On the afternoon of August 15, 2014, Deputy Justice Minister Zhang Sujun, Chen Junsheng, Director of Legislative Affairs Department, Ministry of Justice and other senior officials from the Ministry of Justice visited AllBright’s Shanghai Office. The national delegation was accompanied by Shanghai Justice Bureau Director and Party Secretary Zheng Shanhe, Shanghai Justice Bureau Deputy Directors Zhu Jiuwei and Wang Xie, Shanghai Justice Bureau Office Director Wang Xinghe and other senior officials from the Shanghai Justice Bureau. Other local veteran legal practitioners who gathered to meet the delegation included Li Baoling, head of the Pudong Justice Bureau, Sheng Leiming, Shanghai Bar Association Chairman, Shanghai United Law Firm Managing Director Zhu Hongchao, and Shanghai Shenhua Law Firm Managing Director Shen Weimin. AllBright Managing Director Wu Mingde, AllBright partners David Chen, Lawrence Zhu, Shen Guoquan, Liu Feng, Theresa Qiu and Li Xianying warmly received the delegation. The delegation made a tour of AllBright’s Shanghai Offices before sitting down to hold an in-depth discussion with the AllBright partners and other local veteran legal practitioners.

The minister was keen to know about three issues from the AllBright partners and other local legal veterans: 1) Shanghai’s local plan for the national legal system reform trial, 2) lawyers’ joining the prosecution and judge team amid trial reforms, and 3) difficulties and planning for the ongoing legal reforms including those relating to legal and pro bono services. AllBright partners David Chen and Liu Feng expressed their views amid the discussion.

Minister Zhang said he expects Shanghai lawyers to contribute more to the national legal system reforms. Shanghai is one of the six provinces in China to implement the national reform trial and shows the most rapid development in reforms.