At the beginning of 2002, still somewhat confused and unsure of my next steps, I left my boss’s team and moved my workstation to a different area. Besides the larger team formed by a few key partners, DC Law Firm also had numerous self-reliant, independent lawyers who worked from designated office spaces—think of them as individual "stalls" in a marketplace. These lawyers were entirely responsible for finding their own cases and managing their own practices, with their income entirely dependent on commission-based earnings. Some of these lawyers thrived, becoming so busy that they even invested their own money to hire assistants, eventually building small teams of one or two, or perhaps three members at most. Interestingly, even lawyers who weren’t partners could independently afford to hire assistants and secure their own dedicated workspaces—a setup that’s much harder to replicate today but was fairly common back then.

After becoming independent, the first challenge you’ll face is simply not having enough projects to work on. When you were employed and earning a salary, sure, you had to clock in at work and weren’t entirely free with your time—but you didn’t have to worry about finding clients or projects. You just followed your boss’s instructions and worked alongside more experienced colleagues. But once you’re on your own, there’s no longer a boss to rely on, and no one else accountable to you anymore. Now, you’re entirely responsible for yourself. That’s why securing projects becomes your lifeline: without jobs, there’s no work—and without work, there’s no income. It’s much like being a construction contractor who has to hustle hard to bring in contracts as their top priority.

At the time, there were several main sources of cases. One was public case referrals attracted through the firm’s platform, which were assigned to lawyers by the front-desk staff who interacted with clients. Since the firm wasn’t yet well-known, these types of case opportunities weren’t abundant, and the office hadn’t established a formal mechanism for distributing cases. As a result, lawyers who maintained stronger relationships with the front-desk team tended to receive more chances compared to others.

Second, colleagues introduce one another—for instance, if someone isn’t keen on handling criminal defense cases, they’ll pass their client leads to the lawyer at the next desk who excels in that area. Similarly, if someone unfamiliar with securities work inadvertently lands a securities-related case, they’ll refer it to a colleague who’s well-versed and qualified in that specialty. This naturally occurring, organic collaboration model is, of course, inherently tied to shared benefits.

Third, they rely on their own networking efforts. Many lawyers already have established relationships with businesses, often serving as legal advisors and earning annual fees of 50,000 or even 100,000 yuan—enough to cover their most basic living expenses. As for additional cases that could significantly improve their quality of life, each lawyer uses their unique strategies: tapping into family and friend networks, reaching out to classmates or fellow townsmen, or even quietly poaching clients from colleagues when they least expect it.

Fourth, there was external promotion—combining both hard and soft marketing approaches. However, at the time, the policy toward the legal profession was nearly identical to that of the tobacco industry: law firms and individual lawyers were strictly prohibited from running overt, "hard" advertisements, leaving them with no choice but to rely on more subtle, "soft" promotional tactics. Back then, the internet wasn’t yet saturated with countless forums as it is today, so young, up-and-coming lawyers had few opportunities to showcase their talents publicly. Plus, online advertising techniques like pay-per-click or search-engine optimization hadn’t been invented yet—so creative, indirect methods were the order of the day. Meanwhile, print media was still thriving; people were accustomed to picking up a newspaper on their subway rides, holding it tightly in both hands until they reached their stop. On these traditional platforms, lawyers often slipped in soft ads—presenting their achievements and expertise subtly through news-style articles—or even leveraging real-life cases by appearing as guests on TV shows. In short, everyone found their own unique way to make an impact, much like the legendary Eight Immortals crossing the sea in their distinct, imaginative styles.

Speaking for myself, this career transition is a far tougher challenge than simply quitting my job to go it alone. More often than not, I find myself with no client leads at all. My colleagues still don’t fully understand me—they’re unsure what exactly this not-so-young newcomer can bring to the table. While I’ve developed a good rapport with the front desk staff, some of them have even stronger connections there, leaving me frequently outbid in pitches. Plus, I don’t have any family ties or influential acquaintances who could help me as a boss in Beijing. And let’s face it—neither newspapers nor TV stations have any reason yet to take notice of me. As for soft advertising, well, for one thing, I simply don’t have the budget for it, and secondly, I haven’t built up any noteworthy track record to showcase either.

We can only rely on these three groups of people: classmates, fellow townsmen, and friends.

Back then, I couldn’t wait to tell everyone I’d become a lawyer—asking for their support right away. At gatherings, my eyes kept darting around uncontrollably, often drifting off into daydreams.

I’ve focused my efforts on connecting with classmates and friends who work in businesses, as well as those in public security, prosecution, and judicial sectors, hoping they can introduce me to potential cases. My reasoning is that people in public security, prosecution, and the judiciary are often approached by family and friends seeking help—so they’re well-positioned to guide their loved ones away from informal networks and instead recommend hiring lawyers for professional representation. Meanwhile, professionals in the corporate world can provide opportunities through their ongoing roles as legal advisors and involvement in civil and commercial litigation matters.

Over the past year or two, I’ve unfortunately realized that my cherished aspirations haven’t really materialized. Surprisingly, the people who seemed closest to securing cases haven’t been much help at all—when one or two occasionally do come along, it’s usually something personal, requiring me to lend a hand for free.

On the contrary, there are many friends I casually interact with in everyday life—people I don’t keep in close touch with regularly—but they still manage to surprise me now and then.

Life truly is unpredictable—sometimes, no matter how much effort you put into nurturing something, it just doesn’t bloom, while other times, a simple act of carelessness unexpectedly leads to beautiful results. From then on, I no longer felt the urge to deliberately cultivate connections in hopes of landing new business opportunities. Instead, I forced myself to go with the flow: when there were no cases, I immersed myself in reading and studying real-world examples, and when opportunities did arise, I made every effort to handle them meticulously and with excellence.

Looking back now, those were indeed challenging years. Whether it was a case worth 3,000 or 5,000 yuan, or even 10,000 or 20,000—whichever came along, we eagerly took it on. Perhaps most lawyers experience similar struggles when they first start their own practices. Yet, in hindsight, these hardships hardly feel like valuable lessons today. Younger lawyers entering the profession in this new era would do well to avoid such trials altogether—they shouldn’t have to go through this. Of course, if we look at it dialectically, these difficult experiences also mark a crucial stage of psychological maturity. For newcomers, they serve as an invaluable "training ground," helping them learn how to approach potential clients, negotiate effectively, and patiently handle even the smallest cases with care and precision.

With the evolution of the times, today there are countless ways to develop client leads—ranging from direct marketing to indirect promotional strategies. In particular, the influence of the internet has been fully leveraged by many savvy individuals, who frequently share articles on platforms like Weibo, launch their own official public accounts, and openly express their views online. As a result, the ripple effect of this digital engagement is remarkably strong, making it easier than ever for young professionals to stand out with determination and effort. At the same time, the digital age has also empowered clients with ample opportunities to compare and choose among lawyers. Gone are the days when lawyers remained invisible; now, they’ve become transparent figures online, enabling clients to make swift, informed decisions about whom to entrust their cases to.