Attorney Zhou Yu-Hsiu: The Market Only Undergoes Redistribution, Never Saturation

On May 27, 2015, the JRF held an unconventional lecture for trainee lawyers at the Lawyer Training Center, inviting attorneys Zhou Yu-Hsiu and Chen Yen-Chun to share their legal careers up to that point, offering trainee lawyers about to embark on their legal paths different imaginations of the profession. The essence of the content is summarized below.

Regarding legal employment, I believe that the saying, "The market only undergoes redistribution, never saturation," is a truism for me. Of course, at the time, I would wonder if I could find an internship if I didn't go abroad, and I would think about many issues. However, from my own perspective, I believe one must have life goals. I remember when Professor Fa Chih-Pin passed away in 2003, it had a huge impact on us, but afterwards, Professors Su Yung-Chin, Lee Chen-Shan, and Liao Yuan-Hao also opened many interesting courses, so I became increasingly interested in public law. From that time on, I started setting goals. There is a saying that goes, "We must think about where the destination is, and then you will know what to do at the starting point."

Attorney Zhou Yu-Hsiu was involved in student clubs since his freshman year, which resulted in him failing a course in Monetary and Banking. "Everyone knows I am a student who was failed by so-and-so teacher. Although it was embarrassing at the time, because I organized many freshman orientation camps and activities, I learned a lot of organizational and communication skills from them, which have influenced our future development."

Being a lawyer might be a stepping stone, but the primary consideration is still interest, though cultivating interests requires actual exposure to know for sure. Sometimes life's coincidences happen because you did something that seemed trivial, and when they finally come together, they spark creativity.

I remember during the March 18 Student Movement, I would always go give short speeches at 2:00 AM. Many people had falling-outs with their parents over the issue of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, but my perspective is that if you want the things you wish to do to be recognized, you should go persuade them; otherwise, it will be very painful. Many concepts must be slowly transformed through substantial interaction and clashes.

Is Studying Abroad Necessary?

Attorney Zhou Yu-Hsiu believes that going abroad allows one to learn professional skills, courage, perspectives of thinking, and build a network.

The primary consideration for going abroad is interest. If there is no insistence on obtaining a degree, short-term visiting scholar programs can also be considered. For example, USALI (U.S.-Asia Law Institute at NYU) has many courses you can apply for. Age is not very important, and the U.S. places great emphasis on diversity—especially what you can offer to the school. Therefore, American students apply to schools saying that attending will make the school better, rather than simply saying they want to apply because the school is good.

I think studying abroad is a very flexible option; you can go right after graduating from college, or go after gaining experience as a lawyer. For example, some of our classmates at NYU went with their families; coming to America is about living an American-style lifestyle, not necessarily targeting a degree. For instance, our former firm director had already cultivated many clients, and although he was admitted to Georgetown University, considering that he might not retain his clients after going abroad and other factors, making that choice would be very difficult. In addition, our country actually places great emphasis on formal requirements. I recently heard Chairperson Huang Hsü-t'ien say that over the next five years, the membership of the Taipei Bar Association should exceed 10,000. If one wants to enter a large firm, an LLM qualification might become a basic requirement, and not going abroad might make it impossible to compete with others. Of course, some people go out to change their mood after working for a long time.

My considerations were to refine my English and engage in international exchanges. Because I do human rights research, I really wanted to know how other countries do it. Furthermore, studying comparative law opens a window for you, because after understanding foreign experiences and cultural contexts, you will see many possibilities and broaden your horizons.

Learning to articulate your logical thinking in front of many people is very helpful for training one's courage. Many Asian students dare not speak up. I remember an international student who kept raising their hand to speak—this of course creates a resource dilution issue, but by comparison, Asians hardly dare to speak up at all, which is somewhat a pity.

In addition, transnational networks are quite important. After going abroad, I met many classmates from Singapore, Cambodia, and Vietnam, with whom I can exchange ideas and collaborate in future work. I also met many domestic legal scholars and Taiwanese from other fields. I met a judge, and knowing that our ways of thinking differ creates sparks. These are all potential collaborators for the future.

What to Prepare for Going Abroad

• Where to go?
  You need to consider how much culture shock and environmental factors you can withstand.
  
• What to study?
  Different schools have different considerations. Don't scrimp on money; I had friends who saved so much they didn't participate in any activities. Some expenses are simply necessary—go experience the culture shock more. Only by truly seeing and hearing on American soil will you have profound realizations, and these are all worthwhile, given that human life is limited.
  
• Source of funding?
  Applying for government sponsorship is an option; loans are also possible, as are private scholarships. Besides domestic ones, foreign ones can also be applied for. Taiwan's problem is that we are not connected with the international community, so we don't know about many resources. Everyone can also help each other instead of treating everyone else as a competitor.
  

I have always liked these two passages and share them with everyone:

Although the judiciary has its limits, there are still many enlightened and courageous adjudicators. While social movement groups deal with the executive and legislative branches, do not forget that the doors of the court are forever open to vulnerable minorities.

When ordinary people discuss the law, they often only care about the final verdict of the court, viewing the court as an independent organization unaffected by society. Little do they know that the creation of a classic verdict—especially a civil rights movement verdict—actually accumulates untold amounts of movement resources and history. Without years of civil rights movements, social movements, and other political factors working in coordination, the court could never conjure out of thin air and adopt a new discourse!