News Archive

Professor Robert Lancaster trained Chinese criminal prosecutors in adversarial trial techniques on April 7th and 8th. The training was held at the National Prosecutors College in Beijing, China, and was sponsored by the China Trial Advocacy Institute – a joint project of Renmin University of China School of Law and Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis. About 80 prosecutors participated in the training and many were from Tibet and the Xinjiang Uygur Region of China. Professor Lancaster was joined by Professor Delaine Swenson of the Catholic University in Lublin, Poland. Professor Swenson and Herb Bowman, IU Visiting Professor and Director of the China Trial Advocacy Institute, conducted a similar training session the following week at the National Judges College in Beijing.

Professor Herb Bowman initiated the China Trial Institute in 2004 as a joint educational venture between Renmin University and Indiana University. The Institute has conducted numerous trainings at the National Prosecutors College, the National Judges College, and many law schools throughout China. Professor Lancaster will return to China this summer for the Law School’s Chinese Law Summer Law Program at Renmin University and while there will conduct additional trial advocacy trainings.

Robert Lancaster, Associate Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Chinese Law Summer Program, and Ding Xiangshun, Associate Professor of Law at Renmin University of China School of Law, will speak at the Global Alliance for Justice Education International Conference at Fordham Law School in New York City on May 3, 2006. Their presentation is entitled “The Transitions of Legal Systems and the China Trial Advocacy Institute.” The conference brings legal educators from all over the world together to discuss global collaboration in teaching, learning, lawyering, and scholarship that promotes justice education. In addition to his position at Renmin University, Professor Ding is currently an LLM candidate at the Law School.

IU Law-Indianapolis has a long history of involvement and cooperation in China and was one of the first U.S. law schools to build a joint educational project in China. Professor Jeff Grove began the work by establishing the school’s Chinese Law Summer Program in Shanghai in 1987. At that time it was only the second Chinese - U.S. law school cooperative program. Professor Grove relocated the Summer Law Program to Renmin University in Beijing in 1998 and has worked diligently over the last two decades to establish the Law School’s solid presence in China.

Professor Robert Lancaster took over the Chinese Law Summer Program in 2005. Lancaster is an Associate Clinical Professor of Law and teaches in the Law School’s Civil Practice Clinic. He is also increasing his involvement in the Law School’s work in China.