The Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program in Chinese Law

 

 

An Overview of the LL.M. Program

 

The Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program in Chinese Law is a Graduate Law program offered by Peking University Law School. It has a focus on Chinese Civil and Commercial Law and the language of instruction is English.

 

Peking University is a pre-eminent university in China, being well-known for her long history, rich culture, distinguished alumni, enlightened education policies and exciting campus life. Established in 1904, her Law School has become a leading institution for legal education and a potent force for legal development in China. The Law school frequently partners with the government, with law firms and with the business community in the development of cutting edge legal, social and commercial policy. The Law School also has many international links and partnership programs with leading universities and legal institutions around the world.

 

With China's rapid economic growth and growing presence on the world stage, the knowledge of Chinese law has become an essential resource for international students and legal professionals engaged with China. Peking University Law School has established the LL.M. Program in Chinese Law to address the needs of an international community seeking a comprehensive and systematic understanding of Chinese law from a first-rate legal institution.

 

This program provides an intensive instruction in Chinese law. Leading faculty members will offer Chinese law courses specially designed for international students. Teaching will comprise of both lectures and small-group seminars. Additionally, Peking University regularly attracts top scholars and practitioners in Chinese law and students will have first-hand access to such distinguished presenters. There are also optional subjects in non-law areas such as politics, economy and society to facilitate students' understanding of China's culture.

 

The LL.M. Program offers valuable internship opportunities to work in the top law firms and other legal institutions in China to help the students to get a better comprehension of the Chinese legal system and its cultural underpinnings. Through the program, students can establish a solid foundation for their career development in China.

 

The duration of the program is 2 years (4 semesters). The first year is full time course-work with class attendance. The second year is set aside for thesis writing, legal practice and internship. Students are required to enrol in a minimum of 36 credits and write a master's thesis. They have the option to stay in China or return to their own residence in the second academic year, but they must attend the thesis defence before the end of the 4th semester.

 

This degree is an equivalent of Master of Laws degree offered to Chinese students. No more than 30 students will be admitted into this program in the year    .

Academic advisors will be assigned to each student for his/her study and thesis. Chinese students in Peking University Law School are also available to offer personal counselling.

 

 

 

Course List

 

Chinese Civil Law                                         (Credit Unit: 3)

Chinese Contract Law                                      (Credit Unit: 2)

Chinese Company Law                                     (Credit Unit: 3)

Chinese Economic Law                                    (Credit Unit: 3)

Chinese Foreign Investment Law                             (Credit Unit: 3)

Chinese Intellectual Property Law                            (Credit Unit: 3)

Chinese Civil Procedure and Arbitration Law                    (Credit Unit: 3)

 

Chinese Constitutional and Administrative Law                 (Credit Unit: 3)

Chinese Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure                  (Credit Unit: 3)

Chinese Judicial System                                     (Credit Unit: 2)

International Law as Applied in China: Theory and Practice        (Credit Unit: 2)

Chinese Family Law                                       (Credit Unit: 2)

Legal Chinese                                            (Credit Unit: 2)

General Information of China                                (Credit Unit: 2)

Fieldwork                                               (Credit Unit: 2)

Elementary Chinese                                       (Credit Unit: 4)

 

Teaching Staff

 

Bai Guimei

Professor; LL.M., Dalhousie University; Ph.D., Peking University

Visiting Scholar at Dalhousie University Law School, University of Ottawa and New York University School of Law

 

Chen Duanhong

Professor; Postgraduate doctor, London University; Ph.D., China Academy of Social Science

 

Chen Ruoying

Assistant Professor; LL.B., Peking University (1999); M.Juris, Oxford University (2000); LL.M (2005) and J.S.D. (2010), The University of Chicago Law School. 

 

She was a lecturer in law and John M. Olin Fellow of the Law and Economics Program of the University of Chicago Law School (2005-2006), Chevening Scholar and Shell Centenary Scholar (1999-2000).  Before she joined this faculty in the fall of 2010, she taught at the University of Chicago Law School as a visiting assistant professor, and was an associate at the global law firm of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Her main research interests include commercial regulations and dispute resolutions, property and environmental protection.

