[Off-Tone Lecture] Cultivating Profound Interests—Attorney Ch'en You-hsin

"My experiences should only ever serve as a reference. As a lawyer, you must learn to be independent." Attorney Ch'en You-hsin used these two sentences as his opening remarks.

Attorney Ch'en You-hsin double-majored in law and social work during college. Right after graduation, he embarked on his career as a practicing attorney, only pursuing further studies at National Chiao Tung University's Institute of Technology Law three or four years later, during which time he also served as an exchange student at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

"A life full of twists and turns may have its joys, but after all, life is short," Attorney Ch'en encouraged newly practicing lawyers to try to envision what their careers will look like in ten years and begin preparing in advance. For instance, if one wishes to establish their own firm and practice independently, new lawyers should gradually start building professional networks and accumulating case sources at this stage; if they hope to work at a large firm, they should develop professional expertise to become an "irreplaceable talent" within the firm.

Primarily handling litigation cases, Attorney Ch'en divides the case handling procedure into three stages: intelligence gathering, decision-making, and execution. Upon taking on a case, lawyers must first begin gathering intelligence, which includes factual evidence, legal information, and practical judicial opinions. Accurately grasping correct and comprehensive information and finding the focal point will help litigation lawyers determine and design appropriate litigation strategies in the second stage. Finally, based on the formulated plan, they draft legal briefs or present arguments in court.

During the initial stage as an employed associate, new lawyers may primarily participate in intelligence gathering and drafting briefs, while the formulation of litigation strategies remains directed by supervisors or other senior colleagues. However, this is a crucial stage for learning. Attorney Ch'en believes that rather than choosing to intern at a famous law firm, new lawyers should find an excellent supervising attorney who is willing to provide ample learning opportunities.

Looking back at when he first entered the profession, Attorney Ch'en once almost had his appeal dismissed because he failed to pay the court fee. "At the time, I really didn't know I had to pay it; they don't teach you that in school!" Attorney Ch'en laughed bitterly. Fortunately, someone at the firm where he was employed noticed it in time, allowing him to pay the fee before the deadline and let the litigation proceed smoothly. This experience gave Attorney Ch'en a profound realization of the importance of having guidance from senior practitioners along the career path. After all, "without the guidance of seniors, not knowing what mistakes you are making and simply burying your head in hard work is also quite unfair to the client."

In addition to practicing as a lawyer, Attorney Ch'en is also a search and rescue technician who has participated in rescue operations for the TransAsia Airways flight crash and the 2016 Tainan earthquake. "Actually, the chances of truly saving someone are very slim; usually, by the time they are found, it's already too late." Attorney Ch'en tried to share this serious topic in a lighthearted tone. From this, one can once again perceive the care for society and humanity that he has gradually developed since college.

His experience standing on the frontlines of search and rescue has deeply influenced Attorney Ch'en's attitude toward viewing things. He could not help but question whether professionally trained career judges can truly judge facts inside the courtroom from the perspective of laypersons and through everyday life experiences. He cited an example of a previous state compensation case where the families of the victims accused the fire department of ineffective rescue operations, arguing that the rescue personnel failed to follow the map to locate the lost hikers. "In the deep mountains, do you really need to read a map like that?" Attorney Ch'en said helplessly, "My wife doesn't know how to read maps and has a terrible sense of direction, but she always manages to find her way to the department store!" He encouraged lawyers to rethink whether the standards currently used to judge the operating rules of society are truly appropriate.

Recalling his experience participating in the rescue of the TransAsia Airways crash, Attorney Ch'en's memories remain vivid. That day, he and other personnel boarded a rescue boat, gliding across the Keelung River where the water was only ankle-deep and crystal clear. They found nothing. However, the next day, a body appeared in that exact same spot. "Perhaps it was originally buried under the sand, or perhaps it drifted in later. Or maybe, did we really just not see him?" Attorney Ch'en reflected with emotion, "But am I supposed to pay damages every time I fail to save someone in the future?"

Aside from serving as a rescue worker, Attorney Ch'en has numerous leisure activities, and he has attained mastery in every single one of them. He has participated in national archery competitions, though his scores did not rank at the top (laughs); he is a diver holding an advanced diving license; he engages in high-mountain mountaineering activities, with his life goal being to climb Mount Everest by the age of 45; and he is even a paraglider pilot who can soar alone through the skies. "I seem to really like the feeling of flirting with death," Attorney Ch'en said with a smile, "but more importantly, I need these activities to define who I am." He emphasized that although he is only able to maintain diverse leisure activities because of his great and considerate colleagues and family, Attorney Ch'en still advises new lawyers to live earnestly, find their own passions, and cultivate profound interests. Otherwise, "it's just a bit too dreary!"