I have no ties to the US but some ties to HK. I plan to work in the US at a law firm for a few years and then work as a lawyer for the HK government. Which US schools would best serve my goals? I know H has the strongest brand name in Asia, but what about Y and S? What about the other T6 schools, C, C, and N?
Going to an HK law school is not an option because it is 1) expensive, 2) not as prestigious as top US schools, and 3) difficult to stand out in. Based on my GPA, LSAT, and financial background, I would likely qualify for a scholarship or financial aid at the T6 schools. Foreign grads from top schools tend to do better than domestic grads in HK in the job market. Grading in HK is tough, but the HYS schools have P/F and Chicago has a grading scale that nobody can decipher, so it is more difficult to determine where I stand in my law school class.
US law school for Hong Kong employment Forum
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jbagelboy
- Posts: 10361
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:57 pm
Re: US law school for Hong Kong employment
There's a lot of inaccuracies in this post (which is fine that's why you have us!).
First, none of your reasons for avoiding a law school in hong kong are real. American law schools are more expensive; prestige in isolation isn't a thing; and I don't know what the third point was supposed to be.
Second, it's not hard to work in the Hk office of a US or magic circle firm coming from any T6 if you speak mandarin (lots of CLS and HLS students get 1L SA's in hong kong, and 2L splits are even easier). However, this is for Anglo firms doing corporate law for foreign companies or US companies operating in Asia, or white collar investigations (theres a small lit practice growing at some firms but its still mostly white collar). You won't be practicing foreign law or be able to work at a non-anglo firm.
Third, all schools except Yale have grading systems on set curves, and each is unique - HLS has four grades (DS/H/P/LP, A/A-/B+/B, A through B-, H/P/R, ect.) but any large firm will understand them and be able to decipher your GPA. No schools except YLS 1L fall are Pass/Fail.
Ultimately, yes you can pretty easily get to hong kong from a T6 law school with the right background, but you'll be practicing a specific type of law that's not necessary transferable to your long term goals.
First, none of your reasons for avoiding a law school in hong kong are real. American law schools are more expensive; prestige in isolation isn't a thing; and I don't know what the third point was supposed to be.
Second, it's not hard to work in the Hk office of a US or magic circle firm coming from any T6 if you speak mandarin (lots of CLS and HLS students get 1L SA's in hong kong, and 2L splits are even easier). However, this is for Anglo firms doing corporate law for foreign companies or US companies operating in Asia, or white collar investigations (theres a small lit practice growing at some firms but its still mostly white collar). You won't be practicing foreign law or be able to work at a non-anglo firm.
Third, all schools except Yale have grading systems on set curves, and each is unique - HLS has four grades (DS/H/P/LP, A/A-/B+/B, A through B-, H/P/R, ect.) but any large firm will understand them and be able to decipher your GPA. No schools except YLS 1L fall are Pass/Fail.
Ultimately, yes you can pretty easily get to hong kong from a T6 law school with the right background, but you'll be practicing a specific type of law that's not necessary transferable to your long term goals.
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splitsohard
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 7:31 pm
Re: US law school for Hong Kong employment
Why not do your LLB in Hong Kong, and then come to the USA to get an LLM? Many of my friends from overseas do this, and it works perfectly fine for them.
Also, I should add that you should be cautious of studying law in the USA because some countries outside of the USA (see: most if not all) have their own legal systems. So if you get your degree in the USA and then go to a different country to practice, you will encounter some difficulties in obtaining employment. Some fields/specific job positions might let you bypass knowing the country's laws, but they are far and few and consideration for them is extremely competitive.
My advice is to get your law degree from the country you are most looking to practice in. It will be much more practical for you and will increase your employment opportunities. Unless legal job market in Hong Kong differs from what I've already seen in many countries world wide, then I can't see how you would justify that much time, debt, and devotion to something that won't necessarily bring you the outcome you expect.
Also, I should add that you should be cautious of studying law in the USA because some countries outside of the USA (see: most if not all) have their own legal systems. So if you get your degree in the USA and then go to a different country to practice, you will encounter some difficulties in obtaining employment. Some fields/specific job positions might let you bypass knowing the country's laws, but they are far and few and consideration for them is extremely competitive.
My advice is to get your law degree from the country you are most looking to practice in. It will be much more practical for you and will increase your employment opportunities. Unless legal job market in Hong Kong differs from what I've already seen in many countries world wide, then I can't see how you would justify that much time, debt, and devotion to something that won't necessarily bring you the outcome you expect.