 

Deng Feng

Associate Professor; Ph.D., Renmin University of China

Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School

 

Fu Yulin

Associate Professor; Ph.D., Renmin University of China

Visiting scholar at Tuebingen University in Germany and Northeastern University of America

 

Ge Yunsong

Associate Professor; LL.M. Peking University; LL.M. Yale University; Ph.D., Peking University

 

Guo Li

Associate Professor; LL.M., Harvard University; Ph. D., Peking University

 

Jin Jinping

Associate Professor; Ph. D., Peking University;

Vice Director of the Center for Real Estate Law and Assistant Director of the Center for Nonprofit Organizations Law at Peking University Law School

Visiting scholar at Yale Law School and Michigan Law School

 

Jiang Su

Postdoctoral Researcher, Peking University

Visiting Scholar, School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Postdoctoral Researcher, Max-Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, Freiburg, Germany

 

Ling Bin

Associate Professor; LL.M., Yale Law School; Ph.D., Peking University

 

Liu Dongjin

Associate Professor; LL.M, Peking University; Visiting Scholar at the University of Minnesota Law School

 

Liu Yan

Professor; Ph.D., Peking University

Visiting Scholar at Leidon University and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

 

Lou Jianbo

Associate Professor; LL.M., Peking University

Ph. D., Queen Mary College, University of London

Senior Lecturer in Chinese Commercial Law, University of Cambridge

Visiting Researcher at Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary, University of London

 

Peng Bing

Associate Professor; Ph.D., Peking University; Visiting Scholar at University of California, Berkeley School of Law

 

Shao Jingchun

Professor;

Ph.D., Peking University

Shen Kui

Associate Professor & Vice Dean of Peking University Law School.

B.A. of law, Peking University, 1992; Master of law, Peking University, 1995; Ph. D., Peking University, 1998; Visiting Scholar, Columbia Law School, April-June of 1998; Visiting Scholar, Georgetown Law Center, January-June of 2002.

Principal areas of publishing and teaching: Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Human Rights, Government Tort.

 

Wang Jiancheng

Professor & Vice Dean of Peking University Law School;

Ph. D., Renmin University of China

Visiting Scholar at Catholic University of Louvain

 

Wang Shizhou

Professor; LL.M., Peking University; LL.M., University of California, Berkeley

Alexsand-von-Humboldt Research Fellow in Max-Planck-Institute of Foreign and International Criminal Law in Freiburg and in the Augsburg University, Germany

Director of the Chinese Criminology Association

 

Wang Xixin

Professor & Vice Dean of Peking University Law School; Ph. D., Peking University

Visiting Scholar at Columbia University School of Law

Fellow of the China Law Center at Yale Law School

 

Wu Zhipan

Professor of Law; Ph. D., Peking University

Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School

 

Zhan Zhongle

Associate Professor; Ph. D., Peking University

Depute Director of Constitution and Administrative Law Research Center of Peking University (ministerial key research base of humanities and social science)

Director of Educational Law Research Center of Peking University

 

Zhang Ping

Yahoo!-Founder Endowed Chair Law Professor; LL.M., Peking University

Visiting Scholar at University of Washington-Seattle

Visiting Researcher at the Institute of Intellectual Property in Tokyo, Japan

 

Zhang Qi

Professor; Ph. D., Peking University

Executive Director of the Institute of Comparative Law and Legal Sociology, Peking University

Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School

 

Zhang Qianfan

Professor; Ph. D., Peking University

Executive Director of the Institute of Comparative Law and Legal Sociology, Peking University

Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School

Visiting Researcher at Heidelberg University Law School

 

Zhang Yali

Lecturer; LLM, Peking University

 

Zhang Yongle

Lecturer;

LLB, Peking University Law School

Ph. D., Dept. of Political Science of UCLA

 

Zhu Suli

Professor; Ph.D., Arizona State University

Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School and Yale Law School

 

Words from Program Students

 

Hugh Kam

LL.M. student, 2008

 

Studying the LLM Program at Beida was really full of exciting, fun and memorable experiences; here are three that you might like to know – one from the classroom, one from the court and one from the outside!

(1) In our Foreign Investment Law class, we not only learnt the laws but we applied them too: mock scenarios were given to us and the class split into two, with each half working as the claimant or defence team. Each week, we would engage in spirited battles to persuade judge (our beloved Prof Shao) why we just had to be right, why the other side just had to be wrong. And though some of us would inevitably lose, we always all came out of class as winners: the laws seemed to stick so much better in our heads and we felt like we'd just been real lawyers at court!

(2) The Program administrators did in fact kindly arrange for us to visit a real court – although it was a simple landlord and tenant case at a Basic Level Court, we were impressed by how thorough the parties were, how professional the judge was and how smooth the hearing went. And I had the privilege of being asked to translate the trial for my classmates – for someone who had never done simultaneous bilingual translation before let alone simultaneous bilingual legal translation at court, it was a real thrill!

