October’s updates are for the work you already do at the desk: drafting in Word, looking up a citation, and keeping research threads easy to find again.

Research Hong Kong law without leaving Word

Common Laws now sits in Microsoft Word. Highlight a proposition and find Hong Kong cases that support it. Ask a question in the Research tab and get a grounded answer with sources you can continue later on the website. Insert OSCOLA-style footnotes, a short case summary, or a statute section at the cursor.

It works in Word for Windows, Mac and the web, and it is included with every Common Laws plan and free trial.

On the homepage, open the Microsoft Word add-in section and choose Get it on Microsoft Marketplace. After it installs, open Word, go to the Home tab, and choose Search Common Laws. Signed-in users can also open How to install for the step-by-step guide.

Check the draft before you send it

The Check tab builds a table of authorities, cite-checks the references in the document, and flags claims that still have no authority. Hong Kong law-report citations — including HKCFAR, HKLRD and HKC — now resolve in that check, so a report cite is less likely to be missed.

Students, trainees and pupils

There is a dedicated page for law students, trainee solicitors and pupil barristers. The Student plan is HK$97 a month after ID verification — 67% less than Pro at HK$297. In the header, open Legal Professionals, then Students & Trainees, and choose Start 14-Day Student Trial. No credit card is required to begin.

Citations and threads that stay usable

Older Court of Appeal citations and CACV or CACC case numbers now open the judgment, or take you to Search if the cite is incomplete. When you look up a citation or Cap. in Research, the sidebar names the thread after the case or ordinance instead of “New research”.

Ask about whistleblowing or employee disclosure and the answer stays with the Hong Kong ordinances and cases that actually apply.

Open Research to try a lookup, or install the add-in and keep drafting in Word.