JC Master: A Lawyer’s Story | Crossing Boundaries, Seeking the Light, and Setting Forth

Dear colleagues and friends, hello everyone!

It’s an honor to share my legal journey here. If life is a puzzle of constant reinvention, then my legal career began with a bold cross‑disciplinary leap. I hope these few reflections can offer a glimmer of light to those of you who are still on the road.

I. Cross-Disciplinary Integration: From Accounting Statements to Legal Case Files

My legal journey began with a high-stakes gamble that transcended the boundaries of my field.

From an undergraduate degree in accounting to pursuing a graduate degree in civil and commercial law through cross‑disciplinary admission, this represents not only a shift in academic discipline but also a profound reshaping of one’s way of thinking. Perhaps it is the inherent rigor characteristic of accountants that… ACCA exam The resilience I cultivated gave me a bit of extra luck on my exam‑preparation journey, enabling me to gain admission to my target university and subsequently pass the bar exam with success.

After completing an extrajudicial internship at a law office, I became officely determined to pursue a career as a lawyer. Many people often wonder: why choose the legal profession right after graduation?

I suppose it’s because I’ve once observed “light” up close.

At the time, the partner who mentored me and the team’s lawyers were all independent, accomplished women. They navigated complex case files with precision, earned deep respect in their fields, and steadily achieved both financial independence and social recognition along their careers. In that moment, I realized that the legal profession offers women not only a respectable social standing but also a sense of control—“the power to hold one’s own destiny in one’s hands.”

II. Breaking the Impasse: If You Have No Connections, Go Knock on That Door

As graduation season arrived, I left Wuhan, the “City of Rivers,” and made my way to Nanjing, often dubbed the “nominal capital of Anhui.” Upon first stepping into Jinling, I had no established network of contacts and no powerful backing—my only asset was my own initiative.

I’ve always believed that great bosses and golden opportunities are both “earned” through hard work and initiative.

I used online resources to compile a list of the top ten law offices in Nanjing and meticulously mapped out my itinerary. Over two days, I visited ten offices and met with six teams. It was precisely this bold, “new‑born‑calf” kind of audacity that landed me a spot on my current team.

III. Sedimentation: Learning to Cultivate Reverence Through Spiral Ascension

The year-and-a-half internship was a transformative period for me. Through the iterative interplay of theoretical study and courtroom practice, I gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be a lawyer:

·Adhering to a long-term mindset: In today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape, what serves as the competitive moat for young lawyers? I believe it is the artisanal dedication to calmly and diligently honing one’s ability to solve complex problems.
 

·Maintain professional reverence: Only by experiencing the solemnity of the law do we truly recognize how far we still are from the mark of “excellence.” The road ahead is long and arduous; the only way forward is to keep moving, step by step.
 

IV. The Journey Begins: 2026—The Prologue That Belongs to Me Officially Unfolds

At the start of 2026, I officially obtained my license to practice.

This means that the girl who used to practice exam questions in the library and the intern who tirelessly scoured Ninghu Road, handing out resumes, have finally officially reached the starting line of their careers.

As young lawyers, we may not be able to foresee the direction of the tides of our times, but what we can do is remain proactive, humble and eager to learn, diligently pursue excellence, and keep pace with the times.

Standing at the story’s starting point, I am ready to embrace the brilliance that awaits me.

Attorney Song Yalan
JC Master Law Office

Attorney Song Yalan graduated from Wuhan University of Technology with a degree in Civil and Commercial Law. Since beginning her practice, she has specialized in civil and commercial dispute resolution, non‑performing asset disposal, and providing ongoing legal advisory services.