(3) And throughout the year, I was engage deeply with mooting at Peking University. But what mattered was not so much the moots themselves, important though they were, but the truly wonderful opportunity, as the only foreign student on the Jessup and Vis teams, to get to know a group of the brightest local minds and get to know them well – in fact, I'm just about to have dinner with one in town next week!

 

Reinout van Malenstein

LL.M. student, 2008

The Peking University LL.M. Program in Chinese Law is a chance for you to indulge in Chinese law and culture. The excellent and open-minded professors, many of whom have graduated from Peking University and other prestigious foreign universities, provided very interesting classes and discussions. Furthermore, the active participation of many bright students from different legal cultures provides an international environment that equips you with the tools of dealing with different legal cultures and Chinese law. By studying hard, attending all the classes, going on very interesting fieldtrips, doing in-depth research, and studying Mandarin next to the LL.M. Program, my knowledge of Chinese law and culture has increased exponentially. The lasting friendships with the international and Chinese law students, the inspiring environment of Peking University and the vibrant city of Beijing, also makes the program a truly unforgettable experience. Furthermore, the program provides the students with excellent opportunities to do an internship with a Chinese law firm or a multinational corporation. Upon graduating from the LL.M. Program I will start working as an associate at an international law firm. Knowing I will benefit from my in-depth knowledge of Chinese law and culture, and being able to speak the language, this program has offered me a great opportunity to make China a lasting part of my life and my career. 

 

 

Credit and Thesis Requirements

 

Students are required to enrol in a minimum of 36 credits including all required courses and pass all course examinations.

 

In order to obtain the LL.M. degree, students must complete the master's thesis relating to Chinese law and pass the thesis defence. A master's thesis between 12,000 and 20,000 words is recommended. The thesis should be written in Chinese or English. Thesis that is written in English should provide an abstract in Chinese.

 

After approved by Peking University Degree Committee, the students can receive the LL.M. Program's graduation certificate and degree diploma.

 

Tuition

 

The tuition for the whole program is 160,000 RMB.

 

Students should pay 80,000 RMB in the first fall semester before registration and the other 80,000 RMB in the second. The tuition should be paid in RMB.

 

Room and Board

 

Students should afford their own accommodation. Peking University Law School will assist the students to arrange their accommodation.

 

Scholarship

 

The program offers merit scholarships for 5 students, each of whom can receive 8,000 RMB.

 

 

Library and Internet

 

At Peking University, law students have ready access to the materials of legal research through library collection and networked electronic information sources. Databases like Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw are available in the law library.

 

Eligibility Requirements

 

The program is only designed for non-Chinese-nationality, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan applicants under the age of 40.

 

Applicants should comply with Chinese laws and Peking University's rules and respect the customs of Chinese people.

 

Applicants must have a first law degree (J.D., LL.B. or the equivalent) from a law school. Those who don't have any of the above-mentioned law degree but have a Bachelor's degree and substantial law-related working experience can also apply for this program.

 

All applicants who are not native English speakers or who did not have a postsecondary education entirely conducted in the English language must take the TOEFL or IELTS examination. The Program requires a minimum score of 92 in TOEFL IBT, or 6.5 in IELTS with 7.0 in IELTS writing.

 

A health certificate is required before registration.

 

Application Materials

 

An applicant should submit the following materials. All documents should be written in English. If the documents are not in English, they must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.

 

(1) Peking University Application Form for International Students (Master and Ph.D. Programs); you can visitwww.studyatpku.com to fill in the form and submit on the internet. You also should print it and stick your photo in order to send it to us with other materials.

 

(2) A personal statement (about 800 words);

 

(3) Official transcripts of postsecondary school training (original);

 

(4) An official certificate of your highest education (original) (Undergraduate students should provide an official letter stating expected graduation date.);

 

(5) Two letters of recommendation by professors or associate professors (original);

 

(6) One photocopy of results of TOEFL or IELTS examination;

 

(7) One photocopy of valid passport (Passport type must be ordinary);

 

Notice: make sure to send all the Application Materials to us before deadline.

 

Application Fee:

 

Amount: 800 RMB.

 

Directly pay in cash or pay by use of a Chinese bank issued Union Card.  Foreign currencies and traveler's checks will not be accepted. Application fees are nonrefundable. Please include the application fee in the same mailing packet as that containing the application materials.

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Laura Xu

E-mail Address: llmpku@gmail.com

Tel: (8610) 62753816

Fax: (8610) 62756542