Abstract:
What do we mean by professionalism?
- International ethical norms
- National laws
- Standards required by professional bodies
- Standards expected in international legal practice
- Professional behavioural norms
Why is learning about professionalism important?
- Most of our students start in legal practice where professional standards apply
- Those who go into other fields such as legal education also need to be aware of them
- Clients expect professionalism from lawyers
What are the common professional standards that typically apply to lawyers?
- IBA International Standards
- Commitment to the Rule of Law
- AML
What are the other behavioural norms that are expected from lawyers?
- Professional demeanour
- Integrity
What is the future for Professionalism?
- Even in today’s tech world clients expect certain standards of professional behaviour
- ASP’s
- On-line, social media protocols and ‘netiquette’
How, if at all, should we teach professionalism?
- Career support
- Part of legal education?
Speaker:
Mr. Paul Mitchard, Director of Career Planning and Professionalism , Faculty of Law, CUHK
Paul Mitchard joined CUHK as Careers Director in 2014 after more than 35 years in private practice. A graduate of Oxford University, he was admitted as a solicitor in London in 1977, in Hong Kong in 1984 and the British Virgin Islands in 2006, The Lawyer (December 2010) describing him as “one of the world’s leading litigators.” Paul was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2008 and was one of the first solicitors to be granted higher rights of audience in Hong Kong. He has held a Visiting Professorship at the China University of Political Science and Law.