Applications are invited from candidates who are permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to fill Legal Trainee vacancies under the Legal Trainee Scheme (LTS) from 2 August 2027. For the purpose of this Scheme, those pursuing practical training under the Solicitor Stream are called Legal Trainees (Solicitor) and under the Barrister Stream Legal Trainees (Barrister).
| Eligibility | |
| Candidates should be - | |
| (a) | Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) graduates/PCLL students or potential PCLL students of the local universities who will graduate in 2027; |
| (b) | have attained ‘Level 2’ or above in English Language and Chinese Language [Notes (1) & (2)] in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) or the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE), or equivalent. |
| Notes | |
| (1) | For appointment purpose, ‘Grade E’ in English Language (Syllabus B) and Chinese Language in the HKCEE before 2007 is accepted administratively as comparable to ‘Level 2’ in English Language and Chinese Language in the 2007 HKCEE and henceforth. |
| (2) | ‘Level 1’ result or above in the Use of Chinese paper of the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) will also be accepted as meeting the Chinese language proficiency requirement for appointment as Legal Trainee. |
| Duties |
| Legal Trainees will undergo practical training under professional guidance designed to satisfy the training requirements of the Law Society of Hong Kong or the Hong Kong Bar Association. The training period is two years for Legal Trainees (Solicitor) and one year for Legal Trainees (Barrister). Legal Trainees are not civil servants and do not occupy any posts on the establishment. They are not appointed on civil service terms of appointment and conditions of service. |
| Salary |
| Subject to the duration of training period, Legal Trainees will receive, in the first 12 months, a monthly salary equivalent to the pay on point 27 of the Master Pay Scale (MPS), and in the second 12 months, a monthly salary equivalent to the pay on point 28 of the MPS |
| The pay equivalent to point 27 of the MPS is $61,865, and the pay equivalent to point 28 of the MPS is $64,780 currently. |
| Legal Trainees are subject to the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485). |
| How to apply | |
| Candidates must apply online through the G.F. 340 Online Application System of the Civil Service Bureau (http://www.csb.gov.hk) on or before 6:00 p.m., 31 March 2026. Applications which are incomplete, late, submitted in person, by post, by fax, by e-mail or other means will NOT be accepted. Candidates should click on the specific hyperlink of the Job Title they apply for, i.e. Legal Trainee (Solicitor) (2027 Intake) or Legal Trainee (Barrister) (2027 Intake) to apply. Candidates who have no specific preference may click on Legal Trainee (Solicitor/Barrister) (2027 Intake), the Selection Board may assign the stream they find most suitable for these candidates in accordance with their performance at the selection interview. | |
| After the submission of online application, the applicants should submit copies of the following relevant documents: | |
| (a) | academic and valid language qualifications with full details of examination results at the – (i) HKDSEE/HKCEE; (ii) Bachelor of Laws (LLB) level or equivalent; (iii) International English Language Testing System (IELTS) within the two-year validity period of the test result; (iv) PCLL (if available); (v) CRE (if applicable); and |
| (b) | supplementary letters detailing personal interests and other relevant information (if any) |
| to the Department of Justice through email (training@doj.gov.hk) on or before 8 April 2026. Job Title being applied for and the online application number should be quoted in the email subject, as well as on every page of the photocopies of the documents listed above. | |
| Where possible, an academic reference written by a staff member of the Faculty/School of Law should be provided and sent direct by the staff to the aforesaid email address on or before 30 April 2026. | |
| Candidates who are selected for interview will normally receive an invitation in June 2026. Those who are not invited for interview may assume that their applications are unsuccessful. | |
| Enquiries |
| Enquiries can be made to Executive Officer (Personnel) 4 or Clerical Officer (Training) of the Department of Justice at 3703 6535 or 3703 6563. |
| General Note |
| As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the Government is committed to eliminating discrimination in employment. The vacancy advertised is open to all applicants meeting the basic entry requirement irrespective of their disability, sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, family status, sexual orientation and race. |