USAI-Szymanski Rule of Law Program for Chinese Students

OVERVIEW

For four weeks each summer, this program hosts a small group of English-fluent Chinese law students in Washington, DC to meet US officials and observe the US legal and political system. Since 2008, a total of 82 students have participated. They have viewed legislative and judicial proceedings and held interactive meetings with officials across all three branches, including (totals) 120+ Members and 700+ staff of Congress, 175+ administration officials, and 110+ presidentially-appointed judges. They have averaged six meetings per day during their month in DC. When not in meetings, they have been visiting our museums and landmarks, joining our cultural and social events (e.g., July 4 fireworks, baseball games, backyard BBQs, birthday parties), and gaining lifelong impressions and friends.

To learn more about the program, see the Program Overview, List of US Hosts and their Letters of Support. To see photos from the program over the years, see the Photo Gallery for 2008-2017. To see photos from the 11th annual DC program, see the Photo Gallery here. Photo galleries for the 2020 and 2021 virtual programs can be found here, or at the 2020-2021 Rule of Law Virtual Programs link in the navbar.

Our 16th annual program ran June 26-July 21, 2023, and the 17th program will be held from June 24-July 19, 2024.

As a complement to this “DC Program” for Chinese law students, in 2016 we added a “China Program” for Chinese-fluent US law students. For more information on our Program in China, click here.

STUDENTS

Participating students are fluent in English and familiar with the US legal system. They come mainly from East China University of Political Science & Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Law, Tsinghua University School of Law, and Peking University School of Transnational Law (a four-year graduate law program that combines a Juris Doctor degree in American law with a Juris Master degree in Chinese law). For an overview of their educational environment in China and how they have been chosen for this program, see the China Context for DC Program.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Each year’s program is highly structured, with the students lodged together near Capitol Hill to facilitate a busy schedule. On weekdays, they attend congressional and judicial proceedings and meet with federal lawmakers, judges, and agency officials, and with private sector scholars, lawyers, and lobbyists. On weekends, they explore the DC area, visit other cities in the region, and interact with Americans in a wide range of social settings.

Daily meetings: Daily meetings with US hosts, especially US government officials, are the largest portion of the program. The goal of these meetings is to expose the students to a wide array of issues in American politics, culture, and society. For example, students may ask their hosts about their personal and professional background as well as the nature of their jobs and their employers. In addition to these meetings, students attend congressional and court proceedings.

Teach-In Sessions: Once or twice a week, there are “teach-in” sessions with law professors and other public policy experts in the DC area. These sessions are usually more focused discussions on a selected legal topic and are conducted as Socratic seminars, as is typical of American law courses.

Friday Wrap up sessions: Each Friday there is an informal group meeting with all students and USAI interns to discuss the preceding week’s events and meetings. This allows students to discuss the observations they made throughout the week, ask questions, and process the week’s events.

Cultural activities: USAI organizes cultural activities in DC that can help the students immerse themselves in American life. Typical activities include visiting the National Mall, museums, restaurants, concerts, etc., as well as visiting the homes of USAI staff members or advisors.

Writing Requirements: