Vineyard Writing Ministry - From China ICOC 1-2 The Trial of a Christian Lawyer
The Trial of a Christian Lawyer
Author: Simon
Translator: Amanda, Benjamin, Tina
preface
Hi everyone, I am brother Simon from Changsha. I was baptized in 2008, the third year of my college. In 2012 I got my post-graduation degree, then became a lawyer. This is my second year since I got my lawyer license. It was not easy to get this license, for I had taken part in Judicial Examination for 4 times, and experienced one and a half years internship. I have tried to give up, but finally I made it.
As a disciple spending many years on campus and in church, when I was confronted with my career, I still have struggled in mind, for what the risk and challenge I would have was obvious and forecasted. I am inclined to be idealized, introverted, afraid of disputes. But in the job, it is necessary to communicate actively and antagonistic intensely, and it is also common to be sophisticated in solving problems, and face hidden rules. So before entering this industry, I prayed to God to keep my heart with all diligence. My thought was simple---only was my faith kept, I had no more other requirements to ask in this job.
In the beginning, I listed some standards for myself, like to hand in management cost honestly to the law firm, no bribery, say no to those hidden rules, be of honesty and integrity…I set these standards for myself, and it is also like a covenant in front of God. However, the faith I got on campus was tested as well. After going into violent wolves, the sheep can survive?
Temptation from Money
One of the biggest temptations is from money after I started this profession. I have never realized that I would face the lure of money in career when I was still a student and I thought myself immune to it. However it came after me soon after I started working as a lawyer.
It happened shortly after I acquired the license and started professional practice. I was then assigned to meet the client in detention house and got 2000 RMB from his relatives. According to rules of law office where I was employed, 16% of the amount which was collected as a lawyer should be handed in to the office. 320 RMB was not much but it was my income through hard work. It was like cut my flesh by handing it out. I struggled then because the payment for this case was not high and it didn’t concern any procedure related to the law office. If I didn’t hand it in, no one would know it. It was just what others had done. I had made the decision not to hand it in after struggles in mind.
However, our Lord is a heart-searching God. What I read the next morning in spiritual formation was 1 Timothy 6:9-10 “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” These words pierced my heart as well, and revealed my greedy and the fact that I was bunded by money. I was at that moment cut to the heart. After repented in front of God, I handed the money in to the office and found peace in heart.
During an occasional talk with my master (director of the lawyer office) some time later, I was told that he praised me as the most honest and clean lawyer he had ever seen to all the partners in the meeting closed a moment ago. Overwhelmed did I feet at his praise and I thought I had just followed the basic principle of lawyer. I believe that my honesty had won the trust as well as respect from other lawyers in the office.
Encounter of Hidden Rules
Just as how I have imagined before entering the field of law, this career is full of unspoken rules. The most common issue is that, in China, when you are in a lawsuit, you not only deal with facts and evidences, but also relationships and owing people favors. For example, in a lot of my cases, my director would tell me to have “good relationships” with different judges or prosecutors. Having “good relationships” means packing red envelopes (bribing) and treating people to dinners. This was also what I struggled the most.
Last year, I helped my director with an enforcement case that was worth nearly 300 million yuan. After my director exchanged information with the head judge at the court, he brought me to a space next to the judge’s office, and gave me a huge red envelope. There was 5000 yuan in it. He told me to follow up with this case from now on, and that this money is to maintain the relationships. To be more specific, I would have to maintain a good relationship with the judge. I was very confused. I didn’t know what to do. I took the money at that point. The same morning I had to check up some information with the head judge alone at the housing authority, so I would have to use that money very soon. Fortunately, the judge and I were heading to different ways, so I had some time to process how I should act.
On my way to the housing authority, I was struggling a lot. I thought to myself, am I being too conservative? Buying the judge some cigarette, treating them to dinner, packing some red envelope… these are the unspoken rules. If I refuse to do these, can I still continue in my career as a lawyer? But inside my conscience told me, I should return this money to my director, and tell him what I stand for. And I will deal with the case as it is. In the midst of my struggle, I gave Joshua a call. I asked him how I should deal with this situation. He returned the question by asking me what I thought. I told him I want to return the money. In reality, I already knew fully how I should deal with it. I simply wanted some support and encouragement.
