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Northwest China Council and World Affairs Council presents

The Role of Law in China’s Strained “Harmonious Society”
by Prof. Margaret Lewis

As China gears up for its leadership transition in 2012, it is easy to marvel at the more than six decades of uninterrupted rule by the Chinese Communist Party. Yet underneath this continuity and the ubiquitous slogan of a “harmonious society” lies an increasingly restive society. On the one hand, the highest echelons of power are looking to law to shore up their legitimacy. On the other hand, they are wary about giving free rein to a legal system that could provide citizens with channels to challenge the government. This talk will draw on recent developments in China to explore the tension between China’s journey toward the rule of law and the persistence of single-party rule.

This event is supported by the National Committee on
U.S.-China Relations’ Public Intellectuals Program, which is funded by
the Henry Luce and C.V. Starr Foundations. It is also sponsored by the
UO’s National Resource Center for East Asian Studies.

About Margaret Lewis

Margaret Lewis is an Associate Professor of Law at Seton Hall Law School. Prof. Lewis travels frequently to Asia, having recently given presentations at National Taiwan University, Renmin University School of Law, and National University of Singapore, among other universities. Her publications have appeared in the Virginia Journal of International Law, New York University Law Review, and the Asian Journal of Criminology.  

Prof. Lewis received her J.D., magna cum laude, from NYU School of Law, where she was inducted into the Order of the Coif and was a member of Law Review. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, from Columbia University and also studied at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies in Nanjing, China.