[Unconventional Tea Party] Proactive and Positive—Survival Guide for Large Law Firms

By now, 2016 is nearly halfway through, and this period has been an inspiring time for all legal professionals and citizens concerned about the judiciary. As the fervor of the general election fades, long-standing social issues have come to the surface, including retrials for wrongful convictions, the abolition or retention of the death penalty, and the government's declaration of judicial reform—all of which lead us to eagerly anticipate a judicial system that is closer to fairness and justice. While keeping pace with social trends, the JRF also held the "Unconventional Tea Party" for newly minted lawyers who have just entered the legal training and internship stages, guiding a group of young bloods brimming with ideal visions through the thick doors of the judiciary.

Associate Lawyers at Large Law Firms

Photo / Attorney Wang Lung-k'uan sharing his experience at a large law firm

This tea party focused on the theme of "The Trials and Triumphs of Lawyers in Large Law Firms." Guest speaker Attorney Wang Lung-k'uan practices as an assistant partner at Formosa Transnational. He began by sharing a common doubt among novice lawyers: "What exactly are the criteria for a law firm to take on a case?" The answer given by Attorney Ku Li-hsiung, who interviewed him at the time, was "cases that will be won." More precisely, it means clients are able to convince the lawyer that there is room for effort in their case, which initiated his preliminary model and identification with the work.

Large law firms are characterized by numerous cases and long working hours. For new lawyers, the most painful period is likely the first two years after completing their internship, with average leaving times ranging from 10 PM to 12 AM. Large corporations and government agencies tend to seek out large firms because their cases involve higher sums of money or greater media attention. Such a massive workload, combined with high quality standards and pressure, serves as an excellent training opportunity for new lawyers. Whether it is searching and organizing data or drafting legal briefs, they can grow under an efficient and comprehensive system. Attorney Wang also pointed out that the best part of a large firm is "learning." Because the work adopts a team-based model comprising partners, senior lawyers, and junior lawyers, effective division of labor and the transmission of teachings occur layer by layer. Although junior lawyers may initially handle more trivial and time-consuming tasks, they can consult and discuss every step with their seniors, accumulating a wealth of experiential learning.

You're damned right!Because that's our job!

A very important part of a lawyer's work is to properly and accurately express cases from different professional fields during litigation so that judges can understand them clearly. This is also what makes being a lawyer interesting: you can learn knowledge from various fields from your clients. Clients will find ways to help lawyers understand professional knowledge, and after discussing cases with each other, clients are usually more receptive to lawyers' suggestions.

Speaking about the work landscape at a large firm, Attorney Wang told everyone, "Initial imaginations of a case upon first glance can sometimes differ from reality. The truth can often only be understood after reviewing the case files." The job of a litigation lawyer is to help clients assert and uncover facts, and to provide evidentiary explanations favorable to the client.

If an associate lawyer has a different view from their boss, it is recommended to search for practical viewpoints as much as possible, articulate their perspective through communication, and then reach a consensus. If the cognitive gap between the two sides is too large, the boss still makes the final decision, as the boss is ultimately directly responsible to the client. All communication and coordination processes are for the purpose of protecting the client's rights and interests and ensuring a favorable development of the case.

From Law Firm to the Legislative Yuan

Photo / Attorney T'ang Yü-ying sharing her work experience from a law firm to the parliament

Another guest speaker, Attorney T'ang Yü-ying, enthusiastically and generously shared her academic and work experiences. Attorney T'ang first served as an associate lawyer at Formosa Transnational and later transitioned to a legislator's office, serving as a parliamentary legislative assistant to Legislator Ku Li-hsiung. Attorney T'ang came to the JRF when she was still in her second year of graduate school, participating in the Criminal Procedure Committee meetings with boundless enthusiasm. From lawyer to congressional assistant, from outside the system to inside the system, Attorney T'ang has devoted herself wholeheartedly to judicial reform issues. Her experience also allowed everyone to realize that the roles lawyers play in society can be so diverse.

Regarding her past experience working in a large law firm, Attorney T'ang specifically mentioned that when new lawyers enter the workplace, if they are guided by mid-level lawyers, they can actually express their thoughts and propose discussions more often, unleash their imagination, and try various methods to conduct litigation. Attorney T'ang pointed out that when you work with many excellent lawyers, your standards for yourself will rise, prompting you to think about how you can do things both quickly and well. "In addition to learning how to deal with clients, large firms also allow you to practice discussing with colleagues and senior peers, and even persuading them." The excellent culture of discussing cases in large firms was an important part from which she benefited greatly; sharing and debating with others allows one to absorb different interpretations and modes of thinking, expanding one's horizons and cultivating communication skills with others.

Self-Identity and Social Value

Finally, Attorney Ch'en Yü-fan, Deputy Executive Director of the JRF, shared her hope that everyone will take firm steps starting from their internship, and try their best to choose lawyers who are willing to guide them and have upright character for mentorship. The stages of a lawyer's career do not follow a strict chronological order; whether it is pursuing graduate studies, studying abroad, or working, as long as you arrange it properly, you can build a solid foundation for your own abilities. However, regardless of the path, professionalism is the most important thing for a lawyer.

In addition, lawyers' rights and interests must be fought for by themselves. For instance, regarding the current amendments to the Attorney Regulation Act, this issue actually deserves to be thoroughly and widely discussed. After all, the consensus of the Bar Association is not necessarily the consensus of young, newly minted lawyers. How to amend the law to truly meet the current practicing needs of lawyers still requires lawyers to fully express their opinions in order to achieve the most favorable goal.

The intention behind holding the "Unconventional Tea Party" is to let everyone see the different facets of lawyers. Amidst the competitive pressure of the increasing bar exam pass rates in recent years, new lawyers may find job hunting somewhat more difficult. Therefore, they must more cautiously choose a law firm that suits their personality and shares similar values to learn from. Once they have sufficient capability to work independently after 3 to 5 years, they will be able to better unleash their abilities and realize that their work can indeed contribute to others and society, bringing about different changes. Such self-identity and future development directions will surely become even firmer.

Learn More

Becoming a practicing lawyer or entering the national judicial system to serve as a judge or prosecutor seems to be the designated career path for every law student. However, a certain type of organization—neither governmental nor profit-driven—undertakes aspects of society that the state and corporations have failed to look after, and legal professionals have never been absent from this field.

Whether you want to further understand legal work within advocacy groups; whether you want to try non-traditional practice routes combining legal knowledge with practical experience in various ways; or whether you want to enter organizational work in the capacity of a lawyer and exert influence across various fields, you are welcome to take this opportunity to get to know us. We believe this will spark different imaginations regarding your legal career!