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I was first exposed to the concept of “law” when I was in the kindergarten!
One day, our kindergarten teacher assigned each of us a project: we had to learn about our parents’ jobs in preparation for the upcoming “career day.”
On our way home from kindergarten, I held my dad’s hand,with a lollipop in my mouth, while listening to my dad talk about the exciting experiences he had at work. I couldn’t help myself from asking, “Dad, what do lawyers do? Do they fly around on a plane and go on vacations?”
My dad laughed and said after a short pause, “Your dad has a lot of friends. When they run into trouble, I help them out.”Looking back, I now understand that it is not easy to explain what law is to a six-year-old child.
After hearing this explanation, although I didn’t fully understand it, I drew an equal sign between “lawyers” and“superheroes.” In my six-year-old mind, both were people who protect the weak and uphold justice. I often imagined that Dad was the hero in the TV shows who made sure that villains were brought to justice. I secretly made up my mind, setting the goal that I would become a person just like Dad when I grow up.
After that first conversation, I would beg for my dad to tell me legal stories. I was especially eager to guess the verdict of each legal issue — it was so much fun! Gradually, I started telling my father about some legal issues that my classmates at school had encountered and discussed the possible outcomes with my father. These stories and discussions nourished my growth and quietly opened the door to my legal research journey.I can no longer recall the content of many of these stories, but the image of a little girl holding her father’s hand on the way home as the sun was setting and listening to her father’s stories is deeply imprinted in my mind and in my heart.
As I dove further into legal research, I gained a deeper understanding of what law is. As the adage goes, every nation has its own laws and every family has its own rules. In fact, laws are some of the most basic rules that tell people what are allowed and what are prohibited. Many of these laws are designed to make sure that people do not act in a way that harms others.Therefore, no matter what happens, we first need to be respectful citizens who follow the rules.
One of the first times that I realized that law does not merely exist in the adult world was in connection to a sports activity! I have been playing volleyball since I was little,and injuries during training and tournaments are inevitable. I remember discussing who might bear liability if a student athlete was injured during competitions. Not long after that abstract conversation, one of my teammates, while trying to dig the ball during a game, got a serious hip injury. This made me realize that law does not merely exist in the adult world. It is closer to teenagers than we thought, and it could happen to any of us or our friends any day.
Nearly one-third of the world’s population consists of young adults and children. Every day, many young children suffer from various types of harm. These harms may be physical,mental, or financial. If more people, including young people,have a basic legal understanding, these injuries may be reduced or even prevented. This was the original idea behind the book:I wanted to share my research and insights with other teenagers and encourage them to discover the beauty of law and to like law. At the same time, I also hope that my teenage friends can learn about their legal rights and responsibilities so that they can better protect themselves and even help others!
This preface is written during the time of the COVID-19 epidemic around the world. Every day, I am updated with the news of new cases and unfortunate deaths of patients all over the world, and I am also touched by many stories of people bravely helping each other and uniting together by the power of love in the face of the crisis. Margaret Mead, a famous anthropologist,once said, “Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts.” I believe that as long as we work together to help overcome the difficult times, we will definitely see the rainbow after the storm!
I am beyond grateful for Fudan University Press and editor Ms. Quan Li, Professor Kui Shen, Dr. Katherine Fidler, and Yao/studio puke ink. Your love and support are brighter and warmer than ever in this seemingly dark moment!
Best,
Yi Shen, Emily
March 2020