[Gov] Resident Lawyer

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.]

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.

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

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.

[Accept online application ONLY]

Applicants must apply online through the G.F. 340 Online Application System of the Civil Service Bureau (https://www.csb.gov.hk), and also submit copies of the following documents by email to recruitment@cso.gov.hk within seven days after the application deadline. The online application number should be quoted in the email.

(a) A letter of around 300 words on the reason(s) for application for the post;
(b) a full curriculum vitae including: (i) details of bachelor degree (e.g. major subject and class and division of honours) or diploma; and (ii) employment records listing the job titles with detailed employment durations and description of duties;
(c) copies of all relevant certificates and academic transcripts of studies; and
(d) copies of employment proof.

Applications which are incomplete, late or submitted in person, by post, by fax or by email, or without required documents will not be considered.

Applicants should provide their email addresses on the application forms. Candidates who are selected for interview will normally receive an invitation in about eight weeks from the closing date of application. Longer time may be required under certain circumstances, e.g. when a large number of applications are received. Those who are not invited for interview may assume that their applications are unsuccessful.

(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 recruitment@cso.gov.hk.
(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.