Unfortunately I don’t speak or read Mandarin and or Cantonese or any Chinese/ Asian Language for that matter. I do believe that working with these groups would make a wonderful experience particularly for someone interested in law school and China in general such as myself (I recently completed a paralegal programme in the US). I has caused me to think of new volunteer opportunities I did not before.

Moreover it has caused me to look at the evolution of law not from the stand point of laws adapting to the needs of society but the way in which society my adapt to the law .

Interesting.

Thanks for the post.

But until then there should be someone who can provide some basic legal aid at an affordablen price as i believe some aid would be better than none( for the one involved).

When reading about citizen lawyers it makes me think of the barefoot doctors working in rural China in the 1960s and up until 1980s. During this time they provided medical services in areas where doctors were unavailable and therefore helped many people. But there is only so much one can learn with 6 months of training and so they were replaced in the 1980s. I would guess that when they stopped in the 1980s it was because formally educated doctors were ready to replace them. And if they were then it sounds like the right time to replace. But not before replacements are ready.

And this is my point with the “citizen lawyers”. I believe they should be able to practise until real lawyers are ready to take over their clients at a price they can afford.

Ps: Im sorry but i didnt understand the post from Cris.

As far as i know, many of these citizen lawyers have a knowledge of labour laws and the particular situation of migrant workers that far exceed a regularly trained lawyer. If this is correct then they shold be allowed to continue.

The best way in my oppinion to do something is not to demand proper education of all who practice law in courts, but to let ordinary lawyers compete with these citizen lawyers. If regular lawyers can provide the legal support needed at a cost that migrant workers can bare, and that regular lawyers have an interest in supporting migrant workers file lawsuits of low prestigue character, then migrant workers might choose the regualr lawyers if they posess enough knowledge in this area.

But until then citizen lawyers should be able to continue to conduct their business. The legal system is not made to command respect, but rather to give people rights. One should not clamp down on people`s attemts to promote people`s right`s. Not in the short run and not in the long run. Who represents them is of lesser significance.