[Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Justice] Training on the management of Shenzhen's lawyer industry was successfully held.
From June 16 to 17, 2017, the Shenzhen Lawyer Industry Management Training was held, with nearly 80 participants including members of the Shenzhen Lawyers Association Council, Supervisory Board, district working committees, and professional committee directors. Mei Aimin, Inspector of the Shenzhen Municipal Justice Bureau, and Xiong Songqing, Director of the Lawyer and Notarization Management Division, attended the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Lin Changchi, President of the Shenzhen Lawyers Association.
Director Xiong Songqing proposed the following opinions on how to further improve the management of lawyers: First, further refine the “two-combination management system,” fully leverage the advantages of both administrative management and industry management, and, based on extensive beneficial explorations such as democratic elections and democratic management, study and formulate a management system that keeps pace with the times; Second, further explore methods and approaches for supervision and guidance, clarify the functions of supervision and guidance versus self-discipline management, and study and establish new management methods that align with the new development landscape of the legal profession and address new issues in its growth; Third, further establish and improve mechanisms for multi-party coordination, streamline the working relationships among the association and its secretariat, judicial administrative departments at all levels, and industry party committees, stimulate internal momentum, and drive the development and prosperity of the industry; Fourth, further foster a relationship of close cooperation, mutual coordination, complementary strengths, and resource sharing, fully leverage the cohesion and authority of the lawyers association, strengthen the development of the secretariat, and lay a solid foundation for the judicial administrative organs’ management of lawyers.
Inspector Mei Aimin conveyed the spirit of the document "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Construction of Lawyers Associations" issued by the Ministry of Justice, interpreting the guiding ideology, work principles, main objectives, and key tasks for further strengthening the construction of lawyers associations. He hoped that the city's Lawyers Association would further enhance ideological and political construction, organizational construction, work style construction, party construction, and information technology construction, improving the association's ability to perform its duties and self-discipline management.
Inspector Mei Aimin conveyed Director Jiang Xilin's requirements for the new working team: first, proceed from the overall situation and seek common ground while reserving differences; second, uphold the leadership of the Party and carry out work around the central tasks of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government; third, strengthen unity and further consolidate the foundation of work.
Regarding how the new working team should carry out its work, Inspector Mei Aimin pointed out: For many years, the Shenzhen Lawyers Association has pioneered institutional reform and development nationwide, but there is still a certain gap in legal service quality compared with Beijing, Shanghai, and other places. The Lawyers Association should actively guide the government to increase support for the legal profession from the perspective of promoting industry development, and shift the government’s approach from “political and legal thinking” to “promoting economic construction and development.” It is necessary to strengthen research on macro policies, enhance investigation and study of industry development conditions, fully listen to the opinions and suggestions of lawyers and representatives, and propose “package” practical and feasible solutions and recommendations. It is necessary to improve the execution of work, vigorously promote the implementation of initiatives such as the Lawyers College and the amendment of the Articles of Association, do practical work, and produce results. The Justice Bureau will vigorously promote the convening of a citywide lawyers’ work conference by the Municipal Party Committee to effectively resolve the urgent difficulties that need to be addressed in industry development.
President Lin Changzhi put forward several expectations for the new working team: first, maintain campaign passion and overcome work difficulties; second, plan and strategize comprehensively, actively formulate the work plan and work schedule for this term, and regularly report work results; third, excel in execution, fully leverage the role of each committee, discover talent, cultivate talent, retain talent, and make good use of talent; fourth, establish a scientific evaluation mechanism, promptly report on the performance of duties, proactively accept supervision from representatives, and be accountable to representatives; fifth, properly handle relationships with multiple working bodies such as the supervisory board, the secretariat, lawyer representatives, and law firms, work together, keep the mission firmly in mind, and fulfill campaign promises.
Supervisor General Wei Hanjiao briefly introduced the supervisory board's working rules, key priorities, and supervisory philosophy. First, deepening the value orientation of co-building and sharing, and inclusive equality. The work priorities of each committee should align with its functional responsibilities and expand the reach of its work outcomes. Second, taking institutional frameworks as the guide and balancing rationality with assertiveness. The supervisory board, on the basis of respecting the rules and the dedication and contributions of the entire working team, makes rational judgments on the work of those under supervision by integrating evaluations from all parties. Third, adhering to the combination of pragmatism and long-term effectiveness. Strengthening the principle of “supervision delivers results and outcomes,” urging the board of directors to deliver tangible benefits to lawyers, establishing a long-term mechanism in institutional development, and demonstrating in supervisory work the depth of rationality, the richness of wisdom, the warmth of humanity, and the breadth of fairness.
Wei Bin, researcher from the Municipal Judicial Bureau Office, lectured on "Opportunities and Challenges for the Legal Profession in the Big Data Era," arguing that we must fully seize historical opportunities to become builders of industry data strategies, makers of standards, guides for open applications, innovators of business models, and promoters of legislative system construction.
Law Association Council Member Zhao Dongchuan analyzed the complaints received by the association over the past five years and, in conjunction with the "Lawyer Practice Standards," detailed the newly implemented "Disciplinary Rules for Lawyer Association Member Violations" and typical cases, serving as a constant warning.
Wang Hong, Secretary-General of the Shenzhen Lawyers Association, briefly introduced the association's rules and regulations, financial system, and working procedures. Through a comparative analysis of the volume, district-level distribution, and changing trends of data related to Shenzhen's legal industry—including lawyers, law firms, business revenue, and GDP contribution rate—she provided an in-depth examination of the development trends of the legal industry in our city.
