Translator：Jiang Wenyu

On March 9, 2022, the presentation team of Shanghai Landing Law Offices led by Mr. Liu Yixing, Director of the Global Management Committee of Landing Law Offices, and Mr. Li Xinli, Senior Partner of Landing Law Offices, visited the Songjiang Campus of East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL), to conduct a communication and presentation session with graduating undergraduate and master's students. Mr. Zhang Yunlong, Executive Deputy Director of the Student Employment Center of ECUPL, participated in the presentation session.

At the beginning of the seminar, Mr. Zhang delivered a warm welcome speech, expressing his warm welcome and sincere thanks to the Landing team. The ongoing development of the domestic and international pandemic in the past two years has brought greater challenges to the employment of students at ECUPL. Despite the obstacles posed by the ongoing pandemic in Shanghai, overcame them and shared their own experiences and unique life attitudes, providing guidance for the career development of graduating students at ECUPL.

Later, Mr. Liu Yixing, the head of the presentation team, shared his thoughts on the career development of lawyers through a video connection. Combining his own experience, Mr. Liu Yixing proudly declared that " On the international stage, the Chinese legal professionals have unparalleled advantages."

After conducting personal research, Mr. Liu found that Chinese society is open-minded, without rigid class divisions, and characterized by numerous institutional innovations. These advantages have contributed to the prosperous development of the past 40 years of reform, providing young legal professionals with unlimited opportunities for growth.

At the same time, the flip side of these advantages also presents significant challenges. The annual growth rate of the number of lawyers exceeds 10%, far surpassing China's current economic growth rate, leading to intense competition within the industry. Technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence and automation systems, have also resulted in the displacement of many lawyer assistants. Additionally, the strategy of conglomerate operations allows small and medium-sized cities to access top-tier legal services but deprives local lawyers in these cities of job opportunities. Furthermore, the mergers and acquisitions by the Big Four accounting firms have further squeezed the survival environment for today's lawyers.

Building upon these challenges, Mr. Liu addressed the topic of studying abroad, which many lawyers may have considered years ago. He negated the idea of blind overseas study by combining the employment environment of American law schools and law firms. He emphasized that China already possesses excellent and internationally oriented legal professionals. He highlighted the difficulties of staying in the local legal market after studying abroad, as well as the lack of upward mobility and healthy career prospects upon returning to China. In the face of these challenges, Mr. Liu pointed out that the Chinese legal profession needs to stand up and establish large and influential law firms led by Chinese professionals. This is the best opportunity and the greatest challenge of the transformation era. With China's continuous overseas investments in the future, the Chinese legal profession will undoubtedly flourish, just as the American legal profession did after World War II.

Following that, Mr. Li Xinli provided a detailed introduction to the talent structure, global network, culture, and professional development of the law firm. Additionally, Mr. Li emotionally recounted his own career journey of studying, working, and studying abroad. Drawing from the experiences of his fellow alumni from East China University of Political Science and Law, he offered four pieces of advice to the students present regarding employment: not to aim too high but to stay grounded as a lawyer, to prioritize learning skills rather than solely focusing on making money as a paralegal, to seek out work that they are passionate about and continuously explore their interests within their work, and to maintain a lifelong learning mindset.

Finally, the students in attendance eagerly asked questions and engaged in discussions with Mr. Li Xinli regarding job choices, career development, and other related topics. The sincere and heartfelt speeches from the two lawyers earned them applause and admiration from the students. Many students even submitted their resumes to the HR representative in attendance.

Shanghai Landing Law Offices has always been committed to providing a learning and exchange platform for young legal professionals in China, expanding their horizons. This exchange and presentation event is just one of the many highlights of Landing's activities. In the beautiful spring season, Landing will approach more young legal professionals, showcasing the charm of Landing!