Who can be LEGAL EXECUTIVES in future?

The Law Society of Hong Kong has recently issued a set of benchmarks for legal executive courses that entitle their graduates to describe themselves as "Legal Executive" in law firms ("Benchmarks"). The Benchmarks will apply to courses commencing from the academic year 2008/09.

The following courses commencing from the academic year 2008/09 have met the new Benchmarks:-

1. Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies (Professional Stream) from the School of Professional and Continuing Education of the University of Hong Kong;

2. Higher Diploma in Legal and Administrative Studies from the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Tuen Mun); and

3. Professional Diploma in Legal Executive Studies from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the English Institute of Legal Executives.
   

There are further new admission requirements for such Legal Executives Courses.

The purpose of making this new Benchmarks is good. However, it is still far away from improving the qualities of those existing Legal Executives and those intended to be Legal Executives.

Besides, apart from the title "Legal Executive", the works to be assigned to Legal Executives or Litigation Clerks/Conveyancing Clerks are not very much different. To be frank to say, only a very small portion of Legal Executives would be entrusted to attend 3-minutes hearings as an advocate on behalf of their employers.