The original article (in Chinese) was published in the 4 November 2024 edition of Ming Pao's Monday Campus Subscription.
“The case lasted more than seven years and involved different time zones. I had to coordinate a case team of more than 20 lawyers from different countries.” Gabrielle Liu, who was once a litigation lawyer at a top US law firm, shared that the most unforgettable experience in her career was a judgment in which she assisted a Korean client in recovering debts. The case involved multiple jurisdictions including Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States, and had to deal with complex legal disputes. She said the process was full of challenges, and this was one of the reasons why she loves her job as a lawyer.
Q: Uni Dream
A: Gabrielle Lau graduated from University of Cambridge with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography. She later obtained her Professional Certificate in Laws (PCLL) from City University of Hong Kong and is now a qualified lawyer in Hong Kong.
Q: Why did you choose to study law?
A: My dad always said I was good at arguing with him, which was one of the motivations for me to study law. When I was young, I dreamed of entering a field that combined writing and professionalism, so I wanted to be a journalist or a writer, and later I found that law could meet this need. Litigation can improve my writing skills, clarify my thinking logic, and enhance my confidence in public speaking. I enjoy these challenges.
Q: Can law graduates only work as lawyers? Are there other career options?
A: Law graduates can enter many fields such as legal consulting, banking and finance, journalism, courts, politics, etc. However, studying for a law degree requires a lot of time, resources and effort, so before entering a field other than law, you can consider working in the legal industry first to see if you really love this profession. I personally started working as a paralegal while studying law.
Law is a very practical subject that allows you to better understand the legal workings behind society, such as civil litigation procedures or the legal process of handling inheritance. This knowledge can come in handy at any time in life.
Q: How do you view the integration of law and technology? Will technology change the future of the legal industry?
A: The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has had a significant impact on lawyers' work. For example, AI has been widely used in legal search work. For lawyers, the most frustrating thing is to spend hours researching but not being able to find relevant cases, precedents or articles to solve the problem. AI can help lawyers find the required information faster and more accurately. AI can also accurately screen large amounts of legal data, enhancing litigation lawyers' confidence in legal research. In addition, AI can also speed up corporate lawyers' due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, analyzing thousands of documents and screening out the most relevant information.
However, although the use of AI technology can improve efficiency and gradually change the legal industry, it is still difficult to completely replace the daily work of lawyers.
Q: What qualities or skills do you think are necessary to be a successful lawyer?
A: You have to find a good balance between soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills refer to the lawyer's need to have good communication skills, problem-solving skills, business acumen, attentiveness, leadership, teamwork and negotiation skills. You must be highly self-disciplined and self-motivated.
In terms of hard skills, lawyers must have a thorough understanding of their legal profession, be familiar with relevant processes, have the ability to analyze complex legal concepts and strategies, be able to write legal documents, and clearly present and explain these concepts to clients, fellow lawyers, barristers and the court.
In addition, lawyers need to have a strong will, be able to face criticism and failure, be flexible in handling client relationships, and strike a balance between toughness and empathy. If you like to accept challenges and can work under pressure, you may enjoy a career related to law very much!
Q: What advice do you have for students who want to become lawyers?
A: Students who aspire to become lawyers must first study for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and then complete the Professional Certificate in Laws (PCLL). After obtaining the PCLL, they must sign a two-year internship contract with a law firm and can only officially obtain the qualification of a lawyer after the internship period. The entire process takes about 6 to 8 years.
If students want to study other undergraduate degrees first and then enter the legal field through law conversion courses (such as the Graduate Diploma in Laws (GDL) or the Doctor of Laws (JD)), this is also a feasible path.
Regardless of which path you choose, it is important to actively apply for internships or paralegal positions in law firms during your studies to accumulate practical experience. This will not only allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the legal industry, but also increase your competitiveness in job hunting after graduation.
Learn More About Law
The legal profession involves the in-depth study and practical application of legal principles, regulations, and case law precedents to defend rights, resolve disputes, and maintain social harmony. The legal field also covers a variety of professional fields, such as criminal law, corporate law, intellectual property law, and international law. Some countries (such as the United States and Canada) do not allow undergraduate students to study law, and require a graduate law degree.
The University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the City University of Hong Kong all offer a Bachelor of Laws degree, but the competition for admission is fierce, especially the English proficiency requirements are extremely high. Some students will study law in the UK and other places, and can practice law in Hong Kong after passing the "Overseas Lawyer Qualification Examination".