LAW 5299: Contemporary Chinese Legal Institutions for the US Lawyer - 2164

Whether students in this course pursue careers in corporate or small firms, government, business, academia, or nearly anything else, it is likely that they will encounter the Chinese legal system at some point. From divorce cases in which a couple owns a Shanghai apartment, to structuring investment in Guangdong, to advising a company with an employee arrested in Beijing, many aspects of Chinese law are becoming relevant to legal practitioners all over the world. Because law and practice in China evolve quckly, this course focuses primarily on giving students a broad and foundational understanding of the Chinese legal system. Understanding its institutions, history, politics, and culture will provide a solid basis for working in what will be a China-centric world for decades to come. The goal of this course is not only to prepare students for a world where China is increasingly important, but also to study how China got to where it is today and where it is going, thereby deepening their understanding of the meaning of law.