Since the Judicial Reform Initiative was first launched in early 1995，theFord Foundation has provided over $ 4 million in funding to projects aimed at strengthening China’s judicial system. These projects range from simulated mock trials demonstrating how foreign courts operate to in-depth studies on theoriesof judicial power. Despite the variety of its programming，the Initiative’s workhas been guided by a four-pronged strategy：first，it has encouraged applied research to better understand how Chinese courts and judges actually function；second，it has supported the exploration of ideas for reform at Chinese courts；third，it has fostered the development of innovative approaches to judicial training；and fourth，it has cultivated the emergence of judges as a professional class.The following analysis was prepared for the Foundation’s comprehensive reviewof the Judicial Reform Initiative. Together with the Summary of Major Grants Table，this synopsis provides a general overview of the nature and scope of Judicial Reform Initiative projects between 1995 and 2001.

Table 1 Summary of Project Grantees

A majority of Judicial Reform Initiative grants funded projects for an average18-month period. As the following graph shows，twenty-one of the forty-fourprojects sponsored between 1995 and 2001 were for an 18-month timeframe. Nine projects were to be carried out within 12 months，twelve projects were for 24 months，and two projects were for 36 months. A total of five projects received extensions.

Table 2 Summary of Projects

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As noted above，the Foundation has approached the challenge of judicial reform in China with a four-pronged strategy which encompasses research，trial reform，training and professionalization of the judiciary. The following graph providesarough estimate of the categorical breakdown of Judicial Reform Initiative projects over the last six years. The Initiatve has consistedly supported research with an estimated twenty-two projects having some research dimension. Trial reformprojects have also received substantial support with approximately twenty grants awarded for activities such as the drafting of procedural rules. Approximatelyfifteen projects have focused on judicial training and twelve projects have sought to foster a professional ethos among Chinese judges. A number of projectshave multiple purposes. In such cases，these projects have been characterized under more than one category.

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The pie-chart below provides a general breakdown ofall the Judicial Reform Initiative projects funded between 1995 and 2001. Division is based according to the project’s nature and objectives.

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