President Li Chun lectured the attendees on the functions and scope of work of the lawyers association, and drawing on his own experience in office, shared his insights on how to handle several relationships in industry management and his work reflections. He offered his hopes for the new working team: to enhance learning ability, possess innovation capability, maintain the ability to carry forward traditions, and have the capacity for strategic responsibility, so as to become a “gentleman” legal professional and a “gentleman” member of the lawyers association.
Lawyer Chen Fang shared "How to Fulfill the Duties of a Council Member." He believed that council members should establish a correct work attitude, act as industry managers, service providers, and image representatives, be familiar with work procedures, fulfill work responsibilities, and truly address the urgent needs of lawyers and do what lawyers require. He also introduced the work experience of the Provincial Lawyers Association, providing new ideas for the efficient work of the new team.
During the working vision segment of the 10th Lawyers Association, Vice Presidents Zhang Cheng, Cai Hua, Yang Xiao, Yin Chenggang, Zeng Mai, Jiang Dinghang, Han Jun, and Wang Tengfeng of the Municipal Lawyers Association each briefly introduced the work plans for the specialized committees under their respective supervision. 1. Actively prepare for the Lawyers Academy, uphold rights protection and discipline by “raising the banner and drawing the sword,” and have committees list clear rights and responsibilities to ensure smooth progress in all work. 2. Guide industry services through public welfare, gather the voices of member representatives, promote the public defender system to advocate for the industry, and continuously deepen the building of the legal professional community. 3. Advance both professional training and cultural development for young lawyers, steadily push forward research on the survival and development of lawyers and law firms, gradually establish law firm OA management systems and joint office platforms for small and medium-sized firms, and undertake the long and demanding task of institution-building. 4. Promote the implementation of the 13th Five-Year Development Plan, the industry talent development strategy, and industry informatization; improve the rationality and targeting of funding use, explore the establishment of a business development fund; actively guide lawyers to seek innovation, results, and business products from the market, and vigorously promote business development. 5. Give full play to lawyers’ functional role in political participation and deliberation, advance the construction of the public legal service system, strive to ensure the building of the legal professional community is implemented in practice, and promote work for senior lawyers with the goal of “security in old age.” 6. Consolidate foundations and strengthen weaknesses in the work for interns while continuing innovation; continue traditional sports events, and plan the 30th anniversary celebration as early as possible; introduce welfare plans as soon as possible for senior lawyers, young lawyers practicing for less than five years, and female lawyers, and formulate evaluation standards for outstanding law firms and outstanding lawyers. 7. Continue building an international exchange platform and promote the gradual implementation of cooperative projects; closely align with the national Belt and Road development strategy, help implement support policies for lawyers in Qianhai, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation between female lawyers and female lawyers from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. 8. Advance training work toward innovation, practicality, and depth; combine routine and dynamic approaches in publicity work, improve media relations, and promote the development of micro-films in the legal profession; with the goal of promoting both the quantitative and qualitative improvement of lawyers’ business, make public relations fully serve the development of the lawyer industry.
President Lin Changchi stated in his summary that the training course was well-structured, intensive, and rich in information. The leaders of the Municipal Bureau provided high-level guidance, the keynote speakers generously shared their knowledge, and the specialized committees actively planned and worked with determination.
The Shenzhen Lawyers Association will closely align with the national “Belt and Road” development strategy, leverage the industry-leading role of major law firms, advocate for Shenzhen lawyers to pursue a path of scaling up, brand building, and internationalization, and strengthen and expand Shenzhen’s legal profession. “When the tide comes, we must hoist the sails and head out to sea.” He stated that the current central tasks of the Council are: First, in the era of Internet Plus, ignite a brainstorming movement, enhance law firms’ risk management, business development, and case handling capabilities, and guide small and medium-sized law firms toward standardization, specialization, and excellence; building on the judicial bureau’s information platform, actively strengthen industry informatization to improve lawyers’ efficiency in handling cases and conserve judicial resources. Second, establish the guiding principle of advancing both institutional rights protection and individual case rights protection in tandem, promote the amendment of the “Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Lawyers Regulations” and the development of a public defender system, comprehensively deepen the building of a legal professional community, safeguard lawyers’ practice rights, and establish a lawyers academy, seizing every moment.
Supervisor-in-Chief Wei Hanjiao stated in his supervisory opinion that the meeting was well-organized, with a tight schedule and fruitful outcomes. The Supervisory Board will work with a mindset of openness, respect, and understanding, treating effective supervision as the result of its work and as the future hope for the development of the industry association. The Supervisory Board will strongly support all work of the Council, unreservedly offer opinions and suggestions, and walk alongside the Council, sharing both challenges and successes.
After the meeting, the Council and the Business Innovation and Development Committee respectively convened working meetings of specialized and professional committees to deploy the recent work of the association.
All participants attended the entire training program and expressed that this intensive, fast-paced "introductory course" was highly rewarding. The comprehensive and well-structured curriculum helped participants further understand the "two integrations" management system, gain clarity on the association's various policies, develop a deeper understanding of the industry's current state of development, and build strong working relationships.
"The roc rises with the wind in one day, soaring ninety thousand miles." This conference has sounded the clarion call for progress. On the beautiful Dapeng Peninsula, all specialized, professional, and district working committees will set sail from here and ride the wind on a long voyage!
(Reposted from the Municipal Bar Association)
