Hong Kong – Legal Advice Scheme for Unrepresented Litigants on Civil Procedures enhanced
Legal Advice Scheme for Unrepresented Litigants on Civil Procedures enhanced
****************************************************************************
The Administration Wing of the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office announced today (August 28) enhancements to the Legal Advice Scheme for Unrepresented Litigants on Civil Procedures (Procedural Advice Scheme).
To enable more members of the public in need to receive services, the Procedural Advice Scheme will lift the existing income eligibility limit of not exceeding a monthly income of $50,000 or an annual income of $600,000 from next Monday (September 4). Unrepresented litigants who have not engaged lawyers nor been granted legal aid can apply for the scheme to seek free legal advice, without the need to provide information on their income, on civil procedural matters of the proceedings (including commencement of proceedings) in the Lands Tribunal, Family Court, District Court or the courts above to which they are parties.
In addition, in order to facilitate applicants’ submission of applications, the Procedural Advice Scheme will expand, effective from the same day (September 4), the scope of its online application system from re-applicants who have attended advice session on the case in question to all applicants. To use the service, members of the public can visit the following website eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/cso001/en/.
A spokesman for Administration Wing said, “Since its launch in 2013, the Procedural Advice Scheme has conducted over 24 000 advice sessions for about 9 000 eligible litigants. The enhancements will further respond to the society’s needs and benefit more people in need.”
For details, members of the public can call 2259 5017 or visit the dedicated webpage of the Procedural Advice Scheme at www.admwing.gov.hk/eng/public_service/paso.htm.
The Procedural Advice Scheme provides free legal advice on civil procedural matters for unrepresented litigants who commence or are parties to legal proceedings (including commencement of proceedings) in the Lands Tribunal, the Family Court, the District Court, the Court of First Instance or Court of Appeal of the High Court, or the Court of Final Appeal. Under the enhanced scheme, applicants will remain responsible at all times for the conduct of their own proceedings.
Legal Tech Job Board launched for use by Job Seekers and Employers in the legal technology vertical. Law firms, legal service providers, and corporate legal departments to share requirements by location or post as remote opportunities. Legal Tech Job Board Logo LAKE WORTH, Fla. – June 8, 2023 – PRLog — LitigationSupportCareers.com, the industry’s first eDiscovery job board that has been a home for litigation and support job postings since 2008, is thrilled to announce the release of its upgraded online legal career center. The site has been rebranded as the Legal Tech Job Board and is part of the Legal Tech Talent Network. The new platform offers a streamlined and user-friendly experience, empowering job seekers and employers in the legal vertical to connect and achieve their mutual placement goals. The Legal Tech Job Board now presents a feature-rich job board including these key enhancements: To experience the new Legal Tech Job Board, visit the career center homepage at https://litigationsupportcareers.com/ “Our commitment to connecting top-tier talent with leading organizations in the legal tech industry remains unwavering,” About Legal Tech Talent Network: Legal Tech Talent Network is a recruitment consulting firm connecting brilliant people with successful organizations within the global legal technology vertical. For over ten years, LTTN has provided Executive Recruitment services, Recruitment Marketing (RM), and recruitment advertising solutions to law firms, legal vendors, and in-house legal departments. Owned and operated by Litigation Support Careers, Inc. (“LSC”), LTTN endeavors to capitalize on the extensive network built by LSC since launching the industry’s first online eDiscovery job board in 2007. Legal Tech Talent Network primarily conducts placements of senior-level sales, project management, marketing, forensics, paralegal, and operations candidates in the US, Europe, and Asia. For more information visit https://www.legaltechtalent.com/ Third GBA Legal Professional Examination successfully held
**********************************************************
The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said, “Under the strong support of the Central Government and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the GBA Examination was successfully held three times. We hope that the GBA Examination can be converted from a pilot scheme to a regular examination such that in future, more Hong Kong legal practitioners will obtain practice qualification to provide legal services in the nine Mainland municipalities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) on specified civil and commercial matters to which the Mainland laws apply.
“These lawyers with dual qualification will, in the course of their practice in the GBA, co-operate with their Mainland counterparts and share their respective experiences and collaborate in resolving cross-jurisdictional legal issues that arise in practice. This is conducive to accelerating the nurture of talent in international legal affairs in the GBA, deepening the alignment and harmonisation of rules and mechanisms in civil and commercial matters in the GBA, as well as facilitating the integration of Hong Kong legal practitioners into the national development.”
