MichieHamlett participates in International Academy of Trial Lawyers China Program

May 26, 2010

MichieHamlett Attorney Ed Lowry is currently hosting a visitor from China under the auspices of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers China Program. Dr. Qi Hui, “Lucy,” arrived in Charlottesville from Beijing on May 23rd after a week-long orientation in Hawaii. She will spend the next two weeks living with his family and learning about the American judicial and political system. Some of her stops will include trips to various courts, the University of Virginia, the Miller Center of Public Affairs and the U.S. Capitol, where she will meet Congressman Perriello.

Dr. Qi is a professor of politics and political culture at the Central Party School in Beijing, which is the highest institution for training officials of the Communist Party in China. She is one of 9 delegates from China who are spending two weeks in the U.S. to learn about the law, culture, and politics in our society. She is particularly interested in learning about the judiciary system and legal culture, including how our system of checks and balances works.

Qi Hui chose her nickname, Lucy, in honor of a middle school teacher who taught her English and christened her “Lucy.” While in Hawaii, in addition to attending a course on the American judiciary system, she also had the opportunity to sing John Denver’s “Country Roads” during an evening of karaoke. She says that karaoke is very popular in China.

The International Academy of Trial Lawyers started the China Program in 1994, under the leadership of then Academy President Raymond J. Tam. Concluding that focusing on one nation would be the most efficient way to make immediate impact, the group chose to concentrate on the vastness of China. The China Program, in a few short years, has become a model for private efforts to help develop the legal, economic, and financial infrastructure of China.

The Program is responsible for bringing Chinese lawyers, jurists and scholars to the United States to visit in American homes, witness American courtrooms and trials in progress, as well as countless legal activities that are otherwise so difficult for a foreign people to understand. The success of the program is already evidenced in new Chinese legal codes governing business and private life ranging from aviation to construction.

The Fellows of the Academy are a group of truly elite trial lawyers representing both sides of the Bar: prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases, and plaintiffs' and defense counsel in civil litigation (including business and personal injury cases). While the majority of the Fellows come from the U.S., the Academy includes lawyers from more than 30 countries. Fellowship is by invitation only, and trial lawyers are invited to become Fellows only after an extremely careful vetting process that includes discreet inquiries of both judges and other trial lawyers of high standing.

MichieHamlett is a multi-service law firm dedicated to providing exceptional legal services and value to its clients. Since its formation in 1946, the firm has grown and developed the capability of handling complex matters over a wide geographic area, while preserving its emphasis on serving the legal needs of Virginia. As part of its commitment to serving its community, the firm donates a significant amount of time to pro bono activities that help make the system of justice accessible to all.

For additional information, Contact Maggie Pearson, MichieHamlett, 434.951.7265 or by Email

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