“What is more important than experience is the level of the customer’s eyes”... Insights from three ‘experienced’ Daeryun lawyers

“What the client wants is not the title of full-time officer. When you go all the way and work together with sincerity and skill, trust is created.”
Attorney Kim Jin-won of Daeryun Law Firm (21st class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute) answered the question about courtesy to all officers as follows. After working as a prosecutor for over 20 years and starting as a lawyer 10 years ago, he still goes back and forth between investigative agencies and courts every day. This is because I believe that being supportive by the client's side is the only way to gain trust.

Attorney Lee Il-kwon (Training Institute Class 23), who has served as a prosecutor for over 17 years, is always on the spot and directly encounters clients. Attorney Lee said, “Many clients entrust us with cases trusting the knowledge and experience rather than the ‘name value’ of the former office, so we have an obligation to respond accordingly.”

A day goes by without a break for lawyer Kim Nak-hyeong (training institute 34th class), a former chief judge. Attorney Kim, who has written more than 3,000 judgments, is now participating in writing documents for clients as a lawyer.

On the 10th, I met three lawyers from the Yeongnam area of ​​Busan who have maintained their practical experience for a long time at the Daeryun Busan branch office. They spoke candidly about the roles of lawyers who served as chief prosecutors and chief judges, new trends in the lawyer market, and Daeryun's ‘all team members attending trial’ system.

Below is a Q&A with the lawyers.

-There is often a preconceived notion that highly experienced lawyers only post their names or give advice behind the scenes. Is there a reason for being deeply involved in the case directly at the scene?
▲Kim Jin-won (hereinafter referred to as Jin): In the past, it was common practice for so-called ‘previous officers’ to only put their names on the line, and for junior lawyers to actually carry out litigation. Nowadays, you can never do that because all legal information and lawyers are transparently disclosed. Since a trusting relationship with a client is created through the process of recording and reviewing directly, I always go to the field.

▲Il-kwon Lee (hereinafter referred to as Lee): Investigations and trials are highly fluid, and accidental situations often occur. In these situations, lawyers must be able to make split-second judgments and decisions. In my case, since I have more relevant experience, the likelihood of being able to use my wits is relatively high. This is also the reason why many of Daeryun’s former attorneys are practicing in the field, including in investigative agencies and courts. Client trust and satisfaction can also be said to be high.

▲ Nak-hyeong Kim (hereinafter referred to as Kim): Most clients who entrust their cases to a lawyer are bound to feel a considerable burden of costs. This is a case that the client worked so hard to raise money for, but not handling the actual work by only formally putting one's name on the case can be said to be a betrayal of one's basic duty as a lawyer.

-I heard that Daeryun Law Firm is implementing a system of ‘all members of the case team attending the trial’. What help do you think this system can provide to clients?
▲Kim: From a client’s perspective, an investigation or trial is a moment they may or may not experience once in their life. In most cases, coming to court itself is scary and daunting. Therefore, it can provide psychological stability by giving the perception that multiple lawyers are providing thorough legal protection.

▲Lee: In principle, I am in favor of everyone attending the trial. The attendance of all attorneys in charge increases clients’ trust in the law firm and provides ‘customer-centered’ value and satisfaction. Of course, I am confident that if efficiency can be further increased in the process of establishing the system, such as allocating lawyers within the same area, it will be a necessary system for clients.

-Is there a reason why lawyers with different strengths form a ‘one team’ and is there an example of synergy?
▲Kim: Regarding the pornography case, I worked with lawyer Lee Il-kwon. Attorney Lee was in charge of reviewing investigation records, and I was mainly in charge of formulating trial strategies. In the process of reviewing the evidence records together, we were able to receive a suspended sentence by providing legal judgment and advice, including confessions and recommendations for reflection.

▲Lee: The reason we pursue one team is to promote collaboration and growth. In the case of Daeryun, an experienced veteran lawyer, a junior lawyer, and a lawyer who acts as a bridge in the middle come together. This is because the experience of veteran lawyers and the mobility of junior lawyers can create good synergy. In this process, junior lawyers gain know-how in practical writing, such as reviewing investigation records, writing opinions, and interrogating witnesses. Ultimately, all these efforts for One Team are directed towards one goal: ‘client trust’.

-What values ​​do you think are most important to a lawyer now?
▲Kim: I understand that in the past, in the legal profession, there were some unreasonable practices, such as high-ranking former court presidents and former prosecutors' lawyers not actually appearing in court after only putting forward their names, and in extreme cases, office managers writing documents. However, since the introduction of law schools, tens of thousands of people are competing. You are well aware of the reality in the legal profession that the practice of giving courtesy to all officers is no longer found, and clients cannot expect to get the results they want by relying on the courtesy to all officers. Therefore, currently, the only criterion is not only expertise and skills in related cases, but also how ‘customer-centered’ a lawyer can convey his know-how to customers, and this is a direction of the times that cannot be reversed.

▲Jin: In the past, it may have been said that everything was in sync with just one title, but the current situation is completely different. I believe that even if you have a long period of legal experience, you must have ‘practical skills,’ so I try to maintain an attitude of always learning. This is because such efforts are passed on to the client.

▲Lee: In the past, the so-called ‘name value’ or ‘authority’ of a lawyer was important. And lawyers who have this ability are often called ‘lawyers in charge’. Since there was virtually no way to obtain information about lawyers, there were many cases of indiscriminate appointment of lawyers through legal brokers. But now we live in an era where all information is made public through the Internet. What clients want from lawyers like us is not ‘name value’ but their knowledge and experience. Therefore, it can be said that the most important thing is to explain your capabilities well to the client and make them naturally trust the lawyer.

Reporter Kwon Byeong-seok (bsk730@fnnews.com)

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"What is more important than experience is the level of the customer's eyes"... Insights from three 'official' Daeryun lawyers (link)