Zhongshan University's Environmental Law Clinic

An environmental law clinic can help cultivate a greater sense of social responsibility among Chinese students, according to Li Zhiping, director of the Environmental Law Clinic at Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University in Guangzhou. At this environmental law clinic, the oldest in China, students can see firsthand the impacts of pollution on the environment, and their livelihoods, and health. They also get practical training in ways in which legal professionals and citizens can act on their concerns about environmental degradation.

Most of the students who work in the clinic are enrolled in Sun Yat-sen University’s environmental law program, the only one offered in Guangdong Province. Many will include some aspect of the environment in their practices, even if there are few opportunities for careers that focus solely on environmental law. Their varied assignments in the clinic introduce them to local stakeholders and issues, and help them develop the skills to craft solutions.

While American law students look to gain litigation experience at legal clinics, the Chinese context is different. At the Environmental Law Clinic, the focus has largely been on policy research and analysis. A key role for students has been to conduct surveys of residents, enterprises, and government agencies, an important piece of evidence for policymaking. For instance, Li Zhiping said, “They might survey residents’ for their opinions about construction projects or ask enterprises about their expectations for an emissions trading system.”

Two recent projects illustrate how the Environmental Law Clinic serves different types of stakeholders. One project focused on rural peasants, who feel the effects of pollution on their health and livelihoods. With the support of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, students conducted surveys and other research to measure peasant awareness of their environmental rights and examined available rural dispute resolution systems. Then, based on this knowledge, they provided legal assistance to peasants and offered policy recommendations to improve protection of peasants’ environmental rights.

Water pollution has serious consequences for public health, but there is not yet a clear path for the public interest bar to bring challenges in court. This year, law clinic students conducted research, on behalf of the Guangzhou Maritime Court, to suggest ways to open the courts to public interest litigation in water pollution cases.

Ms. Li thinks the Environmental Law Clinic’s greatest achievement is giving students exposure to the practicalities of law and policy. Students soon will have opportunities to develop a new set of skills, as the Environmental Law Clinic moves toward litigation work. The initial cases are likely to focus on environmental health and safety cases.