Judicial Reform Inner Voice｜From Campus to Community: Navigating and Landing Legal Education

Since taking on the role of "Legal Education Specialist," handing out my business card has always sparked various associations; some people think I am a teacher, while others guess I am a lawyer. In reality, neither is true. I am simply a worker full of curiosity about the impact of campus-based work. When most people talk about legal education, their first thought is "teaching students some basic legal common sense." While this is certainly a part of our work, the reality of this job is far richer than one might imagine. We focus not only on students and teachers, and our event formats are not limited to lectures. For example, through the "Mock Trial" program we continuously promote, we hope to let students experience firsthand the operation of the judicial system and the values behind it. Beyond schools, we also step into community universities and neighborhood activity centers, attempting to extend legal education into broader spheres of daily life. Although society is gradually forming a consensus on the importance of legal education, there is still no standard answer to "where it is needed" or "how to do it appropriately," which means this job is often accompanied by exploration and adjustment.

I remember shortly after I started the job, I received a lecture application from a community care station in Shanfu Village, Liuchiu Township, Pingtung County. When I first called to contact the organizer, a sincere voice came from the other end of the line: "Most of the seniors here are eighty or ninety years old, they need to communicate in Taiwanese, and many of them are very unfamiliar with the law." After hanging up, I immediately discussed with my colleagues who could express themselves clearly in Taiwanese and possessed the ability to connect with the seniors' life experiences. Qualified lecturers were already scarce, coupled with the inconvenient transportation to an offshore island, this lecture was a challenge right from the start. However, such matchmaking is actually part of our daily work. Before every event, we discuss the audience's background in detail with the applying organization, because there are many professionals who "know the law," but translating legal knowledge into plain, easy-to-understand language that genuinely relates to the target audience's lives is an ideal we continually strive to pursue.

Later, we managed to get in touch with Attorney Kuo Hao-jen, who practices in Kaohsiung. After listening to our needs, he smiled and said, "I usually chat with my grandpa and grandma, so I should be able to do this." We worked hard to facilitate this cooperation, and the lecture gradually took shape. For events like this, we often need to travel across districts and counties, but only by stepping into these places in person can we truly understand that "remote areas" mean more than just physical distance; they also represent a reality of weak transportation resources and the difficult reach of legal education. The teacher from the Shanfu Village community said, "As long as you apply, there is hope." This remark was straightforward yet carried a hint of helplessness. Many communities rely on a single enthusiastic teacher applying independently and gathering resources to bring legal education into village life.

The lecture that day touched upon "Advance Care Planning," and we also inquired further about local medical resources. The seniors smiled and said, "If it gets serious, we just take an ambulance boat to the main island!" Such a response sounded casual, yet it conveyed a sense of helplessness and prompted us to think: Before talking about "letting everyone understand the law better and use it well," shouldn't we first understand whether real-life conditions can even support these legal imaginations in the first place? The vision of legal popularization often creates a distance between resource disparities and systemic limitations, evoking a feeling of helplessness and regret of "is this really all we can do?"

Attorney Kuo used one relatable story after another to guide the seniors in recognizing situations they might encounter and understanding how to make preparations in advance. He said, "Just pretend I'm talking to my grandpa and grandma." His natural and sincere manner allowed the elders to let their guard down, and conversation and laughter filled the lecture venue. Whether it was nodding, responding, or proactively raising hands to ask questions, one could feel that the seniors were actively participating and thinking. Perhaps because we truly cared, they felt this care, which in turn sparked their curiosity and engagement.

After the lecture, the teacher told us that they had rarely seen seniors listen so attentively through an entire lecture; Attorney Kuo also shared that legal education requires not only legal expertise, but even more so, individuals who know how to communicate and understand. Knowing how to adapt language according to different audiences so that people can understand and want to participate is an indispensable core element in legal education. The observations and feedback from the teachers are of paramount importance to us. If we care about the same things, then striving in the same direction is the best form of cooperation.

It was drizzling when we landed on the island that day, and the sea was slightly choppy, just like our nervous feelings at the very beginning of this lecture; when we left, sunlight pierced through the clouds, drying the road for our return and seemingly planting a tiny seed in the elders' hearts for understanding their own rights. Now, having served as a Legal Education Specialist for over half a year, every time I walk into different fields with speakers, I wonder: What will these sharing sessions leave behind for the students attending? Aside from becoming materials for their learning portfolios, might they also bring forth a new imagination of "justice"? Or perhaps, cultivate a bit more sensitivity and concern for social issues?

Perhaps the answers are not immediately visible, but whenever teachers tell us, "Today's content can be paired with our curriculum" or "The students have new thoughts after listening," these feedbacks serve as the wind that keeps us sailing. This is because every conversation and every lecture represents a moment when legal education reaches the shore—not merely remaining as textbook definitions, but genuinely entering people's lives to be understood and remembered. From campus to community, and from students to seniors, legal education makes land time and again, happening bit by bit, amidst these uncertain yet authentic journeys of navigation.