Pathway Programme with the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley Law)
Programme Information
This programme is designed for single LLB students with a maximum annual intake of three students.
Nominated students will spend a summer at Berkeley Law before their final year by starting the first half of a US LLM programme and completing the remainder of the LLM in the summer after graduation at HKU (LLM – Executive Track (Two Summers): https://www.law.berkeley.edu/academics/llm/exec-track/).
The standard duration for each summer session is 10-13 weeks. This programme would also allow students to focus their studies on earning a Certificate of Specialization or meet the requirements to become eligible to register for the California Bar Examination.
Upon successfully completing all course requirements at both HKU and Berkeley Law, the students will be awarded an LLB degree from HKU and an LLM degree from UC Berkeley. The curriculum structure is as follows:
|
Year |
Number of Credits |
|
First Year (at HKU) |
60 Credits (normal study load) |
|
Second Year (at HKU) |
60 Credits (normal study load) |
|
Third Year (at HKU) |
60 Credits (normal study load) |
|
First Summer Semester at Berkeley Law (10-13 weeks from mid-May to mid-August) |
6-12 HKU credits may be transferred towards the LLB degree, subject to the final approval by the Exchange Director (Outgoing). |
|
Fourth Year (at HKU) |
60 Credits (normal study load) |
|
Second Summer Semester at Berkeley Law (10-13 weeks from mid-May to mid-August) |
N/A |
Students can find a digital version of Berkeley Law’s LLM brochure at https://issuu.com/berkeleylaw/docs/llm_genbro_7x10_2021?fr=sMTQ4ODQ3MDA4MQ.
Eligibility
Third-year single LLB student with a minimum CGPA of 3.30 at the time of application, while nominees should also have a minimum CGPA of 3.30 at the end of the semester before departure.
Application Process
Interested applicants should apply by submitting the following documents directly to the Outgoing Exchange Team at by 5:00 PM HKT, 29 December 2023 (Friday):
- A Personal Statement of no more than 750 words (the personal statement should outline those features about yourself that distinguish you from other candidates and/or anything you feel is relevant to your application, such as highlights about your non-academic achievements) with your full name, university number, curriculum and year of study; and
- A copy of your academic transcript(s)
Tuition Fee
Students will pay tuition fees to UC Berkeley, while selected students may be eligible for a waiver of the application fee. The costs of attendance for the LLM (Executive Track) are as follows:
- Summer Semester 2023 (3 Months): USD $34,928.50
- Summer Semester 2024 (3 Months): USD $34,928.50
Remark(s):
*https://www.law.berkeley.edu/academics/llm/tuition-financial-aid/cost-of-attendance/
**All fees are subject to change and typically finalized in July each year.
Enquiries
- For further information about your HKU LLB degree and study plan, please contact the Outgoing Exchange Team at .
- For information about the admissions process for the US LLM degree, please contact Berkeley Law’s Advanced Degree Programmes Office at .