He was once an excellent judge and presiding judge,

He is a civil judge with 13 years of experience in judicial work,

In the world of the three foot platform, it shoulders the important mission of judging right and wrong, and determining and resolving disputes;

He is now seen as a 'villain' in the eyes of others,

He is an undefined and excellent lawyer who hopes to rely on professional expertise and live up to his trust.

Starting from putting down the gavel and abandoning the "iron rice bowl" in the eyes of the public, actively stepping out of the comfort zone and choosing to start from scratch on the legal track. His every step may seem 'unexpected', but it is also 'reasonable'. In this issue, please join the essayist and let's learn about the story of Lawyer Wei Zhijian, Senior Partner of Gaopeng Law Firm.

Despite going against the law, always walking with faith in the law

Prior to joining Gaopeng, Lawyer Wei served as a judge and deputy chief judge of Shunyi District People's Court in Beijing, as well as a judge and presiding judge of Beijing Higher People's Court. For legal professionals, being a judge is not only a profession, but also a belief. Being able to become a judge is the ultimate dream of many legal professionals, but he chose to become seen as a "villain" by others.


When talking about this "cool" decision, Lawyer Wei said, "Being a lawyer is a profession that allows me to find a sense of existence, achievement, frustration, and joy at the same time. But what truly made me face the profession of a lawyer is thanks to a special experience

Three years, six procedures. Although justice is delayed, it has arrived

This is the first case I have handled as a partner, and it has a dual nature, being both 'particularly large' and 'particularly small'. The reason why it is called 'small' is because this case is only a housing sales dispute and the initial litigation purpose is very simple and clear. As the compliant party, we demand that the defaulting party terminate the sales contract and return double the deposit according to the contract agreement. The total amount of the case is 380000 yuan. And 'big' is because for the parties involved, every 'small case' is their 'big event', and the verdict is not just a paper document, but their expectation for legal fairness.

From the initial assessment of the case to the parties' inquiry about their prediction of the verdict when signing the service contract, I have always been confident that this is a 'case that should not be lost'. But the actual result was a lose lose situation in the first instance, where the plaintiff rejected the original claim (the other party requested continued performance) and the counterclaim (our party requested termination of the contract), and the second instance unexpectedly upheld the original judgment. Although the parties involved did not question my litigation strategy, their disappointment with the law is evident in their words. I am also 'disappointed', but still hold onto a glimmer of hope. Therefore, I strongly recommend that the parties apply for a retrial, even if it means providing free follow-up legal services, just to uphold their faith in legal fairness and justice.

Fortunately, before we initiated a retrial, the other party filed a new lawsuit based on the facts and results of the original judgment, demanding that we pay a penalty of 20% of the house price. This new lawsuit "unexpectedly" helped me prove a "ridiculous result": our party did not breach any contract from the beginning to the end, but due to the erroneous judgment in the first instance, we may face a penalty of 20%.

After the retrial, the first and second instance procedures were finally corrected, and our party won a complete victory. This seemingly simple case was finally resolved satisfactorily after going through six procedures: first instance, second instance, application for retrial, order for retrial, and first and second instance after retrial.


Although this case almost shattered my professional confidence, it was also because of it that I truly empathized with the parties involved, and valued every case and every client's commission even more. Being entrusted by someone and being loyal to them, like I am in litigation, handling every case well should never be just a slogan. "- Lawyer Wei Zhijian

Lü tu, always on the road

For doctors, 'time is life'; For businessmen, 'time is money'. Obviously, different professions and individuals have vastly different understandings and measurements of the value of time. I do not deny that in some cases, time is indeed a cost for lawyers, and can even be equivalent to money. If we only calculate and evaluate from this perspective, I seem to be the "losing" party in the process of handling this case.

However, from another perspective, I consider myself the 'winner'. My client has received due justice and regained confidence in the law due to my persistence and professionalism. And I also got my professional direction.

I often wonder what lawyers are pursuing? Winning every case? Or gain recognition and affirmation from opponents and judges in court? Many people believe that the ultimate pursuit of lawyers is to achieve both fame and fortune, becoming the envy of the elite class in society. Perhaps, these goals are certainly important because they do represent to some extent the success and sense of achievement of the legal profession.

But I have my own persistence and ideals in this regard. As a legal person, I hope that the social system is a good law, that every good law can be enforced, that everyone can live in harmony in a just, orderly, and conscientious society, that every person who abides by the rules will receive a "good reward", that every person who violates the rules will be "punished", and that the law will "protect the poor and bring joy to all".


