The profession of a lawyer carries too many expectations and dreams of the nation and the country, holds the balance of the law, wears a holy coat, and upholds the legitimate rights and interests of parties in accordance with the law, the correct implementation of the law, and the fairness and justice of society.

If a lawyer prospers, the rule of law prospers; if the rule of law prospers, the country prospers. "Professor Jiang Ping's words hit home. Indeed, the level of rule of law in a country is closely related to the development level of the lawyer industry and legal system. Without lawyers, there would be no rule of law.

Lawyers thrive and the rule of law thrive, which is a romantic sentiment; The pursuit of the rule of law and the prosperity of the country is a value concept. The flourishing of lawyers and the rule of law is the most fervent expectation of all legal professionals, including every practicing lawyer; The prosperity of the rule of law and the country is a common dream of 56 ethnic groups, and the Chinese dream of rule of law and constitutionalism will surely be realized.

Dickens wrote a passage in "The Tale of Two Cities": "That was the most beautiful era, that was the worst era; that was the age of wisdom, that was the age of ignorance; that was the age of faith, that was the age of doubt; that was the season of light, that was the season of darkness; that was the spring of hope, that was the winter of disappointment; we were all heading straight to heaven, we were all heading in the opposite direction

In fact, in such times, periods, and seasons, how similar is the profession of lawyers? Isn't a lawyer exactly a "career like this"?

That was the worst era, when lawyers, especially in criminal cases, were sometimes surrounded by obstacles, afraid to argue, struggling to survive in the cracks, and following suit like walking on thin ice; That was a year of wisdom, with the improvement of people's rights and legal awareness. The awakened people relied on the help of lawyers, and the lawyer profession had great potential; That was a foolish year, and the public authorities were still shameless, lacking service awareness, generally limiting lawyers' investigative rights, setting obstacles for lawyers to handle cases, and even suppressing lawyers; That was a period of faith, and the belief in the rule of law gradually became the main theme of society. Finding a lawyer when there was something, asking a lawyer when there was nothing, and hiring a lawyer when there was something wrong, all of which had become a common consensus among people; That was a period of skepticism, where people no longer adhered to conventional norms, and even when evaluating lawyers, it was a mixture of arrogance and prejudice; That is the brightest season, because we are always pursuing democracy, rights, freedom, love, and equality; That was the darkest season, because sometimes we had to face the despicability of human nature. Lawyers were diligent in handling cases, but the parties were skeptical and skeptical; That was the spring of hope, because the people always associate lawyers with profound knowledge, wisdom, and wealth, dressed in suits and elegant attire; That was the winter of disappointment, because lawyers were always understood by people as accepting money to speak for bad people, regardless of right or wrong, black and white reversed; We are all heading straight to heaven, we are all heading in the opposite direction, because lawyers are a glorious, sacred, passionate, and dreamy profession, filled with risks and challenges, and at the same time, the noblest profession because they uphold fundamental human rights.

So, what exactly is a lawyer? Why on earth are lawyers? What exactly should lawyers do?

"A lawyer should have the wisdom of a philosopher, the passion of a poet, the quality of a jurist, and the position of a politician, all of which should be integrated into the mission of science, professional conscience, and social justice. Even if I can only make a vase, I will put a rose with thorns in it," said lawyer Zhang Sizhi.

Lawyers are neither angels nor demons. Lawyers do not represent justice or evil, but rather achieve and embody justice through participation in the overall process of judicial activities, "said lawyer Tian Wenchang.

To be a lawyer, one must have a character of flexibility, a thinking ability to advance and retreat, a wisdom of being able to write and defend oneself, a coordination ability between internal and external factors, a ability to express oneself in both short and long terms, and a ability to narrate quickly and slowly. This means that one must have the courage to think, be good at communication, be diligent in learning, be proficient in research, be brave in innovation, and be good at coordination. Lawyer Zhou Xiangen said so.

Yes, all the senior figures in the legal profession have provided insightful explanations on lawyers, with only a few words. They have fully and deeply interpreted the positioning of the legal profession, which is truly admirable, thought-provoking, and thought-provoking.

The author believes that knowing is easy, but doing is difficult. For lawyers, they should always distinguish right from wrong and speak out with righteousness; Always uphold the rule of law and safeguard social fairness and justice; We must always shout for the rule of law, run for rights, let evidence explain, and let justice shine with eternal light.

In the process of moving towards the rule of law, lawyers should be a calm observer, a serious listener, a profound thinker, and a passionate advocate. In a sense, this is precisely the sacred mission and responsibility that lawyers, as public intellectuals, should shoulder towards the nation and history.