Master of Laws (LLM) in Common Law

The Master of Laws (LLM) in Common Law is a dynamic and exciting legal system that unites millions of people across the world. This course will furnish students with substantive knowledge of Hong Kong law in some core common law subjects and further develop the skills necessary to engage with the common law tradition more widely.

Programme Overview

The common law originated in England but now comprises the legal systems of a third of the world’s population. Lawyers, judges, and legal officials of all kinds throughout the world today are called upon to implement rules and procedures that have origins in common law precedents.

As a global financial and economic centre and a common law jurisdiction within the civil law state of China, Hong Kong is a particularly fascinating and important place to study law. It presents a unique experience not to be found anywhere else globally.

Students in the LLM in Common Law Programme will gain expertise in the institutions, procedures, substantive law, and ongoing developments of the common law world. They can call upon these skills and knowledge whether they intend to work or go on to further study in either common or civil law jurisdictions. Most importantly, students who complete the LLM in Common Law Programme will diversify their resumés and professional profiles, making them highly desirable both within China and internationally.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must fulfill the General Admission Requirements and the English Language Proficiency Requirement prescribed by the University’s Graduate School.

• A qualification to practise law in the jurisdiction of the student’s residence; or
  • A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree or a degree of equivalent standing (normally in a non-common law jurisdiction); or
  • A Bachelor’s degree in a non-law subject with substantial law-related working experience.

Applicants whose undergraduate studies were not conducted and assessed in English are required to take an appropriate English language proficiency test and achieve a sufficient score.

Programme Information

• Medium of Instruction: English
• Campus: The CUHK Graduate Law Centre, 2/F, Bank of America Tower, Central.

Programme Duration

• Full-time mode: one year (normative study period) – two years (maximum study period).
• Part-time mode: two years (normative study period) – three years (maximum study period).

Programme Requirements

• 24 units: including 12 units of required courses and 12 units of elective courses. Students should pass all the assessments with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in order to be recommended for graduation.

Full-time Mode (1 year)

• Year 1
  • Term One:
    • Common Law: Origins and Development
    • Principles of Contract
    • Elective
    • Elective
  • Term Two:
    • Principles of Criminal Law
    • Principles of Tort
    • Elective
    • Elective

Part-time Mode (2 years)

• Year 1
  • Term One:
    • Common Law: Origins and Development
    • Principles of Contract
  • Term Two:
    • Principles of Criminal Law
    • Principles of Tort
• Year 2
  • Term One:
    • Elective
    • Elective
  • Term Two:
    • Elective
    • Elective

Delivery Mode

A 3-unit course will usually have three teaching hours per week.

Classes are held during daytime and evenings of weekdays and daytime on Saturdays.

Classes will incorporate a mix of lectures, seminars, tutorials, presentations, and class discussions.

Courses

Required Courses:

• Common Law: Origins and Development: This foundational course introduces students to the history and background of the common law, as well as its core concepts, institutions, and practices.
• Principles of Contract: This course introduces students to the concepts and key precedents of contract law in common law jurisdictions.
• Principles of Criminal Law: This course provides an overview of the criminal law and criminal procedure norms that have emerged from the common law tradition.
• Principles of Tort: The Principles of Tort course explores the important and highly unique approach to civil liability actions in common law jurisdictions.

Elective Courses:

• Artificial Intelligence and the Common Law
• Common Law: Globalization and Convergence: In this course, students will explore how Common Law has been carried into many parts of the world.
• Comparative Constitutional Law: This course will provide a methodological framework for comparing constitutional architectures.
• Comparative Legal Traditions: This course is designed to give credit to the growing practical significance of comparative legal work.
• Colonial Governance and the Rule of Law: This course will explore the evolution of modern legal orders.
• Copyright, Digital Subject Matter and Information Technology: This course will survey copyright issues pertaining to digital subject matter.
• Crime and the Sanctioning Process: The purpose of this course is to educate students to think critically about the operation of the criminal justice system.
• Cyberlaw and Intellectual Property: Principles and Practice: This course of Cyberlaw (or Internet law) covers the legal issues related to use of the Internet.
• Global Issues in Law: This course provides an opportunity for students to study select global issues in law.
• History, Culture, and the Law: This course examines the links between law, history, and culture.
• Issues in Contract: This course builds upon LAWS6021 Principles of Contract.
• Issues in Criminal Law: This course builds upon LAWS6022 Principles of Criminal Law.
• Issues in Tort: This course builds upon LAWS6023 Principles of Tort.
• Principles of Art, Antiquities, Cultural Heritage and the Law: In recent years the term “cultural heritage” has been used in many domestic laws.
• Principles of Intellectual Property: This course examines the principles underlying the group of causes of action which has become known as intellectual property.
• Principles of Unjust Enrichment: First officially recognized in 1990, this is a new cause of action to stand alongside contract and tort in the law of obligations.
• Transnational Law After Empire: In this course, the connections between law, empire, and decolonisation / self-determination will be examined.

Expertise

• Professor Ryan MITCHELL: Assistant Professor and the Deputy Director of the LLM in Common Law Programme.
• Professor Christopher ROBERTS: Assistant Professor and the Deputy Director of the LLB Programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
• Professor Bryan DRUZIN: Associate Professor of law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
• Professor Stuart HARGREAVES: Prof. Hargreaves joined the Faculty in 2013 following the completion of his doctorate in law at the University of Toronto.
• Professor David DONALD (Emeritus): David Donald has been a Professor in the Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 2008.

Study Options

Students may take elective courses offered in other LLM Programmes and the JD Programme offered by CUHK LAW subject to availability of places.

Course Exemptions

Further study options include Master of Philosophy in Law (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy in Laws (PhD).

Additional Learning & Development Opportunities

• The Sir TL Yang Society
• Mooting
• Exchange Programmes

Financial Information

• Tuition Fees: For the academic year of , the tuition fee is HK$192,000 per programme within normative study period.
• Student Housing: There is a shortage of on-campus student accommodation for non-local postgraduate students.

Scholarships and Prizes

• For newly admitted students/applicants:
  • CUHK Faculty of Law Master of Laws Global Scholarship 2026/27 for outstanding non-local students admitted in 2026/27
  • CUHK Faculty of Law Master of Laws Scholarship 2026/27 for outstanding local students admitted in 2026/27
• For current students:
  • Faculty of Law Postgraduate Scholarships for Academic Excellence 2025/26
  • Chartered Tax Adviser Prize for International Taxation
  • The Hong Kong Institute of Trade Mark Practitioners Prize for Intellectual Property
  • The Asian Patent Attorneys Association (Hong Kong Group) Prizes for Intellectual Property Law
  • Lee Hysan Foundation Postgraduate Studentships for Mainland China Students
  • Continuing Education Fund (CEF)

Frequently Asked Questions

• Applicants:
  • Can I apply to more than one programme?
  • Is the application fee refundable?
  • Do I need to submit the fee with my application?
  • Can I apply for the LLM programmes in my final year of undergraduate or other higher education study?
  • Can I apply to join an LLM programme without fulfilling the English Language Proficiency Requirement?
  • Can I apply to study part-time if I am a non-local applicant?
• Successful Applicants and Newly-admitted Students:
  • Is there any kind of financial aid offered by CUHK for LLM students prior to or on admission?
  • If I reject the offer this year, could this affect my application next year?
  • When do I need to pay my tuition fees?
  • What if I cannot complete the LLM programme within the normative study period?
  • I am a non-local student. Can I take up a part-time job in Hong Kong?