This year marks the eighth year of Lawyer Wei's career. When discussing his future career vision, Lawyer Wei said that "seniority" and "expertise" are the moats that lawyers use to obtain client commissions. However, compared to these common labels, I would rather be seen as a "professional" and "trustworthy" lawyer in the eyes of others, rather than a jack of all trades lawyer

I don't seek the sincerity of a great doctor, but I hope to live up to my trust

The so-called great doctors are sincere and honest, and the first is "precision", which requires doctors to have exquisite medical skills; The second is "sincerity", which requires doctors to have noble moral cultivation. For lawyers, the same applies. As guardians of the law, lawyers also need to achieve a state of "precision" and "sincerity" in their professional ethics and abilities.

'Precision' refers to the fact that lawyers must possess solid legal knowledge and proficient litigation skills in order to find the most powerful basis in the vast sea of legal provisions and precedents, and provide the most accurate legal services to the parties involved. And 'sincerity' refers to the fact that lawyers must possess noble professional ethics, and should have a mentality of 'seeing the other person's distress, if they have it themselves', putting themselves in the client's shoes, and doing their utmost to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Sincerity is the foundation of being a lawyer and an essential quality for a good lawyer. It not only reflects the loyalty and dedication of lawyers to their profession, but also the most direct manifestation of 'benevolence'. For lawyers, only with a "benevolent heart" can they truly treat every case with "heart" and fulfill their professional mission of "being entrusted by others and being loyal to them". A lawyer with a compassionate heart, regardless of the size of the case, will not back down due to the complexity or difficulty of the case, nor will they deviate from the right path due to the temptation of interests. On the contrary, with a firm belief and indomitable spirit, we will demonstrate our pursuit of justice and adherence to fairness in every case, providing the highest quality service to our clients and ensuring that every case is handled fairly.

However, 'benevolent heart' is the body, and 'benevolent technique' is the use. Having a heart of helping the world without genuine talent and knowledge, and without a high level of professional expertise, is also useless.

In the ocean of law, lawyers are navigators and lighthouses for clients. We not only need to have profound legal knowledge, but also sharp insight and flexible adaptability. Just as sailors rely on stars to locate themselves in the vast sea, lawyers need to rely on legal provisions and precedents to guide their direction in the complex legal relationships. With the process of social rule of law, the formulation and revision of laws have been keeping pace with the times, and the professional reserves of lawyers also need to be updated in real time. A good lawyer should always keep learning and improving, constantly updating their knowledge base to cope with the constantly changing legal environment. Only by studying diligently and being diligent can one make small achievements in their professional field, calmly face various challenges in the process of serving clients, and make clients feel their professional value. This is the professional skill of a lawyer and the basic professional responsibility of a lawyer.

Using professional knowledge to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the parties and fulfilling their trust is a great wisdom and courage beyond money and reputation. "- Lawyer Wei Zhijian

Life is a marathon, not a 100 meter race

Be a good person before starting a career, cultivate virtue before establishing a career

I often tell the young lawyers in my team that there is not much I can teach them, only three. These are the experiences I have accumulated over many years of my career and can provide them with some reference.

Firstly, always prioritize professional expertise and strive to become a lawyer who is trustworthy, respected, and admired professionally. Handle every task of the client and every case well, so that the client can benefit from your professional services and realize their rights, in order to go further and more steadily.

Secondly, it is important to understand the importance of "willingness", be good at "sharing", and not be afraid of "sacrifice". The same applies to both parties and partners. Lawyers rely on their mental abilities, but they should not be stingy with them, let alone sharing their achievements. I often say that I may be one of the most cooperative lawyers in the firm. I believe that having more professional people do more professional things and working together is the best way to help clients solve problems, and also the best result.

Thirdly, we should be good at "observing, hearing, and asking questions", have foresight, not only help customers solve current problems, but also help them avoid problems from a long-term perspective. In court, lawyers are the representatives of clients and speak out for their interests. On the path of legal services, lawyers should be like explorers, brave enough to face the unknown and challenges. Establish a trusting relationship with customers, become their friends and partners, and jointly face legal issues in life and work. Only in this way can lawyers truly become the most reliable legal guardians for clients, allowing every client to feel the warmth and power of the law.