On March 18, China University of Political Science and Law held the first seminar on the cultivation of the professional degree of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD). At the meeting, Jiang Zeting, Secretary of the Party Committee of China University of Political Science and Law, and Ma Huade, President of the University, jointly unveiled the “School of Law of China University of Political Science and Law“.

According to reports, at the end of 2024, in order to further deepen the comprehensive reform and promote the development of legal professional degree education to a higher level, China University of Political Science and Law renamed the School of Law for Master’s Degree as the School of Law. The School of Law of China University of Political Science and Law is so far the only specialized college in the country aiming at cultivating legal professional degree talents. The college adopts a dual-tutor system and internationalized cultivation, adheres to a practice-oriented approach, and takes multiple measures to cultivate high-level legal talents with Chinese characteristics, who are compound, applied, and international. It has led the innovation of the legal professional talent cultivation model and formed the “Fada Model“ of legal professional degree education that is leading, exemplary, replicable, and promotable across the country.

According to incomplete statistics, at least 16 universities are currently deploying the Doctor of Law program. Against the background of the continuous expansion of professional doctor enrollment, the entry of the first batch of Doctors of Law has undoubtedly injected new impetus into the improvement of the legal discipline system and the multi-level development of legal talents.

Hu Weilie, who is a member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice as well as Deputy Director of the National Steering Committee for the Education of Legal Professional Degree Postgraduate Students. And Hu Yunteng, a former full-time member of the Judicial Committee of the Supreme People“s Court at the deputy ministerial level, a second-class senior judge, and President of the Case Law Research Association of the China Law Society. Representatives of the National Steering Committee for the Education of Legal Professional Degree Postgraduate Students, representatives of Doctor of Law training institutions, representatives of practical departments, and representatives of teachers and students of the school participated in the event.

Hu Weilie pointed out that carrying out the professional degree education of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) is not only to meet the actual needs of high-level legal talents for high-quality development and high-level opening up in the new era and new journey, but also a major institutional innovation in legal education and the cultivation of legal talents under the background of comprehensively promoting law-based governance of the country. So, regarding the cultivation and education of Doctors of Law (Juris Doctor, JD), he put forward three suggestions: First, adhere to cultivating people with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Second, firmly grasp the training goal of high-level practical legal talents of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) and continuously improve the quality of education and training. Third, continuously improve the practice-oriented legal education and talent training mechanism. The National Steering Committee for the Education of Legal Professional Degree Postgraduate Students and the Legal Professional Qualification Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice will actively cooperate with relevant departments such as the Ministry of Education, pay attention to the education and training of Doctors of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) in each training institution, strengthen investigation and guidance, provide service and assistance, and give full play to the role of law schools as a bridge connecting legal practice departments.

Hu Yunteng pointed out that the establishment of the professional degree of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) reflects the rich development of Chinese legal education and is a major innovation in the cultivation of Chinese legal talents. As high-end talents, Doctors of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) shoulder the important mission of integrating theory with practice and promoting the process of the rule of law. Then, the education of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) should focus on cultivating high-level legal talents who are capable and service-oriented, and form a differentiated positioning from Doctor of Law (PhD in Law). He emphasized that the cultivation of Doctors of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) should strengthen the improvement of legal theory foundation and law enforcement ability, continuously broaden the international perspective, keep innovating in curriculum setting, training system, teaching methods, and teaching staff, achieve personalized training, explore diversified assessment methods, and ensure that talent training is closely connected with the needs of judicial practice. He hopes that the education of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) can highlight professional depth and international characteristics, and provide high-level talents with both theoretical foundation and practical ability for judicial organs, law firms, and multinational institutions, truly realizing the competitive advantage of Doctors of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) in the practical field.

Jiang Zeting pointed out that China University of Political Science and Law has always adhered to implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping“s important speech during his inspection of the university, and actively explored to create a practice-oriented education and training mechanism for a world-class law school with Chinese characteristics. The transformation and upgrading of the School of Law and the setting of the professional degree of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) have effectively solved the problem of dislocation between “academic“ and “professional“ in the traditional training system, and explored a transformation path of legal education from “academically dominated“ to “dual-driven by academics and professions“, which is a key step in the reform of the university“s legal education. He required that the School of Law should closely focus on the university“s “three key tasks“, cultivate people with Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, consolidate the ideological foundation for the cultivation of legal talents; improve the compound knowledge system to strengthen the foundation and build a new model for the growth of high-quality legal talents; help effectively improve practical combat and practical abilities, and become a talent training base serving the construction of the rule of law in China.

At the first seminar on the cultivation of the professional degree of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD), around the theme of “High-quality Development of the Professional Degree Education of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) and the Cultivation of Legal Talents with Chinese Characteristics“, Ma Huade, President of China University of Political Science and Law, Vice President of the China Law Society, and Deputy Director of the National Steering Committee for the Education of Legal Professional Degree Postgraduate Students; Lin Wei, President of Southwest University of Political Science and Law and Vice President of the China Law Society; Fan Jiuli, President of Northwest University of Political Science and Law and Vice President of the China Law Society; Luo Peixin, Vice President of East China University of Political Science and Law; Chen Shi, a professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, representing Vice President Qin Hong; Yan Hai, Vice President of Liaoning University and Dean of the Law School; Chang An, Vice President of Northwest University of Political Science and Law and Dean of the Graduate School, and other leaders and guests delivered keynote speeches respectively. At the two parallel sub-forums held subsequently, participating experts and scholars had in-depth exchanges around topics such as “The Positioning, Training Objectives, and Characteristic Training Paths of the Professional Degree Education of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD)“ and “The Training Model of the Professional Degree of Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor, JD) under the Background of the Construction of the Rule of Law in China“.