So I decided to return the money. Taking things as it is, not having to follow the standards of this world. That morning there was also some urgent situation. The housing authority found out that the other party did not have housing property, so this case could not continue. This means I can stop dealing with the case. Eventually, I did not buy cigarettes for the judge, or treat him to a dinner. We simply left after finishing our duties. After coming back to my office, I successfully returned the 5000 yuan to the director.
It was needless to walk through the backdoor, maintain relationships, or give red envelopes. I simply relied on my profession and attitude to finish the case. This is the standard I set for myself in my career. When I face problems, I am often tempted to be persuaded by the parties and other lawyers. I know I can waver at times: would the case still be successful if I stand firm with God’s standard and trust him? Thanks be to God, throughout the past 3 years of my experience, I can say that the answer is, yes. Trusting God and standing firm in conviction, I can also have a bright future in the field of law.
To be continued... ...
Comments
-
Encounter of Intimidation
It is in evitable for a lawyer to experience danger in work considering the poor judicial environment in China. One day in last summer, my colleague lawyer Mr Yu told me in a phone call that one Christian in our law office was arrested and put in detention as a heretic during a gathering in a county in Shao Yang city, as same as the other Christians then. The church wanted to hire a lawyer to safeguard their rights. He knew I was a Christian and asked whether I was interested. I accepted the task without hesitation.
I got known later that the other lawyers who participated in this case were the active and famous ones for similar cases in China, especially in Hunan province where Shao Yan is, and I was the youngest and least experienced lawyer. The number of them was around one dozen and because arrived much earlier, they had almost completed their own assignment and returned one by one. I was relatively late arriving there and it happened that the other lawyer who was assigned in the same case with me couldn’t show up, I had to work with it all by myself.
The second day after arrival I was left alone and on that day I prepared to hand in legal opinion to the local police together with two fellow workers in the church. It was said that the sister, the one I represented, was detained illegally somewhere and being brainwashed. My legal opinion to be handed in was to release my litigant. The department dealing with such cases was local national security team, whose responsibility is to maintain social stability.
With one fellow worker I entered the office in Police building and during talking with the team leader, the fellow worker took out the mobile phone and started to record the conversation. The team leader, irritated by this behavior, suddenly grabbed the phone and called other policemen to surround us. They said we had committed crime by stealing national secret and threatened to put me into jail and revoke my license. Afterwards they called some people from local juridical bureau to record my lawyer professional practice, threatening to report to provincial Department of Justice. Then another policeman recorded our dictation.
It was the first time that I came across such situation and I was totally shocked, filled with terror and despair. I started to imagine the days that I was put detention house and the time without freedom. Later they went dig through all my mobile phone and handbag and naturally found no evidence at all which proved us breaking the law. After over 2-hour detention we were released. Recalling the whole process I realized my shortage of experience as well as the risk of facing intimidation, detention and losing freedom.
Gradually I walked in the group of lawyers who are specialized in such right-safeguarding cases afterwards. Because of frequently transponding messages of such cases, I was demanded to hand in a letter of pledge to related supervising authority, promising not to do it anymore, and I refused. Once I was facing the risk of being summoned by the police because I had signed my name on an open letter for right-safeguarding.
One day I was asked by my master, the director of law office, whether I had any political aspiration, and I replied no. I told him that I was born with no interest in politics and it was conscientiousness which had driven me in participating in such sensitive cases. He advised me that for the consideration of my career development it was better not to take part in those cases. I said it was hard to make such promise and next time I would probably act the same way, all out of conscientiousness.
It is truly against the summon from above if a Christian chooses the way out of his or her own benefit or risk, not out of the guidance of conscientiousness and Holy Spirit . Poverbs 31:8-9 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." It is my faith as a lawyer. Whenever I have found that my heart was enticed away by success and money, I reminded myself of the purpose of God. I have decided to represent in a number of cases concerning public benefit or right-safeguarding every year alongside of ordinary commercial cases.
Ending
The three years of working are three years of trial, of faith testing. Praise to Lord for the blessing and support during my time of weakness and tumble, which kept my feet straight and firm. All out of his Grace. I yearn for his blessing in work in the future, and look forward to living my faith in career. May the Glory to the Lord, Amen!
Author: Simon
Translator: Amanda, Benjamin, Tina