Books for China: Thomson Reuters Donates Law Books to Chinese Legal Community
Western jurisprudence, particularly American law, has played a key role in China’s modernization and economic reform. American legal tradition and best practices have frequently been used as references in building China’s own legal system. Consequently, China is in need of opportunities to learn and understand American law. To that end, Thomson Reuters has donated many legal texts to various Chinese institutions over the last decade.
In 2006, Thomson Reuters donated 300 law school textbooks to China University of Political Science and Law’s School of American Law, the first American-style law school in China. In 2008, Thomson Reuters supported the founding of Peking University School of Transnational Law – the second American style law school in China – and donated 300 textbooks to the entire first-year class at the School. In 2011, more than 500 legal reference and academic books were donated to a dozen leading law schools and law libraries in China.
Most recently in September 2015, more than 1,500 volumes of legal texts were shipped from Thomson Reuters to Shanghai to be distributed to law schools, governmental libraries and bar associations. In the shipment were entire sets of West’s California Code, California Jurisprudence; American Law Reports, 3rd, 4th and 5th series; American Law Reports Federal Series; American Jurisprudence Trials; and American Jurisprudence Proof of Facts. Cindy Schriber, Managing Librarian of Thomson Reuters Law Library, oversaw the entire process of moving these from San Francisco to Shanghai, noting, “We are so pleased to hear that these classical texts of American law have relocated to their new home in China.”
“Law is playing an increasingly important role in China. Legal publications from Thomson Reuters are popular in China’s universities and government agencies. These donations, alongside the unrivaled legal solutions and expertise we have been offering to the local community, demonstrate our strong commitment to China’s development and globalization,” David Liu, Managing Director of Global Growth & Operations in China, said. “We will continue to strive to be a trusted partner of our legal clients in China.”
Rick King, executive vice president and Chief Information Officer for Thomson Reuters served as the executive sponsor of the book donations, adding, “We support China’s commitment in building the rule of law, and we are proud to play a part in providing the Chinese legal community with the resources they need to understand our legal system, and assist them in finding the answers to their questions.”
This post was written by Chang Wang, Chief Research and Academic Officer at Thomson Reuters.