State-adjacent Professionals: How Chinese Lawyers Participate in Political Life. (5th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Lawrence J.; Stern, Rachel E.
• Is Part Of: China quarterly. Number 247(2021)
• Page Start: 793
• Page End: 813
• Publication Date: 2021-09-05
• Subjects: state–society relations -- legal profession -- political participation -- legal activism -- China; 政府社会关系 -- 法律界 -- 政治参与 -- 法律行动主义 -- 中国; China -- History -- Periodicals; China -- Periodicals; 951
• DOI: 10.1017/S0305741020000867
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-7410

Abstract

Abstract: This article complicates the conventional wisdom that Chinese lawyers are either politically liberal activists or apolitical hired guns by training our attention on the group of lawyers who choose to stand adjacent to the state and participate in governance. Through an examination of how and why winners of the state-sanctioned Outstanding Lawyer Award participate in politics, we illustrate how state-adjacent lawyers provide the state with information and persuade others to behave in ways the state considers appropriate. Although proximity to power affords some social and professional benefits, award winners are also motivated by a commitment to improving Chinese society. By highlighting the political role played by lawyers who serve as a bridge between state and society, we open the door to future research on the relationship between the state and professionals in other industries and countries, and call for continued attention to how inequality shapes opportunities for political participation in China.