Who'd Have Thought My Newsletter Would Be Helping a Young Law Student in China?

On New Year's Day I received this e-mail from a young law student in China.  (Yes, apparently he was able to get through.) While the English is fractured and at times the message a little confusing due to translation, (I corrected some misspelling and punctuation for easier reading) I think you will understand the general tone and issue:

E-mail #1: Firstly, Happy New Year. I'm so glad to see your newsletter, especially it's which is from Oceans Away the other side of the ocean. I'm in China. Thanks for Interneters and your Solo Practice University. I dearly appreciate it. Please don't worry about me for the ability to use language and others like the passion towards Solo Practice. But it doesn't mean that it's unneccessary to communicate with you. So I hope you can think like that. I'm only nineteen years old. Maybe you will treat me as a pupil. Maybe you are right. Maybe this is my attitude to the coming lessons, exams or the honors to my teachers including you. Although Solo Practice never call for a model like that, it emphasize Solo value. Isn't it?

I'm still a student in a law college. In China, few people in law college think of Solo Practice. Most of them concern about they can find a job when they graduate. I must admit that I also have thought it. I think this is an embarassed circumstance. But it's a reailty. So if you are interested in my problem, you can know the reason why I feel so nice and gracious to meet you. Although there may be too much differences between you and me, even I have not realized all of them, I promise I won't see it like any coursebooks. Because it's always show up in my mind. It make me to believe the relationship on which law and Solo Practice confluence. Just as you said, business provides a way to know it. And I have so much feets to be needed to go straight.

E-mail #2  I read the newsletter carefully.Thank you for your lesson #1. Your blog is wonderful, too. Facing on the questions and categories you have offered, I realize that there is not much time to examine every aspect, after all, I'm only a student. I have enough reasons to pursue or be involved in fantasies showed me so excited scenes.Yes, I used to have a dream to be a film director. But now, I own a new dream to be a solo practitioner. Life teaches me "Never talk about dream; Just do it."  I love the film because I used to have such a dream which is allowed to share our feelings and told us how we can identify our dreams.

In my hometown, there are many unsatisfied things to happen every day, such as the unfittable education and child labor, etc. I know clearly that it occurred to the lack of the law's knowledge. I think I should do something for this situation. I plan to meet our local government for its mistake to grab us twenty yuan. And I will take attention on some students who receive unrightable education which is distorted obviously. If I do it like this, I can ask help for not only what I have learned by my course, but also the faith to prepared to be a solo practitioner. But they even do not care about their rights. Can I awaken them to protect their rights by myself? And how? Will I succeed? Do all these mean opportunities or nonsense? Now I am busy for exams.But it is just waste of time. It likes that I have to wait for a dull man to have a dinner togetherly. I am already full. And I eager to be within the embrace of my hometown. Because I need fresh air to take breath, just like solo practice.

First, I'm still in awe that my subscribers span the globe, India, Australia, China, Argentina and more.  The internet and its ability to touch people everywhere still boggles my mind. That I can blog away and inspire e-mails from people "Oceans Away" still floors me. (Yes, I've heard of the telephone, text messaging and all that!)

This young man is telling me the 'get a job' mantra is alive and well wherever there is a law school.  And that he has not found what is discussed on this blog or in the Solo Practice University E-zine available in any coursebooks he might have access to in China.  I don't know how to express my delight and sadness for him at the same time.  Delight because he has a computer, internet service and a translating program to learn from English websites; sad because the problems law students face here are not limited to the U.S. but wherever there is a law school.

I have answered him through regular e-mail but not received a reply so he may not be able to receive my e-mails. But as long as this young man writes to me and he is able to share, (he is clearly able to receive my E-zine)  I will share with you while preserving his anonymity. 

I just needed to share this e-mail because it, well, got to me a little.  Ok, a lot.

Comments

[Chris]

Very cool, love these interludes. Reading about the reality on the ground in China highlights their need for lawyers devoted to social justice. I can see how this email moved you.

On another note, check this out (via Professor Tamanaha at Balkinization): http://www.abajournal.com/news/law_grad_32_dont_do_what_i_did