Local lawyers break the mold
No one understands or defines the history of Tibetan lawyers better than Yangjen.
Yangjen, who chose to major in law at college because the judicial staff's uniforms "looked so cool", became Tibet's first female lawyer when she joined the region's first law practice when it was founded in 1985.
She opened Tibet's first collective law firm in 1993 and now runs the biggest law firm in the region.
When she graduated and returned to Tibet to work in the judicial department in Lhasa in the summer of 1985, the region had no professional lawyers.
A few months later, the Lhasa Law Consultation Center was established by the government and Yangjen, along with three other new graduates, became the first lawyers to work in Tibet.
"Back then, even people in the judicial system didn't know much about lawyers, let alone the public," said Yangjen, 49.
"But after people saw how our work could really help them, they spread the word and more and more people came to consult us. We became extremely busy, but I had never felt so fulfilled and motivated before," she said.
In the early 1990s, when China launched a reform of its legal institutions, lawyers were encouraged to work independent of State-owned institutions. The move prompted Yangjen to wonder: "Can I survive independently?"
The then 29-year-old decided to quit her government post in 1993 and start a law firm with a couple of friends. Now, the Hengfeng Law Firm is the largest in the region, employing 21 lawyers.
Losang Chophel is a partner in the firm. After working with Yangjen for a decade in the firm from 1993 to 2002, Losang Chophel moved to the US to continue his studies, achieving a Master of Law degree from the American University in Washington. He also worked as an intern at a US law firm.
"Despite the different legal systems, there is a lot to learn, especially the impressive role of law in society," he said. "My internship in the US enriched my understanding of the lawyer's mission."
Losang Chophel returned to Lhasa in 2005 with the idea of establishing a legal assistance center, rather than returning to the firm. Yangjen welcomed the idea and the new center opened in 2006. It deals with around 150 cases annually, most of which are labor disputes.
"We have come a long way from where we started. But we still lack legal talent in Tibet, especially in the areas outside Lhasa," she said.
"I really hope more young people choose to become lawyers, because it is a really rewarding job."
Meanwhile, the number of lawyers in Tibet has risen from four in 1985 to 184 today, according to the Lawyer's Association of Tibet.
However, Yangjen said there are still not enough lawyers in the region and she expects the team to be expanded soon.
"We have come a long way from where we started. But we still lack legal talent in Tibet, especially in the areas outside Lhasa," she said.
"I really hope more young people choose to become lawyers, because it is a really rewarding job."
Contact the writers at tangyue@chinadaily.com.cn and daqiong@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily USA 06/27/2013 page9)
