Background
Launched in 2001, the Lord Chancellor's Training Scheme for Young Chinese Lawyers (LCTS) is a successor Scheme to the highly successful Practical Training Scheme for Young Chinese Lawyers (PTS) which was established in 1989 by the Law Society/Bar Council's China Law Council (formerly the Joint China Working Party) in association with the British Council, the All China Law Association (ACLA) and the Ministry of Justice of China.  

Nearly 280 young Chinese lawyers have participated in the PTS and LCTS since 1989. In 2001, following the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Justice of China and the Lord Chancellor’s Department (LCD) of the British Government, the LCD took over responsibility for the financial support of this Scheme which was renamed the Lord Chancellor’s Training Scheme. Following a reorganisation of government departments in May 2007, the department is now known as the Ministry of Justice.  The Scheme is managed in London by the China Law Council (a joint committee of the Law Society and the Bar Council). The programme is organised to enable the Chinese lawyers to obtain practical experience in commercial law, litigation and court procedure as well as the management of a legal practice.

Objectives
The LCTS aims to:
(i)give Chinese lawyers an understanding of English law and the English legal system;
(ii)provide an introduction to the practice of English law in both contentious and non- contentious work; and
(iii)provide Chinese lawyers with an insight into the management and organisation of legal practice in both solicitors' firms and barristers' chambers;
(iv)facilitate the building of relationships between the UK and Chinese legal professions.

The programme
Up to 15 lawyers a year participate in the LCTS, arriving in England in June each year and remaining until the following spring.  They are high calibre practising lawyers between the ages of 25 and 40.

The programme has four elements:

• four weeks specialist language training at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London;
• a thirteen week specially designed course on English law at SOAS;
• a twelve week placement with a firm of solicitors in England and Wales; (this may take place in London or in one of the major regional cities)
• a twelve week placement in a barristers' chambers in England and Wales (this may take place in London or in one of the major regional cities).

N.B. The length of each element might be slightly different for each year.

Outcomes
Number of participants in the Scheme have returned to China and set up private law firms.  Many have been promoted or commissioned to help draft legislation. Some are reported to be using their English textbooks to quote English precedents in provincial courts, which are being accepted by the courts.

Application conditions
Applicants must:

• be Chinese nationals aged between 25 and 40 on the application closing date; (01 November 2009)
• be graduates of law who have passed the national lawyers' examination in China and have at least two years' post-qualification experience in a law firm in China;
• have excellent written and oral English demonstrated by an overall score of 6.0 or over in the IELTS test, ideally with a score of 6.0 or over in every test;
• have specialist experience in one or more areas of legal practice of significance to China's development as a market economy and have strong personal motivation and an ability to adapt to different environments.

Applications will be invited by the All China Lawyers' Association. The All China Lawyers' Association will draw up a shortlist of 50 candidates who meet the selection criteria and have reached the required standard in the IELTS test. The China Law Council in London will review the application forms and will draw up a second shortlist of 25 candidates who will be invited to Beijing in February 2010 (a temporary schedule) to attend an interview with a lecturer from SOAS and an officer of the All China Lawyers' Association. A final list of up to 15 participants +2 reserves will be produced and successful candidates will be notified.

Successful candidates will be required to travel to London in early June 2010.

Download an Application Form ( 204KB). The application deadline for 2010 LCTS will be 01 November 2009, please send your application to All China Lawyers' Association. For more information please refer to our website for update information. For further information, please contact us.

SIGN UP for Lord Chancellor's Training Scheme for Young Chinese Lawyers Alumni Database.

The China Law Council
The China Law Council is a joint committee of the Law Society and the Bar Council that co-ordinates and promotes relations of the legal profession in England and Wales with that in China.

Its specific terms of reference are to encourage lawyers in the People's Republic of China to learn about, and understand the English legal system with a view to developing closer trade, social and professional contacts.

The Council is made up of legal practitioners from both the solicitor and barrister professions, and staff of the Law Society and Bar Council who work on relations with China. It also includes co-opted representatives of the British Council and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Its primary responsibility is the administration of the Lord Chancellor's Training Scheme for Young Chinese Lawyers. The lawyer members of the Council have taken an active part in the Scheme by acting as mentors to Chinese lawyers during their placements.

Heading for Excellence
As one of the LCTS alumni, I am very glad to share my personal experiences and benefits from the training Scheme.

Firstly, the Scheme is the way to be an international lawyer to some extent. As you may have learnt, we have the placements in different world-class firms other than studying in SOAS, University of London. From my point of view, most of the Chinese trainee lawyers have learnt the international working style by way of their placements in firms whether in London or Hong Kong. To put it simply, you know how those lawyers work in city firms.

Secondly, it is needless to say your English would be greatly improved when you work and live in an English-speaking country. More importantly, you could use English to draft some legal documents as you were trained to be.

Last but not the least, we have built up many international contacts, which are helpful for our future development of legal career. Lots of LCTS alumni have successfully changed their jobs after taking such a valuable Scheme and I knew some of them are very successful in terms of their influence and income.

Keep in mind, you have to bear the separation with your family, which is a big challenge for some applicants. You have no choice, as the old said saying Every coin has two sides.

-By Kevin Shien, Partner of Winners Law Firm, 2004-2005 alumni of LCTS