Chinese Legal Research

Chinese Legal Research is the first book to provide a condensed guide to legal research in China for foreign researchers.

The goal of this book is to supply researchers with all of the background, tools, resources, and tips necessary to conduct effective Chinese legal research without even a basic knowledge of written Mandarin.

Conducting legal research in China can be daunting to academics and practitioners from foreign jurisdictions regardless of whether they are from common law or civil law systems. This book overcomes the obstacles to conducting legal research in China by comparing the Chinese legal system to foreign jurisdictions and then providing advice and know-how on researching Chinese law.

Chinese Legal Research concisely explains each aspect of China's legal system including its governmental structure, constitution, legislation, and administrations. It examines Chinese courts and how to conduct research when court judgments do not have precedential value. This book also contains a detailed guide to romanization, citations, and Chinese legal research services.

The overall theme of this book is that foreign researchers can conduct quality research on Chinese law without learning Mandarin. It is especially helpful for foreign attorneys that wish to conduct legal research without relying on outside counsel or Chinese colleagues. Chinese Legal Research is recommended for academics and practitioners researching Chinese law.

Paul Kossof was awarded the Global Legal Skills Scholarship and Book Award in recognition of his books that promote a better understanding of Chinese law and the Chinese legal system. The award was announced at the Global Skills Conference held in Melbourne, Australia, December 2018.