1. Teaching via practice: a road to win-win situations for legal education and social service
The School of Law has been spearheading the mode of teaching via practice. Through contracts with famous law firms in Beiing, it has creatively extended the normal probation period of 2-3 months for students majoring in law to one year, enabling them ample time to play their roles in real-life cases. This way they are given more opportunities to solve realistic problems with the knowledge they have acquired by handling true-to-life cases, and to experience the professional ethics and social responsibility required of lawyers. In the meantime, CUPL has established sound cooperative platforms and exclusive departments for compilation of supporting materials, to strengthen and solidify systemic and theoretical support.
2. List of Practice Bases (Partial)
Government Agencies
The People's Court of Xicheng District, The People's Court of Haidian District,
The People's Court of Changping District, The People's Procuratorate of
Changping District, Legal Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing
Municipality…
Law Firms
Dacheng Law Firm, Anli Law Firm, Yuecheng Law Firm…
3. Popularization of Law,disseminating the seeds of law among all the citizens
4. Legal Clinic: Achievement of Justice for the Disadvantaged
Launched in June 2004, the Legal Clinic is based on the “Teaching and Research Office of Legal Professional Ethics” of the School of Law. Its practical legal education and research courses are offered by Ma Hongjun, Wang Jinxi, Liu Dawei, Xu Shenjian, Teng Biao and other teachers with lawyer’s certificates. On the one hand, the teachers teach the basic methods, litigation know-how, litigation paper preparation, evidence regulations and share practical experiences through analysis of realistic cases. On the other hand, students of the legal clinic take part in cases through various channels, like handling incoming telephone consultation, offer legal advice at the instruction of teachers on duty, and directly participate in lawsuits as litigation agents.
Legal Clinic is also the Assistance Center of Legal Volunteers of Beijing Municipality co-established by the Judicial Bureau of Beijing Municipality and the School of Law CUPL, offering various legal services to households receiving minimum social welfare in Beijing. An exclusive reception room is established to offer legal consultation for the people at large via handling hotline telephone, responding to letters, receiving visitors, issuing legal position papers, drafting legal documents and so on. This very advantage makes it possible for the legal clinic to become the only legal clinic within CUPL qualified to act as litigation agent.
Sound Stimulation Mechanism
Since 2003, Yuecheng Law Firm has established “Yuecheng Law Firm Scholarship and Fellowship” in the School of Law. In addition, there are a host of scholarships, including the State Scholarship, the President’s Scholarship, Jiang Ping Scholarship, Ying Songnian Scholarship, Cai Dingjian Scholarship, “Tiantan Cup” Thesis Contest Fund, etc., to offer economic support to excellent students from poor family backgrounds.
Top-quality Talent Cultivation
In recent years the employment rate of postgraduates from the School of Law has been standing at over 95%, coupled with high employment quality.
Diversified Extracurricular Activities
Based on the organic combination and two-way interaction between classroom and extracurricular instruction, the Law School conducts a series of high-level, diversified activities focused on culture and personality and creates an atmosphere putting value on both morals and skills, theory and practice, thus promoting students’ development.
Under the support of the School, periods of “Yanshan Forum” have been organized via joining hands with Tencent, making possible exchanges between celebrities from all walks of life and the CUPL students.
Efficient Student Self-governing Organization
The student union and the postgraduate association are selfgoverning student committees under the leadership of the communist youth league. Over the years, the student union has successfully organized various sports events, evening parties, simulation courts and lectures, greatly enriching the second classroom for the students and promoting their full development.
Complete Service System
In 2010, the teaching panel for Legal History headed by Professor Zhu Yong was awarded “National Level Teaching Panel” by the Ministry of Education. It is the first time for a teaching panel of law to win a state level prize.