An excellent start of your career journey
An excellent start of your career journey
Get a head start on your legal career with scholarship rewards and work experience.
The Deacons Prize in Law for Young Leaders is designed to award exceptional students at an earlier stage than our Vacation Student Programme. Selected students receive a monetary prize and a place in our “Jump Start Programme” in recognition of their demonstrated passion for law, academic excellence, leadership and dedication to the community.
Our partner universities are the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
We are looking for students who are intellectually curious with solid communication skills and strong analytical minds. You should also have good judgement and the ability to handle multiple responsibilities. Most important of all, we are looking for students who are serious about their careers and want to accumulate experience as well as achievements.
If that sounds like you, then look out for the invitation sent out by the faculty to apply for the prize. Awards are then made by a Selection Committee.
Jump start your career
You will be interned at the firm for two weeks, which will include specific work assignments and on-the-job training in one of our practice groups under the supervision of the firm’s graduate recruitment partners. Joining the Jump Start Programme is a springboard for your career.
Build your network
You will be exposed to a support network of buddies and the graduate recruitment team who will assist you to assimilate into a law firm environment during the internship. It’s tailored for those just starting their careers and looking for a valuable network. With alumni of the programme and our trainee solicitors, you will have the support of an extensive network to guide you.
Define your success
You will obtain career advice and valuable insights into professional life. It is also an opportunity to get to know the firm better and to start to create an innate sense of belonging.
After the end of the programme, the very best candidates are invited to join our Vacation Student Programme in the following year. We will match you up with two trainee buddies to give you guidance throughout the rest of your time at university.
This is an ideal opportunity for you to get a real sense of what we do day-to-day and to discover if working at a leading law firm, and at Deacons in particular, is right for you.
Programme dates in 2023: 7 to 18 August 2023
January to February
March to April
August
September
Being a prize recipient is not just about receiving a cash prize and an internship. It brings an opportunity to build your professional network, gain practical experience, obtain career advice and to work alongside experienced lawyers in a specialist practice area.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Bachelor of Laws
The Deacons Prize in Law for Young Leaders marked the beginning of my legal career – not only has it given me the chance to have a taste of what it feels like to work at a full-service law firm and the opportunity to realise what I am capable of doing by going through a journey of learning and self-discovery during the two-week internship, it has also definitely helped pave my way to become a trainee solicitor at Deacons.
The two-week prize internship at Deacons has given me a head start in building on critical skills such as legal writing and research, and I appreciate the immense support and constructive feedback received from my buddy and colleagues on how to improve these. This valuable experience has helped lay a strong foundation as I continued to rely heavily on these skills working as a vacation student and later a trainee, and I keep learning about how to brush up on these skills every day on the job. Further, I am grateful to be involved in the daily operations of one of the teams, and it has allowed me to discover areas of law that I may be interested in pursuing during my traineeship or long-term legal career.
University of Cambridge – Master of Law
The University of Hong Kong – Bachelor of Laws
Like many other law students, I was overwhelmed by the multitude of career choices I had to make at an early stage of my university life. Applying for the Deacons Prize in Law for Young Leaders is the decision I would encourage you all to make, as it has helped and encouraged me to develop my career in so many ways.
The two-week internship was the best part that came along with the prize. I truly enjoyed the precious opportunity to be immersed in a serious working environment, to be given hands-on work assignments, and to obtain honest feedback from my supervising partner. These experiences have not only made me explore and rethink the areas of law I am passionate about, but also the chance to observe the work dynamics of the team and the people-oriented culture of Deacons.
Apart from that, the constant support from the graduate recruitment team has been particularly heart-warming. The time and effort they have poured to guide prize winners and to get to know us, as well as the offer to go from a prize recipient to a vacation student constituted a great part in establishing my sense of belonging at Deacons.
