[lattimore]

I have an American friend who is qualified in law, she's quite young but has been teaching here for a year and wondered if there are any opportunities for ex-pats in the legal arena! She doesn't know Chinese - anyone any ideas?

Many thanks!
T

[Alby]

She should try to immerse herself in the legal community find out who's who and who's doing what ....

There is this event this weekend (see below) ... there will be tons of legal people there.... she should go with a name card in hand ... tell people she is looking for an opportunity ... meanwhile to keep up on legalise she should consider volunteering with The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre hkrefugeeadvicecentre - HONG KONG REFUGEE ADVICE CENTRE Ltd. a nonprofit company or Civic Exchange Civic Exchange

I have heard of a few people who started at these places but then managed to get positions within firms.

Another approach is to become active as either a member of via attendance to various legal events ...

Also, approach US firms in HK directly but helps if she can get an in with someone first but not necessary

-----
The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre invites you to
An intimate lunch with distinguished guest speaker
international refugee law expert Professor James Hathaway

with Christine Loh, Founder and CEO of Civic Exchange, making introductory remarks (invited)
This Saturday, April 26th
11:30-2:30
The Verandah
Foreign Correspondents Club
2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong
Tickets: HKD 500

All proceeds to benefit the Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre
To reserve a limited space please visit hkrefugeeadvicecentre - HONG KONG REFUGEE ADVICE CENTRE Ltd. a nonprofit company

Professor James Hathaway is a leading authority on international refugee law, whose work is regularly cited by the most senior courts of the common law world. He regularly provides training on refugee law to academic, non governmental, and official audiences around the world.

Professor Hathaway was appointed Dean and William Hearn Chair of Law at the Melbourne Law School in 2008. He is also Senior Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University's Refugee Studies Programme and President of the Cuenca Colloquium on International Refugee Law. Prior to joining the Melbourne Law School, Hathaway was the James E and Sarah A Degan Professor of Law and Director of the Program in Refugee and Asylum Law at the University of Michigan Law School (USA). Prior to that, he served as Associate Dean of the Osgoode Hall Law School (Toronto).

Professor Hathaway's publications include more than sixty journal articles, a leading treatise on the refugee definition (The Law of Refugee Status, 1991), an interdisciplinary study of models for refugee law reform (Reconceiving International Refugee Law, 1997) and, most recently, The Rights of Refugees under International Law (2005) - the first comprehensive analysis of the human rights of refugees set by the UN Refugee Convention, all linked to key international human rights norms and applied to the world's most difficult protection challenges.

He is counsel to both the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and Asylum Access, a non-profit organization committed to delivering innovative legal aid to refugees in the global South. Professor Hathaway also sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Refugee Studies and of the Immigration and Nationality Law Reports and directs the Refugee Caselaw Site (Refugee Law - Asylum Law - University of Michigan Law School), a website that collects, indexes, and publishes leading judgments on refugee law.

The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre, together with its corps of volunteer lawyers, provides legal advice, document preparation assistance, and representation to asylum-seekers claiming refugee status before the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ("UNHCR") in Hong Kong.

[lattimore]

Many many thanks for your time in putting this together for us... Cheers!
Tom

[Alby]

see the events:

Hong Kong Corporate Counsel Association
HKCCA

Hong Kong Bar Association
Welcome to Hong Kong Bar Association

Check out and watch the events calendar:
AmCham - Law Committee / Intellectual Property / Govt Relations / China Business
American Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong) - Home

[pin]

what sort of law is friend interested in.

tonnes of expat lawyers in hk (some would argue too many lawyers!)

please drop me a pm, if you want to.

[hello_there]

Originally Posted by lattimore

I have an American friend who is qualified in law, she's quite young but has been teaching here for a year and wondered if there are any opportunities for ex-pats in the legal arena! She doesn't know Chinese - anyone any ideas?

Many thanks!
T

Do you mean US qualified? What bar? She should check with the HK law society to make sure she is eligible to become a foreign registered lawyer, which is required to practice in HK, unless you take the HK bar. Also, if she's looking to practice at a US firm here, some of the other replies you have been given won't help much. The US firms in HK will look at where she went to school, her grades and any previous firm experience. If she hasn't worked at a large national firm and didn't go to a top school she will have a very hard time. Not trying to be mean, just realistic. Might be worth looking into paralegal/ legal assistant type positions.

If she is UK or HK qualified there are a few more options with British and local firms.

[pin]

Originally Posted by hello_there

Do you mean US qualified? What bar? She should check with the HK law society to make sure she is eligible to become a foreign registered lawyer, which is required to practice in HK, unless you take the HK bar. Also, if she's looking to practice at a US firm here, some of the other replies you have been given won't help much. The US firms in HK will look at where she went to school, her grades and any previous firm experience. If she hasn't worked at a large national firm and didn't go to a top school she will have a very hard time. Not trying to be mean, just realistic. Might be worth looking into paralegal/ legal assistant type positions.

If she is UK or HK qualified there are a few more options with British and local firms.

BTW there is no such thing as being UK qualified (UK law doesn't exist).

[Alby]

Originally Posted by hello_there

Also, if she's looking to practice at a US firm here, some of the other replies you have been given won't help much. The US firms in HK will look at where she went to school, her grades and any previous firm experience. If she hasn't worked at a large national firm and didn't go to a top school she will have a very hard time.

But not impossible or unheard of...

In fact there are several individuals educated with a law degree from a non TOP 10 US university have moved from positions within leagal think-tanks and NGOs in HK to high rnaking & reputable 'US firms in HK' ... although they are not practicing law per se they have in fact moved to a 'US firm' and play a supporting role.