Profile of the Profession

Monthly statistics
Monthly Statistics on the Profession (updated as of 31 May 2025)

Members (with or without Practising Certificate)

13,398

Members with Practising Certificate

11,717
(out of whom 8,153 (70%) are in private practice)

Trainee Solicitors

1,077

Registered Foreign Lawyers

1,585
(from 31 jurisdictions)

Hong Kong Law Firms

921
(45% are sole proprietorships and 43% are firms with 2 to 5 partners, 69 are limited liability partnerships formed pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Ordinance)

Registered Foreign Law Firms

82
(from 19 jurisdictions, 12 are limited liability partnerships formed pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Ordinance)

Civil Celebrants of Marriages

2,157

Reverse Mortgage Counsellors

380

Solicitor Advocates

102
(96 in civil proceedings, 6 in criminal proceedings)

Student Members

272

Registered Associations between Hong Kong law firms and registered foreign law firms (including Mainland law firms)

38

Members of Association of China-Appointed Attesting Officers Limited

470

Members of Hong Kong Society of Notaries

367
Historical Statistics
 Admission of solicitors 2012—2021
 
 
 
 
  Solicitors holding practising certificates 2012—2021 
 
 
 
 
 
 Years of admission - solicitors holding a 2021 practising certificate
 
 
 
 
 Gender ratio – Solicitors holding a practising certificate (2014 – 2021)
 
 
 
 
 
 Gender ratio – Trainee solicitors 2016 – 2021
 
 
 
 
 Gender ratio – Partners 2016 – 2021
 
 
 
 
 
Size of solicitors’ firms and number of trainee solicitors in 2021