How to discuss a case: Case study lecture at Zhiming Law Firm
For a long time, many lawyers have been troubled by the inability to negotiate cases, and there are also many lawyers who have misunderstandings with their clients due to a lack of control over the pace of case handling. How to proceed with the case, how to handle it solidly, and how to resolve issues in case of disagreements are three essential tasks that cannot be avoided in the professional process.
On site lecture on "Methods of Case Negotiation and Handling"
On May 23, 2019, the "Three Key Points for Case Negotiation, Handling, and Closing" series of lectures organized by Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm was held in Futian, Shenzhen. The first theme is "Methods for Case Negotiation and Handling", presented by Director Shen Jinlong of Zhiming Law Firm. Our lawyers and legal assistants attended the lecture in the conference room, which was also live streamed on the law firm's Weibo video and Himalaya audio.
Director Shen Jinlong, based on years of professional experience and extensive case handling experience, shared several specific practices in case negotiation, starting with "how to understand the parties' questions": first listen to the facts, then ask for evidence, and finally discuss the plan; Don't draw conclusions at the first meeting; Explain clearly what can be done and what cannot be done. He believes that negotiation is not about persuasion, but about putting the difficulties, paths, and time costs of the case on the table and letting the parties make their own judgments.
During the two-hour lecture, Director Shen Jinlong discussed common issues in the interview process: how to handle inconsistencies between the statements of the parties and the evidence; How to split cases involving multiple legal relationships; How to communicate when the expectations of the parties involved are too high; How to stipulate the scope of services and work nodes in the commission contract. He mentioned that many subsequent disputes stem from the negotiation stage - not asking what should have been asked, not saying what should have been said, and not writing what should have been included in the contract.
During the interactive session, on-site participants asked specific questions about issues encountered in their practice, including precautions for first-time meetings in criminal cases, communication sequence among multiple heirs in inheritance cases, and collaboration methods in cross regional cases. Director Shen Jinlong responded to each question one by one. After the lecture, there were still attendees who stayed to continue the exchange. The live broadcast of this lecture attracted nearly a thousand online viewers, and the comment section also left many questions about the details of the conversation. The staff later classified and organized them.
It is reported that the series of lectures will continue to focus on evidence organization, courtroom expression, and case filing in case handling, for the exchange and use of lawyers and assistants within the firm. The audio transcript of the lecture is also shared within the institution, making it convenient for colleagues who were unable to attend to listen back.
