This system incorporates both judges who have a supervisory role and those who have an administrative role. The exchange with Judge Zou also touched upon the professionalism of the Chinese judiciary. Judges in China do not share the high status and respectable salaries of their counterparts in the United States. Low salaries and a judiciary system awaiting reforms draw few dedicated and efficient jurists. Many recent graduates are lured to practice law in lucrative positions at private law firms.
Some current judges have little or no legal training.
Judge Zou s research at the Federal Judicial Center is supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation. During his stay in the United States, Judge Zou has been studying the American court system, focusing on the differentiation of functions among judges, magistrate judges, judicial law clerks and court staff. Judge Zou is preparing a report for the Supreme Court of China that will include a number of recommendations for reform initiatives, including suggestions for separating adjudicative from administrative responsibilities to improve the efficiency of the Chinese courts.