In the wake of college students delivering food, lawyers delivering food has also become a focus of public opinion. A senior lawyer in mainland China stated that in the past twenty years, there have been significant changes in the working environment for lawyers in the country due to the dark judicial protection and harsh economic conditions, directly affecting lawyer fees.
China’s economy is on the decline, leading to a decrease in job opportunities. Due to intense competition, young lawyers struggle to find clients and some opt to deliver food instead. Recently, a lawyer shared the experience of a fellow law school graduate on social media. The friend, who was a law master’s student at Nankai University and very talented, struggled to find a job upon graduation despite attending a prestigious university.
The lawyer mentioned that internship opportunities at top law firms in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were scarce, forcing him to work at a smaller firm. The unethical practices at the small firm, including deceiving clients, led him to resign. He then joined a renowned local law firm in Tianjin but worked long hours until late at night, often getting scolded and not receiving proper wages. After enduring a year and a half of internship, he became an assistant to another senior lawyer, earning a meager monthly salary of three to four thousand yuan, with very tiring overtime work.
Eventually, he couldn’t bear it anymore and decided to work independently by finding his own cases. However, he struggled to find clients and considered giving up the legal profession. Unfortunately, in Tianjin, he found it challenging to secure a decent job as opportunities were limited to delivering food, ride-hailing services, sales, or factory work.
Reflecting on his friend’s experience, the lawyer mentioned, “I see myself in him, his journey resembles mine. Fortunately, my presence in the online media industry has taken off, with numerous advertisements, consultations, and cases each month, albeit facing a lot of criticism… So, I don’t recommend pursuing a postgraduate degree or becoming a lawyer now.”
In recent years, there have been several cases of lawyers resorting to delivering food.
In December 2023, a young individual with a master’s degree from Renmin University of China and a legal professional qualification certificate chose to deliver food. In a video message to netizens, he expressed his disillusionment with the office politics and deceit in the workplace, wishing for peace of mind and physical activity.
Legal blogger “Cai Yaqi Law Master Criminal Law” shared another incident where a lawyer in Beijing, unable to attract clients, resorted to delivering food. He claimed to enjoy working with other delivery riders, sharing legal knowledge with them.
A blogger from Jiangsu and an insider in the legal field, “Tang Yuan Tai Da,” mentioned that he also delivered food, citing it as tiresome and poorly paid.
Moreover, someone analyzed multiple civil judgments and discovered that the lawyer fees paid by litigants ranged from 3,000 to 5,000 yuan, indicating that fees of three to five thousand yuan are quite common. For this reason, being a lawyer seems more like manual labor, akin to a courier or an errand runner.
From college students delivering food to lawyers doing the same, what societal phenomena does this reflect?
Shanghai lawyer Dai Peiqing recently informed a reporter from Dai Epoch that the legal profession is becoming more commercially oriented, with online promotion agencies proliferating. These promotion agencies function similarly to “medical intermediaries” in hospitals but in the legal field, often misleading clients to benefit financially.
Dai Peiqing revealed, “Many people only make consultation calls to the law firm in Shanghai, pretending to be a lawyer sitting in the office, even though they are not lawyers. They might claim to be from the Jing’an District Procuratorate (which may not be true), making clients believe they have special connections and sign contracts with them. After signing contracts and paying 240,000 yuan, they fabricate a case that never makes it to court, deceiving the litigants.”
These promotion agencies, known as “Online Promotion Law Firms,” primarily acquire clients through online marketing strategies.
Dai Peiqing emphasized that established lawyers have a network of acquaintances, ensuring a stable flow of cases regardless of economic fluctuations. However, the commercialization of the legal sector has presented challenges, with unscrupulous practices potentially eliminating honest and proficient lawyers. Consequently, consumer trust in the legal system declines after being exploited.
She disclosed, “In cases where clients are deceived, the Shanghai Judicial Bureau ruled that the law firm did not violate any regulations. As long as you provide an invoice and earn money for Shanghai while paying taxes, swindling 240,000 yuan from each client showcases your skills.”
Reflecting on the past, Dai Peiqing recalled a time in 2000 when ethics were more prevalent. When she transferred to Shanghai as a talent recruit, she didn’t have to pay any money for the process. Still, nowadays, every talent transfer involves financial transactions. She underscored a significant shift after a lawyer, Li Zhuang, in the “Strike Hard” campaign in Chongqing was arrested, causing some lawyers in Shenzhen and Beijing to refuse to represent clients. However, the situation changed drastically within a day, with vice chairpersons retracting their support for upholding justice.
The lawyer concluded, “Eventually, the leadership became corrupt and was sentenced. The entire system has become corrupt, infiltrating every aspect. Legal associations are no longer willing to support justice.”
In summary, the struggles faced by lawyers, including resorting to delivering food, reflect the evolving landscape of the legal profession in China. The commercialization and unethical practices within the legal sector raise concerns about consumer trust and the integrity of the legal system.