American Legal Education, Skills Training, and Transnational Legal Practice: Combining Dao and Shu for the Global Practitioner

AuthorMichael A. Simons and Margaret E. McGuinness
Pages126-134
126 TSINGHUA CHINA LAW REVIEW [Vol. 8:125
AMERICAN LEGAL EDUCATION, SKILLS TRAINING, AND
TRANSNATIONAL LEGAL PRACTICE: COMBINING DAO
AND SHU FOR THE GLOBAL PRACTITIONER1
Michael A. Simons
Margaret E. McGuinness
Abstract
Transnational law subjects have become an integral part of U.S. law s chool curricula, and
international students are vital members of our law school communities. However, to adequately
prepare lawyers more effectively for global legal practice, law schools must integrate skills
training into the teaching of transnational law. This essay discussing one comparative approach
follows a recent symposia addressing current issues facing global legal education, and China’s
reform programs for legal education.
I. INTRODUCTION
On October 10, 2015, Tsinghua University School of Law
celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its reopening by hosting two
important conferences.2 The first was a meeting of the China Law
Society, focused on discussions and assessments of current reform
programs for legal education in China. The second was a conference
of legal educators from around the world addressing Global Legal
Education at a Crossroads. The two conferences struck similar notes,
reflecting a growing demand for access to legal education and legal
services in China and around the globe, and the parallel need for law
schools to assess whether legal education is up to the challenges and
opportunities presented by increased globalization.
Global legal education has made significant progress is recent
years. Just five years ago, when a different law school in Beijing
celebrated a milestone anniversary with a similar conference, the tenor
of the conference was decidedly different.3 Then, the legal educators
gathered in Beijing were still advocating for the globalization of legal
1 This essay is adapted from remarks delivered on October 10, 2015 by Dean Michael A. Simons
at the Tsinghua Conference, Global Legal Education at a Crossroads, in Beijing. We extend special thanks
go to Dean Zhenmin Wang, Vice Dean Weixin Shen, Ms. Rujun Yang, and Ms. Jun Wang for their warm
hospitality in Beijing during the conference, and we congratulate the entire Tsinghua Law School
community on their anniversary. Thank you also to Nok Hei Yuen and Hadas Peled and the staff of the
Tsinghua China Law Review for their assistance with publication, and Ashlee Aguiar for assistance with
citations.
2 For a description of Tsinghua Law School’s 20th Anniversary celebration, see
http://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/publish/lawen/8425/2015/20150909095458810132635/2015090909545881
0132635_.html.
3 See The Second 21st Century Forum of International Law School Deans and Celebration for 60th
Anniversary of Renmin University law School, REMIN LAW SCHOOL (Oct. 3 , 2010),
http://ruc.zuolang.com/eng/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=27712.

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