Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series—Jerome Cohen ’55 Speaks on Law and Life in Asia

VIDEO OF PROFESSOR COHEN'S "LAW AND LIFE IN ASIA" LECTURES:
PART ONE:  Taiwan’s Rule of Law Development
PART TWO:  Lawyering to Foster China’s Economic and Legal Development
PART THREE:  Academic, Scholarly and Law Reform Interaction with China

In February, internationally renowned China law scholar, teacher, writer, and lawyer Jerome A. Cohen ’55 will deliver three Dean's Distinguished Lectures on “Law and Life in Asia.” Professor Cohen is a pioneer in the field of Chinese and Asian legal studies in the United States who played an important role in the re-opening of U.S.-China relations. The series, in honor of Cohen's 80th birthday, will take place February 2, 9, and 23. It is being hosted by Yale Law School’s China Law Center, as part of the Workshop on Chinese Legal Reform.

“Jerry Cohen is a true giant in this field,” remarked Paul Gewirtz, Potter Stewart Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale Law School and Director of the China Law Center. “We are enormously pleased to host this celebration of his many pioneering contributions to the understanding of China in the United States and to reflect on that experience and look ahead.”

All three lectures will be held at 4:10 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge at Yale Law School, 127 Wall Street, New Haven. They are free and open to the public.

Part I on February 2 is titled “Taiwan’s Rule of Law Development.”

Part II on February 9 is titled “Lawyering to Foster China’s Economic and Legal Development.”

Part III on February 23 is titled “Academic, Scholarly and Law Reform Interaction with China.”

Professor Cohen has been with New York University Law School since 1990, where he currently is co-director of the U.S.-Asia Law Institute and teaches courses on Chinese criminal justice, China’s legal tradition, international business transactions, and international law. He is also an adjunct senior fellow for Asian Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

As the founder and director of East Asian Legal Studies at Harvard Law School from 1964-1979, Professor Cohen helped introduce East Asian legal systems and perspectives into American legal curricula. He is of counsel (retired partner) to the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and was one of the earliest foreign lawyers practicing law in modern China. In recent years, Professor Cohen has also focused on addressing core problems in China’s criminal process and human rights, advising the families of a number of prominent American citizens and permanent residents who have been detained in China.

He has published many articles on Chinese law as well as several books, including The Criminal Process in the People’s Republic of China, 1949–63, People’s China and International Law, and Contract Laws of the People’s Republic of China.

He holds a B.A. from Yale College and a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal.