Overview of China's Legal System
- China's Legal System
- Top tier Law firms in China
- Top tier Law schools in China
- China's Legal Aid System
- Other Law-Related Organizations
China's Legal System
Top Tier Law firms in China
- Jun He Law Firm
- Business strengths: Corporate and M&A; securities and capital markets; banking and finance; Infrastructure and project finance
- Leading lawyer s:David Liu, Ma Hong Li, Xiao Wei, Wang Zhilong
- Duan & Duan Law Firm
- Business strengths: International Trade, Direct Investment, Joint Ventures, Corporate, Arbitration, Litigation, Securities, Banking, Project Finance
- Leading lawyers: Q. H. Charles Duan, Q. Z. Janet Duan
- King & Wood
- Business strengths: banking, FDI, general corporate, securities and M&A, international trade, and dispute resolution, or in our leading position in the burgeoning areas of intellectual property protection, labor law, bankruptcy, real estate, distressed assets, derivatives and hybrid instruments, securitization, and LBOs
- Leading lawyers: Wang Junfeng, Yang Xiaolei,BaiYanchun
- Yue Cheng Law Firm
- Businesses strength: Criminal Defense & Representing, Administrative Review & Litigation, Maritime, Antidumping, Unfair Competition
- Leader lawyers: Yue Cheng, Yue Yunsheng
- Zhong Lun Law Firm
- Businesses strength: Real Estate and Construction, Corporate and Securities, Corporate Bankruptcy, Securitization & Structured, Finance Intellectual Property and Litigation & Arbitration
- Leading lawyers: Zhang Xuebing
- City development Law Firm
- Businesses strength: Construction, real estate and urban construction
- Leading lawyers: Zhu Shuyin, Wei Kangshou
- AllBright Law Offices
- Business strength: Foreign investments, transnational M&A, overseas acquisitions, Overseas Listed and financing
- Leading lawyers: Zhu Shidong, Bao Wei,David N. W. Chen
- Grandall Legal Group
- Business strength: Capital Markets, Banking and Finance
- Leading lawyers: Liu Wei, Lv Hongbing
- Guangda Law Firm
- Business strength: Securities and Capital Markets, Banking and Finance, International Trade and Investment, Real Estate, Infrastructural, and Construction, Corporate and Commercial, Intellectual Property and Information Technology, and Dispute Resolution
- Leading lawyers: Yunhua XUE,Zuoke CHEN
- T&C Law Firm
- Business strength: Foreign Direct investment and international trade, Real Estate and Construction
- Leading lawyers: Sun Zhiwen
- Fada Law Firm
- Business strength: Commercial service
- Leading lawyers: Zhang Yaodong,Cheng Wenqing
- Z&T Law Firm
- Business strength: Foreign Direct investment, M&A
- Leading lawyers: Tang Jianfeng
- Yingke Law Firm
- Business strength: Legal Counsel, International affairs
- Leading lawyers: Mei Xiangrong, Hao Huizheng
- Guantao Law Firm
- Business strength: Capital market, Corporate/M&A,
- Leading lawyers: Cui Liguo
Top Tier Law Schools in China
In a long period in China, it was considered that only so called “5 schools and 4 departments” are able to provide professional law education and training. The “5 schools” includes China University of Political Science and Law, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Northwest University of Politics and Law, and East China University of Political Science and Law, while the “4 departments” means the law department in Renmin University of China, Peking University, Jilin University and Wuhan University.
Due to the improvement law education in China, hundreds of law schools were arised these years. Law education area is no longer dominated by the nine old law schools. Some universities, depend on their reputation, academic recourses and scientific research abilities, has became high level of law schools. For example, although Tsinghua University law school is not as famous as other science departments in campus previous, Tsinghua University law school has an incredible improvement in recent years, based on governmental appropriations, participation of excellent professors and etc.
- Widely recognized Law Schools in China
Renmin University of China Law School (Location: Beijing)
- Has two humanities and social science Research centers under the Ministry of Education-Research Center for Criminal Jurisprudence and the Research Center of Civil and Commercial Jurisprudence.
- Has high reputation in constitutional and administrative, criminal law and civil and commercial law.
- Dean: Han Dayuan
Wuhan University Law School (Wuhan)
- Has strengths in international Law, Environment and Resources Protection Law, the Constitutional and Administrative Law
- Dean: Xiao Yongping
Peking University Law School (Beijing)
- Has strengths in Transnational law, jurisprudence, criminal law and constitutional and administrative law.
- Has school of Transnational Law (“STL”) is the first law school in China that prepare its students to receive a Juris Doctor (J.D.). Jeffrey S. Lehman is serves as the Chancellor and Founding Dean of STL.
