TUE · 12:00am
Lorraine J. Haricombe Distinguished Speaker Series: Disruptions in the Global Scientific Ecosystem with Cassidy R. Sugimoto
Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL)
Past event
Legal Professionals in a Confucian Society: The Qing Juridical Field in Late Imperial China 2026 Taiwan Lectures on Chinese Studies by Prof. Li Chen, University of Toronto
Thursday, October 29, 2026 at Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL), Austin
This event has already happened. It took place on Thursday, October 29, 2026. See upcoming events like this
About this event
Join us at the 2026 Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies (TRCCS) lecture with Professor Li Chen from the University of Toronto. This hybrid talk analyzes the emergence of a countrywide juridical field of legal professionals in late imperial China and the roles these practitioners played in shaping judicial administration, local governance, and legal culture. We will explore both the historical circumstances and the implications for our understanding of late imperial Chinese law and legal culture. Location: Hybrid, in Learning Lab 1 (PCL 2.370) and Zoom Register here! This event is co-sponsored by the Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies, National Central Library of Taiwan, the Center for East Asian Studies, and the Julian Suez Endowment for Chinese Studies at UT Austin.
Who's playing
Li Chen holds a J.D. and a Ph.D. and teaches history and law at the University of Toronto. He is a past founding president of the International Society for Chinese Law and History. His research covers Chinese law and society in the late imperial period. His forthcoming book from Cambridge University Press, Invisible Power in Late Imperial China, looks at the legal advisers who worked behind local officials.
What to expect
The talk traces how a countrywide community of legal professionals emerged in late imperial China. It asks what these practitioners did for judicial administration, local governance and legal culture. It is a scholarly lecture given in English, held in Learning Lab 1 at the library and also streamed online. The co-sponsors are the National Central Library of Taiwan, the Center for East Asian Studies and the Julian Suez Endowment for Chinese Studies.
Why go
The Qing legal system is often pictured as officials and Confucian scholars alone. Chen's work shows how much trained legal specialists shaped it, and he has spent years in the archives on the subject. The talk suits readers curious about Chinese history, law or governance. It is also a chance to see the Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies at work inside the PCL.
Where
Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) · 101 East 21st Street · Austin TXDirections
