The Lawyers Law and the Judges Law stipulate the ratio of those who have served as judges to those who have served as lawyers. Article 41 of China's Lawyers Law stipulates: "A lawyer who has served as a judge or prosecutor shall not serve as an agent ad litem or defender within two years after leaving the people's court or the people's procuratorate"; The second paragraph of Article 17 of the Judges Law stipulates: "After leaving the people's court, a judge may not act as an agent ad litem or defender in the court of first instance."