources Management - Applied Psychology
BA (Hons) Economics and Finance
BComm (Hons) Financial Technology
BComm (Hons) Law and Business
 
Programmes that accept Year 2 entry^ onIy:
BComm (Hons) Accounting
^Year 2 entry: A graduate of a relevant recognised Associate Degree or Higher Diploma programme in Hong Kong;
#Year 3 entry: A graduate of a relevant recognised Associate Degree or Higher Diploma programme in Hong Kong with a GPA of at least 3.0.
 
*The above list is not exhaustive and only shows some of the examples.
*Source: 2023 Graduate Survey (data as of October 2023)
 

HKU SPACE

Overseas Universities 
University of London External System (UK) – Bachelor of Laws
 

The Law Society of Hong Kong - Legal Executive Benchmark

Only those graduates of the Higher Diploma for Legal Executives programme, who have satisfied the following requirements of The Law Society of Hong Kong, are eligible to use the professional title "Legal Executive" in law firms: 
 
  1. who have obtained a pass in 5 subjects in HKCEE or a combination of results in 5 HKDSE subjects of Level 2 in NSS subjects, "Attained" in ApL subjects (Subject to a maximum of 2 ApL subjects) and Grade E in Other Language subjects or who have been in law-related employment in Hong Kong for 3 years; And
  2. who have obtained a minimum of :  
- Level 3 or above in English Language in HKDSE since 2012; Or
- Level 3 or above in English Language in HKCEE from 2007; Or
- Grade D or above in English Language (Syllabus B in the pre-2007 HKCEE; Or
          - Overall score of 6 in IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

Career Prospects

Job opportunities can be found in both public and private sectors, such as solicitor’s firms, barristers’ chambers, law enforcement bodies, corporations, and the government. 
 
 
GENERIC SKILLS

Year 1

  • Practical Chinese
  • Introduction to Academic English
  • English for Academic Purposes I
  • Information Technology Fundamentals 

Year 2

  • Advanced Chinese Languages
  • English for Academic Purposes II
  • English for Business

Experiential Learning Course

  • Intra - and Interpersonal Competencies

SPECIALISM

Year 1

  • Introduction to Law and Hong Kong Legal System
  • Law and Contractual Transactions
  • Land Law and Conveyancing
  • Legal Writing and Drafting
  • Business Associations 
  • Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
  • Torts Law and Personal Injury Practice

Year 2

  • Professional Responsibility and Advocacy 
  • Family Law and Matrimonial Practice 
  • Civil Procedure I and II 
  • Law of Succession and Probate Practice
  • Hong Kong Basic Law 
  • Using Legal and Company Forms for Business
  • Introduction to the Mainland Legal System

Non-Chinese speaking students or students who have not received sufficient training in the Chinese language may apply for exemption from the Chinese course(s), and alternative courses may be assigned.

paul-wan
Paul Wan
  • Offer received: Bachelor of Laws, University of London

法律行政人員高級文憑是一個全日制課程,提供有很多與法律相關的課堂,從而令我學習到不同的法律,例如: 刑事法、公法、公司法等。透過此課程,穩固了我的法律基礎。

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CUI Xunyu
  • Higher Diploma for Legal Executive - Distinction student

I think this programme is very practical. It contains 14 law-related modules, giving students more opportunities to get familiar with the law. Moreover, the teachers are very friendly. I originally thought that the lawyers would be very serious, but they are willing to get close to the students. They not only care about the students' grades, but also the students' mental health.

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LAM Pak Hei
  • Admitted to Advance Diploma in Legal Executives, HKU SPACE

The teachers of this course put lots of effort into teaching. They will respond to students’ questions via email during their spare time. Also, the learning atmosphere is great. Students are very serious about attending classes and discussing projects.

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CHIAU Hoi Tung
  • Admitted to Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, University of London

The best thing about this course is that it is in a professional qualification framework. Students can become legal executives after completing the course. In addition, the teachers are very nice. They are willing to respond to students' questions during their leisure time.

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NG Lok Yee
  • Admitted to Bachelor of Laws, University of Law

If you would like to study law in university, this course makes you easier to pick up in the university. The lecturers teach very well. Also, there are revision lectures before the exam so it's easier for the students to prepare for the exam.

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ZHENG Cheng Hao
  • Admitted to Bachelor of Laws, City University of Hong Kong

The lecturers of this course are experienced in teaching. Thus, many students received LLB offer.