Examination venue was set up in Hong Kong for the first and second GBA Examinations in light of the pandemic. Examination venue was again set up in Hong Kong for the third GBA Examination, thereby facilitating the Hong Kong candidates. According to the memorandum of understanding signed by the MoJ and the Department of Justice (DoJ) in 2021, the DoJ co-ordinates with the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) in handling examination-related work in Hong Kong. The DoJ is thankful to the HKEAA for its tremendous efforts in ensuring that the GBA Examination can be successfully held in Hong Kong.
At its Annual Conference & Expo in Seattle earlier this month, the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) inducted its Board of Directors for 2023–2024. Leading the Association and serving as President for 2023–2024 is Geoffrey M. Williams, CLM, MBA, MDiv, Chief Operating Officer with Cunningham Bounds LLC in Mobile, Alabama. Amanda R. Koplos, CLM, CPA, Executive Director with Shuffield Lowman & Wilson, PA, in Orlando, Florida will serve as President-Elect. Also, Sarah L. Evenson, JD, MBA, Director of Law School Programs and Office Administrator with Barnes & Thornburg in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will continue her service as Immediate Past President of the Board. The following individuals will also serve on the 2023-24 Board of Directors: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: About the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) Association of Legal Administrators Categories Appointment of Legal Adviser
****************************
The Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat announced today (March 21) that The Legislative Council Commission (the Commission) had approved the appointment of Mr Timothy Tso, serving Principal Assistant Legal Adviser of the Secretariat, to succeed Ms Connie Fung as Legal Adviser of the Secretariat. The Commission conducted an open recruitment exercise to fill the post of Legal Adviser upon the retirement of Ms Fung in August 2023, and appointed an executive search firm to assist in the recruitment work. The suitability of serving staff members of the Secretariat and outside candidates was considered in the same exercise.
Mr Tso will become Legal Adviser (Designate) from July 11, 2023 to facilitate handover arrangements. He will formally take up the post of Legal Adviser from August 11, 2023 upon Ms Fung’s retirement on the same day. Mr Tso possesses extensive professional knowledge in constitutional, legal and procedural matters and has rich management and legal experience. Prior to joining the Secretariat in 2007 as an Assistant Legal Adviser, he worked in the Department of Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as Government Counsel. At the Secretariat, he was promoted to Senior Assistant Legal Adviser in 2015 and appointed as Principal Assistant Legal Adviser in 2021.
Ms Connie Fung joined the Secretariat in 1996 as an Assistant Legal Adviser and was promoted to Senior Assistant Legal Adviser and Legal Adviser in 2009 and 2015 respectively. She plays a pivotal role in advising on the legal, constitutional and procedural issues relating to the business of the Council, and has made great contributions to the LegCo. She was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR in 2021. In her remaining tenure, Ms Fung will continue to lead the Legal Service Division to provide a high level of professional support for the Council, LegCo Members and the Secretariat.
Legal Tech Job Board launched at LitigationSupportCareers.com: A User-Friendly Platform for Employers and Job Seekers
Hong Kong – Third GBA Legal Professional Examination successfully held
The 2023 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination (GBA Examination) was successfully held in Hong Kong and Zhuhai today (May 27).Association of Legal Administrators Announces 2023–2024 Board of Directors
Angelina Angelov, CLM, Russin Vecchi & Heredia Bonetti, Santo Domingo, DN, Dominican Republic
Travis C. Armstrong, CLM, CPA, English Lucas Priest & Owsley, LLP, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Elyssa A. Goldstein, CLM, PHR, SHRM-CP, Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, LLP, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Judith A. Hissong, CLM, PCC, Nesso Strategies, San Diego, California
Jerry G. McPeake, MSLA, Minor & Brown, Denver, Colorado
Terri D. Moore-Natal, SPHR, Holzer Patel Drennan, Denver, Colorado
Clara E. Onderdonk, CLM, Ernstrom & Dreste, LLP, Rochester, New York
Holly K. Pulido, Slack Davis Sanger LLP, Austin, Texas
Jessica L. VanTroost, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC, Jacksonville, Florida
ALA is the premier professional association connecting leaders and managers within the legal industry. We provide extensive professional development, collaborative peer communities, strategic operational solutions, and business partner connections empowering our members to lead the business of law. For more information on ALA, visit alanet.org.
Theresa Wojtalewicz
847-267-1252
alanet.org
https://www.alanet.org/about-membership/about-ala/volunteer-leadership-rosters/committees/board-of-directors
Contact
Hong Kong – Appointment of Legal Adviser
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:Ads
