美国的法律诊所教育及其对我国的启示——从耶鲁法律诊所诉美国政府案说起

A Study of and Inspiration from American Legal Clinical Education in the View of Mcnary Case

法律诊所教育诞生于20世纪30年代的美国,其设立的意义在于培养法学院学生的思辨能力的同时也为弱势群体提供法律服务、伸张正义。经过半个多世纪的发展,美国高校已培养出一套较成熟的法律诊所教育实践体系。1992年,耶鲁法律诊所师生就美国政府遣返海地难民诉美国政府一案即是美国法律诊所教育成果的具体体现,从该案中可以集中体现美国法律诊所教育在教学目标、业务范围、教学方法等方面的特色,对于仍在探索符合我国特色的法律实践教育的中国高校而言,具有一定的警示和启发作用。

The legal clinical education was born in 1930' s America. It is aimed at both developing legal school students' critical thinking and helping disadvantaged group deal with their legal matters. In 1992 the students and teachers in Yale legal clinic program sued American federal government about its action to repatriate the refugees from Haiti. This case is the embodiment of the achievements made from American legal clinical education. It shows the character of teaching goals,sphere of business and teaching method in American legal clinical education. It also offers inspiration and warning for China' s universities who have been seeking a law practice education with Chinese characteristics.