On April 11, more than a hundred aspiring law students from across the country gathered in Shenzhen to visit Peking University School of Transnational Law for its Open Day. From the morning welcome remarks to the evening admissions Q&A, the day unfolded through a rich and tightly scheduled program—including a J.D. sample class, alumni sharing sessions, a lecture by the dean, and roundtable discussions with current students. Together, these events offered a comprehensive and immersive introduction to the distinctive appeal of what is widely regarded as “China’s most innovative law school.”
In the morning, participants arrived one after another at the STL Building. Staff from the admissions office welcomed each attendee with a set of customized school merchandise and a personalized name badge.
Professor Mark Feldman, Interim Dean of PKUSTL, extended a warm welcome to students who had traveled from afar. He provided a systematic overview of STL’s internationalized education model, which runs the J.D. and J.M. programs in parallel, and shared the school’s development trajectory and achievements in talent cultivation since its founding in 2008. He emphasized that STL aims to train legal professionals with a global perspective, strong cross-cultural communication skills, and solid professional foundations through the deep integration of common law case-method teaching and Chinese law training.
Professor Ray Campbell then delivered a J.D. sample class titled “Law As Profession and Ethical Duty.” Drawing on two real-world cases, he guided students to reflect on the nature of the legal profession: is it merely an “occupation,” or a true “profession”? If lawyers enjoy exclusive market privileges, should they also bear heightened ethical responsibilities?
The students engaged in lively discussion around these questions, exchanging perspectives and sharpening their reasoning through debate. In doing so, they experienced firsthand the Socratic method that characterizes teaching at PKUSTL.
In the afternoon, Li Jiangfeng, a member of STL’s inaugural graduating class and now a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, delivered a talk titled “STL: Where I Started My Legal Journey.” She shared her post-graduation path—from further academic study to serving as head of in-house legal affairs, and ultimately becoming a partner at a leading international law firm. She also outlined the diverse career trajectories of other STL graduates, including roles as selected civil servants, positions in international organizations, and entrepreneurial ventures. By highlighting the varied experiences of alumni, she vividly illustrated the breadth of opportunities that STL offers. She noted that one of STL’s most valuable resources is its close-knit community of faculty and peers: “In those moments when you feel uncertain, there is always someone around you to turn to.”
After a short break, Associate Dean Mao Shaowei engaged students in an open dialogue, using two sets of key themes—AI, law, and education, as well as Shenzhen, transnational legal practice, and legal study. Through a dynamic Q&A exchange, he offered deeper insights into PKUSTL and its broader vision.
On the topic of AI, Professor Mao proposed a “hypothesis”: once a critical threshold is reached, the market may split into two types of legal professionals—those who have already built experience and reputation before the inflection point and can effectively leverage AI in their work, and newcomers who must directly compete with AI for training opportunities and entry-level tasks. For this reason, he emphasized that the core of legal education is no longer merely the transmission of knowledge, but the cultivation of capabilities that AI cannot replace—judgment, critical thinking, empathy, and problem-solving. “As long as you can ask the right questions, the cost of obtaining answers becomes very low. What is truly irreplaceable is whether you can formulate the right questions and evaluate the answers.”
Professor Mao described Shenzhen as “both a spatial concept and a temporal one.” Spatially, Shenzhen is a core city of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, where emerging fields such as cross-border e-commerce and transnational legal practice are generating substantial new demand for legal services. Temporally, it represents the future—where growing opportunities call precisely for legal professionals who are fluent in both Chinese law and common law, and capable of working bilingually. “We often focus only on the overall contraction of the market or the slowdown in growth, while overlooking the simultaneous rise in demand within many critical segments.”
In the subsequent student sharing session, four current students—Luo Siying (Class of 2022), Peng Jiansu (Class of 2024), Li Jiahou (Class of 2025), and Li Zhengyuan (Class of 2025)—gathered for a roundtable discussion, offering their candid perspectives on life at PKUSTL. Topics such as “Why choose STL,” “How to study U.S. law,” and “The learning experience and takeaways at STL” directly addressed the students’ curiosity and expectations. Drawing on their own experiences, the speakers provided thoughtful and sincere advice, giving participants a clearer and more authentic understanding of the STL journey.
At the conclusion of the event, staff from the admissions office of PKUSTL addressed participants’ most frequently asked questions in a dedicated Q&A session, enabling each attendee to gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of STL.
Although the Open Day has come to a close, may the reflections and inspirations from the classroom take root quietly within you. Wherever your path may lead, PKUSTL will always welcome those who are willing to question, courageous enough to take responsibility, and genuinely committed to the rule of law. We look forward to meeting you again at Yenching in the South.
