Disneyland, delicious Dimsum and delightful Hong Kong University hosts were just icing on the cake for the 23 participants of the inaugural LSIRC-Pro Bono Group Collaboration Trip to Hong Kong.

Other experiences were more educational. Visits to law firms Tanner de Witt, Dechert LLP and Clifford Chance provided insights from local medium to large sized international firms and provided a glimpse into Hong Kong’s vibrant and competitive legal scene.

Discussions with the Law Society Chairman, Mr. Lester Huang, as well as visits to the Legal Aid Department and Legal Aid Services Council gave participants an overview of Hong Kong’s comprehensive legal aid scheme. These interactions provided an interesting model for comparison to the Singapore legal structure, and yielded interesting issues as to whose responsibility it is to provide help for those who cannot afford legal advice.

We also had the opportunity of being “lost in translation” where we sat in at a High Court trial to witness an English-based legal proceeding being administered for the benefit of Cantonese-speaking Hong Kongers.

Beyond that, the trip gave us much opportunity to know each other better, and each and every one of us left Hong Kong with a reason or two to smile and reminisce, for a long time to come.