China's Future Lawyers: Some Differences in Education and Outlook

Abstract:     
In this short essay, four U.S. professors who recently served as Fulbright Lecturers in Law in China share important observations about China's future lawyers. The authors discuss key differences in the legal education systems of the two countries, noting that the most significant difference is the lack of Chinese training in the critical legal analysis so familiar to U.S.-trained lawyers. The authors also discuss Chinese law students' limited knowledge of the U.S. legal system and U.S. culture generally. This essay seeks to help members of the U.S. legal community understand the different skill sets and information that Chinese lawyers may bring to the table, in order to avoid "cultural encapsulation" - the tendency to have unfounded, ethnocentric expectations about their Chinese counterparts that could have profound, unintended effects on transnational interactions.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 11

Keywords: China, Legal Education, Cultural Encapsulation, Critical Thinking

JEL Classification: K00

Accepted Paper Series