Using Clinical Education to Innovate the Law Curriculum and Address an Unmet Legal Need: A Hong Kong Perspective

Abstract

The Redmond-Roper Report on Legal Education and Training in Hong Kong, published in 2001, identified problems with the quality of legal education in Hong Kong. Chief amongst those was a shortage of law graduates with the legal skills, sensitivity and ethical understanding necessary to address the diverse legal needs of the local community.In a blueprint for change in Hong Kong’s legal education system, the Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong was established. One key innovation since the law faculty’s inception has been the creation of the “Refugee Assistance Clinic”. In partnership with pioneers in community legal services, the faculty offers law students the opportunity to assist asylum seekers in securing legal representation. Inspired by clinical projects around the world, this programme encourages students to see legal practice as socially situated, to reflect on the nature of the lawyer’s relationship with a client and to evaluate ethical conduct in a practical context.The purpose of this paper will be to set out the early phases of this initiative in bringing students actively into the community and delivering the change to legal education required by Redmond-Roper. It will show how the Refugee Assistance Clinic has furthered the goals of Redmond-Roper and helped to address the unmet legal needs of refugees in Hong Kong.