Chongqing sees notable increase in lawyer number

Southwest China's Chongqing municipality has seen a significant increase in lawyer number, in the end of 2022, the city had 16,069 lawyers, an increase of 10.21 percent compared to the previous year. There are 910 law firms in the city, with five lawyers per 10,000 residents.

In 2022, lawyers citywide handled 304,800 litigation and non-litigation cases, a year-on-year increase of 7.26 percent. Lawyers worked as legal advisors in 24,500 companies that year, an increase of 8.31 percent on a year-on-year basis.

Ten measures have been introduced to assist enterprises in overcoming difficulties. The lawyers have provided over 13,000 customized services such as compliance training, risk assessments, pre-listing tutoring, as well as services related to bankruptcy reorganization and liquidation and cross-border investment and trade.

The city now has 2,465 public office lawyers, including legal aid lawyers, who have handled more than 16,000 administrative litigation and reconsideration cases of various types and reviewed over 6,400 investment contracts and agreements. They have played a role in promoting law-based governance in the city.

In order to optimize local business environment, the city has invited lawyers to provide professional, constructive and practical opinions on five national and local legislative works or major legislative projects.

In 2022, the city set up 209 on-site and online lawyers mediation centers and studios and mediation platforms. The mediation service has covered local communities and industrial enterprise across the city, providing the public easy access to mediation services.

According to statistics, lawyers in the city provided a total of 180,000 pro bono legal services through online and on-site platforms in 2022.

Furthermore, the city has organized lawyers to work on the city's official online legal service platform, through which they have provided over 2,500 consultation services all round the clock.