Resident Lawyer

公務員事務局; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 480,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Gratuity up to 15%

Leave entitlements under Employment/Od

Job summary

Civil Service Bureau seeks a Resident Lawyer to deliver civil procedural advice to litigants-in-person and support the Legal Advice Scheme for unrepresented litigants. The role requires HK solicitor status, substantial litigation experience, and strong bilingual communication in English and Chinese.

The appointee may work outside normal hours and will be offered a two-year non-civil service contract, with fringe benefits and a gratuity on successful completion.

Qualifications

• Admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and hold a valid practising certificate by appointment.
• Not less than six years' practice in Hong Kong.
• Experience in litigation in Hong Kong.
• Knowledge of civil procedure and practice in Hong Kong.
• Strong written English and Chinese; fluent in English and Cantonese; Putonghua is preferable.
• Pro bono experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide civil procedural legal advice to litigants-in-person at advice sessions.
• Assist the Centre-in-charge in managing the Legal Advice Scheme for Unrepresented Litigants on Civil Procedures.
• Carry out other duties as assigned by the Centre-in-charge.
• May be required to work outside office hours, including Sundays and Public Holidays.

Skills

Solicitor in HK

Six years HK practice

Litigation experience

Civil procedure knowledge

English-Chinese fluency

Putonghua preferred

Communication skills

Job description

Department: Chief Secretary for Administration's Office

Division/Section/Unit: Administration Wing

Job Title: Resident Lawyer

Entry Requirements: Candidates should –

• (a) be admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and possess a valid practising certificate from the Law Society of Hong Kong by the time of appointment;
• (b) have practised in Hong Kong for not less than six years;
• (c) have experience in litigation practice in Hong Kong;
• (d) be knowledgeable in civil litigation procedures and practice in Hong Kong;
• (e) have strong command of written English and Chinese, and be fluent in spoken English and Cantonese. Proficiency in Putonghua is preferable; and
• (f) have good communication and interpersonal skills. Experience in providing pro bono legal services will be an advantage.

Duties: The Resident Lawyer is mainly responsible for -

• (a) providing legal advice on civil procedural matters to litigants-in-person (LIPs) at advice sessions at the offices, including –
• (i) studying documents provided by LIPs;
• (ii) giving legal procedural advice to LIPs; and
• (iii) completing Advice Session Report after conducting advice sessions;
• (b) assisting the Centre-in-charge (CiC) in managing the general operation of the Legal Advice Scheme for Unrepresented Litigants on Civil Procedures; and
• (c) carrying out any other duties as assigned by the CiC.

[Note: Candidate appointed may occasionally be required to work outside the office or outside normal office hours, including Sundays and Public Holidays.]

Terms of Appointment: Successful candidate will be appointed on non-civil service contract terms for a period of two years.

Fringe Benefits

• A gratuity may be granted upon satisfactory completion of the full contract period with consistently high standard of performance and conduct. The amount of gratuity payable will be the sum which, when added to Government’s contribution to the Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme as required by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance, equals to 15% of the total basic salary drawn during the contract period.
• The benefits in respect of rest days, statutory holidays, general holidays, annual leave, maternity leave or paternity leave, sickness allowance, where appropriate, will be granted in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Ordinance and confirmed at the time of the offer of appointment.

General Notes

• (a) Candidates must be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the time of appointment unless specified otherwise.
• (b) 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.
• (c) Non-civil service vacancies are not posts on the civil service establishment. Candidates appointed are not on civil service terms of appointment and conditions of service. Candidates appointed are not civil servants and will not be eligible for posting, promotion or transfer to any posts in the Civil Service.
• (d) The entry pay, terms of appointment and conditions of service to be offered are subject to the provisions prevailing at the time the offer of appointment is made.
• (e) Where a large number of candidates meet the specified entry requirements, the recruiting department may devise shortlisting criteria to select the better qualified candidates for further processing. In these circumstances, only shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend the selection interview.
• (f) It is Government policy to place people with a disability in appropriate jobs wherever possible. If a disabled candidate meets the entry requirements, he/she will be invited to attend the selection interview without being subject to any further shortlisting criteria. Applicants who have declared disabilities found suitable for appointment may be given an appropriate degree of preference over other candidates whose suitability for appointment is considered comparable to that of the former. The Government policy and other related measures on employment of persons with disabilities are set out in the booklet “Employ People Based on Their Abilities – Application for Government Jobs by Persons with Disabilities” which is available for reference on the Civil Service Bureau's website at https://www.csb.gov.hk under “Administration of the Civil Service – Appointments”.
• (g) Holders of academic qualifications other than those obtained from Hong Kong institutions/Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority may also apply but their qualifications will be subject to assessments on equivalence with the required entry qualifications. They should submit copies of their official transcripts and certificates by email to [e-mail].
• (h) Towards the application deadline, our on-line system would likely be overloaded due to large volume of applications. To ensure timely completion of your on-line application, it is advisable to submit the application as early as possible.

Contact Address: Personnel Office, Departmental Administration Unit, Administration Wing, Room 2561, 25/F,Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong