Love for the law

Led him to choose this profession

Fearless of power, speaking honestly

Would rather offend the strong public authority

Than to protect the rights of the weak

He said this is not difficult

Because this is just a lawyer

Faith and loyalty to the law

【Heartfelt Words】

Being a lawyer is a sacred profession, where one can use their legal skills to protect the property and personal safety of clients. When the interests of the vulnerable groups are realized, I see the joy of clients moving from helplessness to realizing their rights. Although I already have some experience, in order not to be eliminated by the constantly advancing rule of law in the country, I must strengthen my learning, improve my political and professional qualities, and prepare for greater challenges, not to disgrace my mission.

——Yu Hong

Lawyer Yu Hong is quite famous.

As early as 1989, he was awarded the title of National Advanced Individual in Popularizing Law Education by the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Justice, and was awarded a third-class merit medal. He is a member of the Chinese Law Society, vice president of the Lingyuan City Law Society, a representative of the Lingyuan City People's Congress, a member of the Internal Affairs and Justice Committee of the Municipal People's Congress, and vice president and director of the Civil and Commercial Law Committee of the Chaoyang City Lawyers Association... This is all recognition from society for his 27 years of work as a lawyer.

In high-profile cases such as the embezzlement of company funds by Liu Yongwen in Shijiazhuang and the case of Chaoyang Taxi Company suing the industry authority for administrative punishment... Lawyer Yu Hong has defended the legal rights of his clients, and his fame comes from his solid legal foundation and commitment to fairness and justice.

In August this year, the Liaoning Blue Star Law Firm led by Yu Hong was rated as an excellent law firm by the Provincial Department of Justice.

Love is the only reason for choosing to be a lawyer.

Born in 1962, Lawyer Yu Hong graduated with a bachelor's degree in law from China University of Political Science and Law. He has been working as a lawyer since 1987 and is considered one of the senior lawyers in the industry. Although he is over fifty, he has a clear mind, and when he talks about the cases he has handled and the relevant laws, he does so in an engaging and accessible manner. Talking to him feels like listening to legendary stories from the legal world.

When talking about his initial choice of the legal profession, Yu Hong expressed deep feelings. "My love for legal work is the only reason I chose to be a lawyer." After graduating, Yu Hong returned to his hometown to farm, worked as a temporary road worker, and served as an armaments officer in the armed forces. In March 1987, he began his career as a lawyer.

Compared to his current ease, Yu Hong faced multiple pressures and numerous difficulties at the beginning of his career.

"At that time, I was young, inexperienced, and had little influence. Clients did not trust me, and relevant business departments reasonably doubted my work ability. No one would entrust significant matters to a novice..." These words encapsulate the hardships he faced at the start of his career.

At that time, Lawyer Yu Hong's income was very low, barely enough to make ends meet.

What made him feel even more "overwhelmed" was his family's attitude. His family was not optimistic about his legal dreams, believing that the lawyer profession was unattainable. Without favorable conditions, Yu Hong studied law mainly in his spare time. Later, feeling that the legal knowledge he could find was insufficient, he enrolled in the China National Lawyers Correspondence Center to study, attending lectures by professors and reading authoritative textbooks. With a good memory and strong comprehension skills, he quickly applied what he learned to his legal practice.

Yu Hong recalls that when his name was first written in a judgment as the entrusted lawyer, he felt that his efforts had yielded great rewards, and he was so excited that he couldn't sleep. It was also from this moment that his family began to understand and respect his choice.

Yu Hong said that interest determines career. In his youth, he liked law and poetry. Ultimately, considering the practicality of law in daily life, he chose this path. "Life, death, clothing, food, housing, and transportation are all inseparable from it. Many people around me seek my help, and I have thus helped many people for free. While resolving disputes for others, I also trained myself, which is very fulfilling."

The embezzlement of company funds by Liu Yongwen in Shijiazhuang from 1996 to 1997 shocked the nation. At that time, this case was referred to by foreign media as China's first futures case, with Voice of America, AFP, and Reuters following the event.

In this case, Liu Yongwen became a wanted criminal by the Ministry of Public Security. Yu Hong went to the Shijiazhuang detention center to meet Liu Yongwen. Coincidentally, Lawyer Yu's name happened to be the same as Liu Yongwen's wife, and the police repeatedly examined his lawyer's certificate. The case was first tried by the Hebei Provincial High People's Court, and during the trial, there were more than thirty civil plaintiffs, all of whom hired many famous lawyers from Hebei Province to represent them, while the defendant side only had Yu Hong and the defendant, creating a significant disparity in momentum. However, Yu Hong was not intimidated and seriously responded to each plaintiff and lawyer.

The opposing party sued for over 10 million yuan. After court hearings, more than 6 million yuan of the so-called loan was recognized as an investment, and the plaintiff bore the loss when there was a loss. The court ruled to compensate for the loss of 4 million yuan. Liu Yongwen was sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment. This experience was a very important training for Yu Hong; he not only fully protected the legal rights of his client but also learned a lot of knowledge.

The most fulfilling moment

In the eyes of some people, Yu Hong is somewhat "resistant to authority." To help vulnerable groups, he is not afraid to "offend" powerful departments. He is even less afraid of offending individuals who do not act according to the law.

Someone once asked Yu Hong what he considered the most fulfilling thing he had done. Yu Hong said that when the interests of vulnerable groups are realized, and clients move from helplessness to the joy of realizing their rights, that makes him feel the most fulfilled.

There was a case in Chaoyang where a taxi company sued the industry authority for administrative punishment. In addition to responding normally, the administrative agency also "threatened" under the pretext of investigating other issues with the company. As the representative of the taxi company, Yu Hong effectively defended the legal rights of the vulnerable group. Subsequently, Yu Hong was interviewed by CCTV about this case, which was broadcast in the evening news and the 30-minute news segment, having a significant impact nationwide.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu appointed Dong Xuan as the magistrate of Luoyang. After the housekeeper of Princess Huyang committed murder and hid in the princess's residence, Dong Xuan, in order to uphold the law, stopped the carriage when the princess took the murderer out and executed justice. When the emperor asked him to "kneel and apologize to the princess," Dong Xuan resolutely refused, earning him the reputation of "the strong magistrate." Like Dong Xuan, being loyal to the national law, upholding social justice, and being fearless of power, while speaking honestly, is also the character of Yu Hong.

Lawyers can gain trust more easily when interacting with the public. In 2007, lawyer Yu Hong was the first among local lawyers to enter the reception hall of the municipal government to patiently and meticulously answer legal questions related to petitions, playing a decisive role in resolving multiple group petition cases.

In July 2010, due to years of drought, the urban water supply in Lingyuan City was in crisis. The water source project initiated by the Lingyuan City government involved the vital interests of the residents of Sanjia Village in Wafangdian Township, leading to thousands of people obstructing the drilling of water sources and clashing with police maintaining order, resulting in injuries to several police officers and civilians, and hindering construction on site. After receiving instructions from the leaders of the Lingyuan Political and Legal Committee, Yu Hong immediately drove to the scene. At that time, the Sanjia Village committee was surrounded by over a thousand agitated residents, holding various tools such as shovels, picks, fire forks, and sickles, glaring at the situation.

Upon seeing Yu Hong arrive, some residents who recognized him said, "Lawyer Yu, turn your car around." This meant that in case of a conflict, he should quickly withdraw to avoid any accidents. However, Yu Hong did not turn around; instead, he allowed the residents to surround his car. "If I had moved my car at that moment, it might have affected the communication and even escalated the conflict." Yu Hong did not go to the leaders on site to 'touch base' but directly approached the residents to listen to their concerns about the drilling and coordinated with relevant departments to send three injured residents to the hospital from the perspective of the public.

Seeing a lawyer standing up for them, the public recognized Yu Hong. He seized the opportunity to patiently explain the law to the residents, clarifying that water resources are owned by the state and that collective economic organizations do not have ownership rights. Most residents began to cooperate with Yu Hong to explore solutions. When modifying the contract terms, Yu Hong considered the residents' needs, specifying in the contract that the living water for the residents of the water source area would be prioritized and reserving water pipeline interfaces to alleviate the residents' concerns. To successfully sign the contract, Yu Hong worked all day before returning home for dinner. The water source area successfully drilled five wells as planned, and after officially supplying water, the living water in Lingyuan City was effectively guaranteed. Years later, the local residents remained very satisfied with the contract signed at that time. Yu Hong was also recognized as a model figure by Lingyuan City.

Yu Hong said, "Lawyers are meant to serve vulnerable groups. When vulnerable groups seek help from lawyers in times of helplessness, I have the obligation to assist them."

One must live up to the title of a legal master as a lawyer.

On August 7, 2010, entrusted by the leaders of the Lingyuan City government, Yu Hong went to the town of Goumenzi in southern Lingyuan City to handle a group incident caused by hepatitis A vaccine issues. The day before, leaders from the Lingyuan City Health Bureau and staff from the Disease Control Center were surrounded by the public at the Goumenzi Town Health Center and were not allowed to leave until around 3 a.m. the next day.

It turned out that due to the violation of hepatitis A vaccination requirements by the doctor at the Goumenzi Village health station, infants under 18 months were mistakenly vaccinated, leading to some children experiencing symptoms such as headaches, blood in urine, and elevated white blood cell counts, causing great panic among the parents of the affected children. Experts from the Lingyuan Central Hospital were also invited to provide treatment, but the public did not trust the experts' statements and insisted on demanding an explanation from the government, even sending five representatives to request treatment in Beijing and compensation from the government, and even made unreasonable demands such as "if the leaders' children also receive three doses of the hepatitis A vaccine, we will feel balanced."

Yu Hong arrived at the scene and discovered the crux of the problem during conversations. He immediately identified himself and analyzed the causes of the incident for the parents: 1. The vaccine itself; 2. The individual characteristics of the children; 3. Violation of operational procedures. From these three reasons, individual characteristics could be ruled out first, and the doctor's violation of operational procedures in administering the vaccine to children under four years old was one of the important reasons. Yu Hong explained to the parents that to prevent widespread damage caused by the vaccine itself, the Lingyuan City government had urgently notified to immediately stop the vaccination and applied for an evaluation in Beijing to determine whether the batch of hepatitis A vaccine was qualified. Regarding the parents' request for treatment in Beijing, Yu Hong proposed inviting experts from Beijing to conduct consultations in Lingyuan, which would save costs and allow for timely clarification of the common characteristics of the affected children.

After several rounds of negotiations, the public recognized the city government's positive attitude in solving the problem, and no serious conflicts occurred. The hundreds of residents surrounding the scene gradually dispersed. That night, around 10 p.m., 18 affected children and their parents were sent to the Lingyuan Central Hospital for treatment by a large bus arranged by the city government. Just when it seemed that the matter could come to a close, several parents who had not gone to the hospital again approached the city government with compensation requests. Lawyer Yu Hong explained relevant legal knowledge to them in the corridor of the city government, clearly informing them that the responsible party for this incident currently appeared to be the village health station doctor. If the hepatitis A vaccine was found to be problem-free after inspection, the city government could not bear the compensation responsibility. Even if the village health station was held responsible, it should be resolved through negotiation or litigation in the people's court, and there must be detailed accounts and receipts for all losses incurred. Currently, there had not been a final damage result; the children only exhibited some symptoms, and some experts stated that some abnormal reactions were psychological and could not determine compensation. The urgent task was to quickly clarify the cause, actively treat, and avoid causing greater harm to the affected children.

After nearly 40 minutes of explanation and promotion, the parents of the affected children expressed their understanding and withdrew their request for immediate compensation from the city government. One parent, Mr. Song, said, "Lawyer Yu, you are the lawyer sent by the government. It would be great if we could hire you as our lawyer at a high salary!" Yu Hong smiled and said, "I am handling this matter from the perspective of being responsible for it and ensuring a fair and reasonable resolution. I will also reflect your reasonable opinions to the city leaders and make suggestions. The city leaders accepted my suggestions, and both the city leaders and lawyers are genuinely safeguarding the interests of the public." At this point, it was already close to 11 p.m., and the representatives of the public wanted to invite lawyer Yu Hong, who had not had dinner yet, to eat, but he politely declined.

Yu Hong said, "Dedicating oneself to work is a duty, and one must live up to the title of a legal master as a lawyer."

A skilled and good person can do more good deeds.

Yu Hong stated that the mission of the Liaoning Blue Star Law Firm is to be loyal to national laws and uphold social justice; to adhere to the duties of a lawyer and build friendships across various sectors. He has also put considerable effort into managing the law firm team. He is strict with the lawyers in the firm and has strict regulations on the process of lawyers taking cases. Over the years, the law firm has provided many talents to public security and judicial departments, with some department leaders stating that those who come from Yu Hong's law firm are 'exempt from inspection' and can withstand scrutiny. "In my work, I often emphasize to everyone that in society, a person cannot stand without trust. One must not only be proficient in their business but also be a good person. Because a bad person who is skilled can only do more bad things, while a good person who is skilled can do more good deeds."

"Our law firm pays taxes according to regulations, and this can be guaranteed." Lawyers handle cases and directly interact with clients, making it relatively difficult to manage. Especially regarding income and tax issues, it is often challenging to supervise. Yu Hong's confidence comes from strict management.

"I spent money to hire someone to develop a software for our law firm. The lawyers in the firm must follow the software process when taking cases, without any blank procedures. One case, one ticket; regardless of whether the client wants the procedures or not, they must be provided. Finally, income is calculated and taxed according to the software system." Yu Hong said with a smile, "In fact, they have all tasted the 'sweetness' of working according to regulations." Once, a client sought out Yu Hong to handle a case, threw 50,000 yuan on Yu Hong's desk, and said, "No need to give me a ticket." Yu Hong said, "We must proceed according to regulations," but the client waved his hand, not allowing Yu Hong to issue the procedures, and hurriedly left. Yu Hong tried several times to get him to come back for the procedures, but he never did. Six months later, the client found Yu Hong, claiming he was dissatisfied with the outcome of the entrusted case and demanded Yu Hong to "refund the money," implying that Yu Hong had not issued him the procedures at that time, which was a violation of regulations for taking the case. If the money was not refunded, he would report it. However, when Yu Hong took out the procedures that had been prepared six months ago from his desk drawer, the client's face turned red..."

"In recent years, our business scope has continuously expanded, and we have made significant progress in our work, achieving many honors and receiving praise from all sectors of society. I hope we can become loyal defenders of the law and protectors of the interests of the common people," lawyer Yu Hong expressed his wish.

Before sending out the report, the journalist learned that lawyer Yu has just been invited to be a special guest on CCTV's "Influence Dialogue" program. It is believed that when the program airs, more people will have the opportunity to hear this lawyer's legendary story.