行业现状：

Based on data from 2021, the average annual income per lawyer in the country is about 300,000 yuan. There is a significant difference in the average income per lawyer between regions. For example, in Xi'an, the average income per lawyer is 243,000 yuan, while in Shanghai, it is 1,016,000 yuan. In addition, there is a larger gap in average income per lawyer compared to accounting firms. According to the data from the third issue of the "Chinese Certified Public Accountant" in 2022, as of December 31, 2021, the industry's revenue was 128.289 billion yuan, with a total of 10,142 accounting firms (including branches), 97,563 practicing certified public accountants, and an average revenue of 1.3149 million yuan per registered certified public accountant. (Note: Revenue does not equal personal income.) Therefore, although the legal profession may seem glamorous, there is a huge structural difference in average income per lawyer. The legal profession exhibits the "Pareto Principle," where 20% of lawyers earn 80% of the industry's income. There even exists the "one-nine phenomenon," and industry competition continues to widen the disparity in income structure.

For young lawyers who have just started practicing and have no case sources, and for intern lawyers who have just entered the legal profession, the author has the following suggestions:

Effort during the internship period to solidify oneself (1) The internship period is a critical time to start a legal career. In addition to accumulating experience by participating in cases and taking the professional qualification exam, it is even more important to integrate the theoretical knowledge learned in the bar exam with practical experience. During this period, try to get involved in different types of cases, familiarize yourself with the case handling process, humbly seek guidance from mentors, and quickly adapt to the pace of real case handling and learn case handling skills. (2) In addition to handling cases during the internship period, one should also work on improving communication skills with clients, practice one's speech and demeanor, and shape one's professional image through appearance and social media. The so-called 'good wine needs no bush,' but in such a fast-paced industry, lawyers should also know how to promote themselves while building their own case-handling abilities. Shaping one's professional image is an integral part of a lawyer's career.

Decide whether to become independent based on one's own resources (1) Teacher Zhang Xuefeng once said that the legal profession can be passed down. If you have relevant case resources, you can consider becoming a commission-based lawyer or an independent lawyer after going solo. When the volume and number of cases reach a certain level, you may even form a team and expand. (2) For the majority of lawyers without independent case sources, the author suggests that in the early stages of practice, one can become a salaried lawyer within a team. Do not blindly pursue independence and create life difficulties for yourself. Handling cases within a team, interacting with parties involved in cases, not only improves your own case-handling and communication skills but also provides a window to accumulate your own case sources. After accumulating enough experience, you can then transition to becoming an independent lawyer or a commission-based lawyer.

Opportunities favor the prepared. For the legal profession, becoming an excellent lawyer is not primarily about winning cases. Before that, communication with the parties involved determines whether you can seize the opportunity and succeed in convincing the parties to entrust their cases to you. In the adult world, there is no waiting, only choices, so you cannot use excuses like 'I am young, inexperienced, and this is my first case' to deal with the parties involved. Put yourself in their shoes; if you were the party involved, you would not entrust the opportunity to a lawyer who appears lacking in confidence and experience. Therefore, even if you have not handled major cases or cases of a specific type before, you should familiarize yourself with the case handling process and the process of bargaining interests with various parties through study and preparation in advance. This will make the parties involved feel your professional competence and diligent attitude in handling cases. During this stage, what you present to the clients is your confidence and comprehensive qualities.

Do not aim too high and start by refining yourself from the basics. For the legal profession, 3-5 years and 5-10 years will be practice thresholds. Many young lawyers, after handling a certain number of cases, encounter mainly small and medium-sized cases and find it difficult to handle large cases. Lawyers often face the dilemma of not finding small cases appealing and being unable to handle big cases. Therefore, adjust your mindset, humble yourself, handle cases diligently, and avoid being overly ambitious. Start from the basics, be meticulous, and accumulate your case-handling abilities. If you feel that your skills are underutilized, then actively expand your social network and constantly present yourself. In an industry with intense competition, 'good wine is also afraid of deep alleys.' Expanding your social network is not as difficult as you might think. Participate in alumni associations, regional associations, communicate more with students from other industries, and participate in social activities. This way, you can both improve your social skills and effectively promote yourself. If you just 'shut off your phone and lie comfortably on the sofa' on weekend evenings, how will you have the opportunity to expand your case sources?

Embrace change, actively accept and learn new things. Master the use of smart tools. With the development of the times, artificial intelligence and AI models are emerging rapidly, bringing significant impacts to various industries, including the legal profession. Major legal think tanks continuously introduce their own legal AI tools, which is an advantage for young lawyers. Young lawyers can quickly learn and embrace these tools, using new tools to assist in quick learning and further improve learning efficiency. In the future, it's not the humans that will be replaced by AI, but perhaps the population that doesn't use AI tools. Utilize new media to promote yourself. Young lawyers can use new media tools such as TikTok and video platforms to promote themselves individually or as a group. The process of creating promotional content is also a learning process. During this period, externalize what you have learned and felt to others, which not only achieves the purpose of self-promotion but also continually enhances your confidence. The key to promotion is quality, not quantity. In the era of live streaming for everyone, you must make quality content and share it regularly to effectively attract the attention of others and maximize promotion.

Finally, the author leaves young lawyers with the following words: 'The road is long, but if you keep moving, you will get there. Persevere, and the future is promising.' May every young lawyer continue to accumulate strength in their cocoon of life and find the opportunity to break free."

(Note: The translation has been done to the best of my ability, considering the provided text in Chinese. Some terms and phrases may have nuanced meanings that are challenging to translate accurately.)