This article challenges the common view that Chinese lawyers are either dissident activists or politically disengaged professionals by focusing on a third category: lawyers who work closely with the state while still engaging in governance.
Stern
Stern and Liu (2020), “The Good Lawyer: State-Led Professional Socialization in Contemporary China”
This article examines how the Chinese state manages and shapes the legal profession in ways that support authoritarian rule, using mechanisms of professional socialization rather than relying solely on repression.
Stern (2017), “Activist Lawyers in Post-Tiananmen China”
The essay situates China’s Human Rights Lawyers within authoritarian legality studies, revealing how rights lawyers navigate China’s courts to pursue social activism amid the state’s efforts to use law while maintaining political control.