Civil Society in China--Historical References and Latest Developments in the Legal Framework

Columbia Law School's Center for Chinese Legal Studies presents a lecture by Karla Simon, Research Professor of Law at the Catholic University of America, on civil society in China.

Speaker Bio:
Karla W. Simon (J.D. (Duke), LL.M. (NYU)) is Professor of Law at the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America. She is Co-Director (with Dr. Frederick Ahearn) of the Center for International Social Development, also at CUA.  Professor Simon is also an Affiliated Scholar with the U.S.-Asia Law Institute at New York University School of Law. She was previously a member of the faculties of the law schools at Seton Hall University and the University of San Diego, and she served as a visiting professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, Peking University, the University of Bologna, and Central European University.

Simon’s scholarly interests include comparative civil society law, with focus principally on China. Her many articles have been published in the Journal of Chinese Law, the Journal of Japanese Law, the Fordham International Law Journal (on laws affecting civil society in China), the International Journal of Civil Society Law, the University of Miami Law Review, the Boston University International Law Review, and the Tax Law Review (where she published her first article on tax exemption for racially discriminatory schools, which was cited by the Supreme Court).  

She has authored more than ten books and book chapters, most focusing on legal issues affecting civil society. Prof. Simon is currently working on a book entitled "Civil Society in China: A Legal Analysis From Ancient Times to the New Reform Era” (Forthcoming, Oxford University Press, 2013). Previous books include “Outsourcing Social Services to Civil Society Organizations in China and Around the World” (with Wang, Salamon & Irish 2009), “Charity Law and Social Policy” (with O’Halloran & McGregor-Lowndes 2008) and “Guidelines for Laws Affecting Civic Organizations” (with Irish & Kushen 2004). She blogs on civil society in China at http://philanthropynews.alliancemagazine.org/.

Prof. Simon is also the founder and manager of the China Civil Society listserv. She is co-founder (with Dr. Leon Irish) of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL, 1992, and she served as its first President from 1992-1996) and of the International Center for Civil Society Law (www.iccsl.org, 2003). She works with ICCSL and its affiliates on various projects funded by private foundations in her capacity as Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

Simon is fluent in German and has good knowledge of both written and spoken French; she is learning Mandarin.

Simon is the author of the forthcoming book: "Civil Society in China The Legal Framework from Ancient Times to the "New Reform Era" (Oxford University Press, 2013).