- Dean:Zhu Suli
China University of Political Science and Law (Beijing)
- Has strengths in Legal History and Litigation
- President:Huang Jin
Southwest University of Political and Law (Chongqin)
- Has complete academic system and has strengths in Economic law
- President:Zhang Guolin
Jilin University School of Law (Changchun)
- Has strengths in Legal theory
- Dean:Yao Jianzong, Li Jianhua
Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (Wuhan)
- Has strengths in intellectual property rights law
- President:Wu Handong
East China University of Political Science and Law (Shanghai)
- Has strengths in Law of nations, Legal history, Economic law and Criminal law
- President:He Qinhua
Northwest University of Politics and Law (Xi an)
- Has strengths in criminal law and economic law
- President:Jia Yu
2. Law school in renowned universities
Tsinghua University School of Law (Beijing)
- Has strengths in civil and commercial law
- President:Wang Zhenmin
The Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Beijing)
- Consists of 12 research departments, 11 research centers, several administrative departments, a law faculty, a library, two editorial offices, and a website
- Director:Li Lin
Sun Yat-Sen University School of Law (Guang Zhou)
- Has geographical advantages as a renowned university in southern China
- Has a unique education program the Legal Clinic
- Dean: Lu Ye
Xiamen University School of Law (Xiamen)
- Has geographical advantages as a renowned university in Special Economic Zones
- Has strengths in Law of nations and civil and commercial law
- Dean: Xu Chongli
Zhejiang University Guanghua Law School (Hang Zhou)
- Has strengths in jurisprudence, constitution and administrative law
- Dean: Sun Xiaoshuang
Fudan University Law School (Shanghai)
- Has an advantage in Law education based on its strengths in Social science.
- Dean:Sun Nanshen
Law School of Nanjing University (Nanjing)
- Unique program: Deutsch - Chinesisches Institut für Rechtswissenschaft
- Dean: Li Yougen
Shanghai Jiao Tong University KoGuan Law School (Shanghai)
- Accommodates several academic agencies as the Institute of Constitution and Administration Law, Institute of Civil and Commercial Law, Institute of Environmental and Resources, Institute of International Law, Institute of Litigation and Legal Procedure, Center for Fundamental Courses Research, Center for human Right Research, and the Center for Intellectual Property Research
- Dean: Ji Weidong
Among numerous law schools in China, some of them are not as powerful as other renowned law schools. But their unique program has development potential. Those special law schools include:
- The University of International Business and Economics Law Schools (Beijing),
- Yunnan University Law School (Kunming),
- Dalian Maritime University Law School (Dalian),
- Xiangtan University Law School (Xiangtan),
- Nanjing Normal University Law School (Nanjing)
China's Legal Aid System
Chinese legal aid system was formally brought up by the Ministry of Justice in earlier 1994. Up to now, laws and regulations on legal aid have promulgated in 17 provinces (autonomous region, municipalities). Legal Aid Center of the Ministry of Justice provides legal aid service in the whole country. By the end of June 2003, legal aid institutions have been set up in the whole country, among which 2139 are in county and districts, accounting for 83% which should be established. a certain quantities of legal aid service provided by the full-time personnel of legal aid institutions, lawyers, notaries, basic legal service workers and legal aid volunteers of some social organizations, law schools or law institutes have participate specific legal aid work under the organization and direction of legal aid institutions at different levels.
- Legal aid in Law school
- Center for Protection for the Rights of Disadvantaged Citizens of Wuhan University (CPRDC)
- Not only consolidated traditional legal aid fields, but also achieved a lot in public interest law cases and research, publicity and activities
- Leader: Lin Lihong
- Centre for Women's Law Studies and Legal Services of Peking University
- The Centre promotes gender mainstreaming into law-making through law review and thematic study, strategic law suits to promote legal reforms, and training and advocacy of relevant groups. Women's Watch China presents news of such work, and notable cases and issues. Current content concentrates on three areas: violence against women, women's property rights and women's labor rights.
- Leader: Jia Wuguang
- Fudan University
- A legal clinic on both criminal cases and labor disputes
- Tsinghua University Legal Aid Center
- A legal clinic on consumer's rights
- Zhongnan University of Economics and Law
- A legal clinic in May to serve the poor and disadvantaged in society
- China University of Political Science and Law
- Renmin University
- Shandong University Law School
2. Social organizations
- Legal Aid Center of the Ministry of Justice
- China Legal Aid Foundation
- China Legal aid
- China Legal Info
- All-China Women’s Federation
- China Women’s Development Foundation
- China Women
- China Youth Development Foundation
- China Disabled Persons’ Federation
- China Migrant Worker Legal rights
3.Law institutes
- King & Wood
- Grandall Legal Group
- Zhong Lun Law Firm
- AllBright Law Offices
Other Law-Related Organizations
- Ministry of Justice P.R.C
- China Law Society
- All China Lawyers Association (ACLA)
- China National Association of People’s Mediation Network
- International Legal Cooperation Center
