Nowadays, being a lawyer is considered to be a very profitable industry. Many people want to be lawyers, but more people hate lawyers than want to be lawyers. They think that lawyers earn mainly money. There is a joke in the west that a priest and a lawyer died and went to heaven at the same time. God assigned them a new residence, and the lawyer lived in a mansion with beautiful environment and fresh air. Although the priest's residence is good, it is much worse than the lawyer's. The priest asked God, "Why is the lawyer's residence so good?" God replied, "Too few lawyers can come here." It seems that lawyers are almost labeled as' bad guys'.
When a lawyer loses the positive evaluation of the society because of choosing noble professional ethics in the contradiction between personal feelings and professional ethics, it often makes people hesitate to think about the hardships of the legal profession itself. Many colleagues are deeply touched, and I have had an uncomfortable experience for it myself. But as long as I look back on the unforgettable memories that lawyers have brought me in the past ten years, I can be sure of one thing: I don't regret being a lawyer.
Lawyer, a sacred title, a respectable group, how many people work hard for it, and how many people stay up late studying for it. Before I entered the law firm, I had an illusion that one day I would become a famous lawyer: wearing a brand-name suit and holding the steering wheel of a car, people looked at me with envy wherever I went. However, today, when I set foot on this team, I deeply felt: Lawyer, it is not easy to say I love you!
The lawyer wears a crown made of thorns. As a result, some people ignore the thorns in the crown and only admire the lawyer's style of "three inches of golden tongue to turn the tide in court"; Some people admire the lawyer's "freedom, laughter and money". However, for a lawyer who dares to speak out, pursue justice and truth, and put aside fame and fortune, this profession means not only glory, but also hardship, pressure and even risk.
How to be an excellent lawyer? I have been trying to think about this problem since I joined the law firm. For a novice, talking about this topic obviously makes people feel suspicious of teaching others how to do things. Here, I just want to share with you my painful thinking and some experiences in practical work. If there are any shortcomings, please criticize and correct them.
How to be an excellent lawyer? As we all know, a triangle is the strongest architectural figure supported by three fulcrums, and the pyramid is a good example. If the lawyer profession is structured into a perfect coordinate diagram, I want to use the following three fulcrums to support it:
First of all, to be an excellent lawyer, you must have personality charm.
Some people describe lawyers as "messengers walking between law and justice", which is undoubtedly a good interpretation of lawyers' professional characteristics and a high evaluation of lawyers' value. Lawyers shoulder the sacred mission of maintaining social justice and restoring legal balance. The reputation of lawyers depends on the reputation of customers, and the reputation of customers is based on the personality charm of lawyers. The blind pursuit of wealth is obviously inconsistent with the title of lawyer. How can you have good writing ability without reading, reciting and thinking? How can you have a good eloquence if you don't read more, practice more and study more? Where does your income come from without good expression skills? Can making false promises to the parties have a source of the case? Can introducing the client to bribe the judge win the lawsuit? Can "blackmail" parties get a good income? The answer is no, it can only destroy the Great Wall. Without a good professional ethics, you don't deserve to be a lawyer, let alone be a good lawyer.
On the contrary, lawyers with charisma will be recognized by society. Su Xiangxiang must be familiar to everyone. He is the "China lawyer" of the victims of the "August 4th" gas incident in Qiqihar. After eight years of unremitting efforts, he provided free legal aid to the victims and sued the Japanese government twice as a private citizen. Among dozens of cases in which Japanese citizens claimed war compensation from China, the judgment made by Tokyo District Court on September 29th, 2003 was the only successful chemical weapons case, which attracted worldwide attention. Therefore, Su Xiangxiang was selected as one of the "Top Ten News Figures of Rule of Law in China in 2003", and he was the only elected representative among lawyers. Personality charm makes lawyer Su Xiangxiang attract the attention and admiration of the world.
Secondly, to be a good lawyer, you must have a legal career.
Lawyers are a profession. With the increasing awareness of democracy and law, the social relations regulated by law are more complex and diversified, and the society is more and more aware of the role of lawyers. At the same time, it also puts forward higher and newer requirements for the quality of lawyers. These qualities, unlike a piece of furniture, can be composed of several simple parts. Without comprehensive study and training and solid basic skills, even if you are familiar with the legal provisions, it is useless. Without considerable cultivation and rich practical experience, it is useless to have only a little knowledge of the formalities.
In my memory, there is such a party who asked me for an agent because of a house purchase dispute. Because of the complexity of the case, I have been tossing and turning for a long time. In the final trial stage, I was shocked by the incisive statements made by the parties in court, including their familiarity with the legal provisions. Afterwards, I learned that in a few months, he worked hard to learn this legal knowledge in the bookstore every time.
I still remember an old lawyer who was over sixty years old told me such a personal experience. He said that in a product dispute case, he could write all the complicated chemical equations of this product through cooperation with relevant technicians after handling the case.
These two things touched me a lot. As a professional legal person, a lawyer can certainly make achievements in the business field if he can have this enthusiasm.
As Mr. Liu Guiming, the editor-in-chief of China Lawyer magazine, said, if you want to keep an advantage over your competitors, you must ask yourself every day, "Did you study today?" Yes, only by constantly learning, striving to improve yourself and enhancing karma can we adapt to the development of the situation and the needs of society. Lawyers who are keen on networking, engaging in human feelings and not paying attention to the improvement of their professional quality will be eliminated by society.
Finally, to be a good lawyer, you must have perseverance.
In some people's eyes, the lawyer profession has three characteristics: good income, high status and freedom of behavior. In fact, this is a wrong understanding. They didn't see some new lawyers struggling to find the source of the case; I didn't see some lawyers go out to collect evidence for a long time in order to save a dollar of bus fare; I didn't see some lawyers secretly eating the cheapest working meal during the legal aid period; They also don't realize that lawyers feel the hardship of practicing because of judicial injustice; I have never heard anyone in the society misinterpret lawyers as "very bad, good and bad." In addition, the client may call you at any time, either during your nap or after 12 pm. You have to investigate and collect evidence during the day, meet the parties and go to court; I have to work overtime at night and write proxy words, defense words and legal opinions; You have to use every spare time to learn new laws and regulations, supplement some business knowledge, and so on. Faced with this, some people begin to be depressed, waver, complain and give up.
I remember Louis Nica, a famous American lawyer, said, "Lawyers are as thorough, ruthless and indomitable as archaeologists, which is a basic and unlimited requirement." The predecessors of the law firm often told me that choosing a career as a lawyer means choosing a lifestyle, and don't complain about the social environment and family environment. Is how to adapt and balance. Since we have embarked on this road, let's go on unswervingly. People who have no perseverance will not achieve anything in the lawyer industry.
Be a down-to-earth person and be a lawyer seriously. I don't want to have too high income, too high status and too much freedom, but I want to have a lifelong career, but I want to make a difference in the legal field, but I want to be worthy of the lofty and sacred title of country, society, collective, family and lawyer!