The All China Lawyers Association ("ACLA") has recently issued the Guiding Opinions on Supporting the Development of Young Lawyers (the "Opinions").
The Opinions first provide the definition of "young lawyers" and then set out guidelines in eight respects as below. The first is strengthening the political guidance for young lawyers; the second is establishing a specialized body for the development of young lawyers; the third is setting up a special fund for the development of young lawyers; the fourth is offering more preferential support to young lawyers; the fifth is operating the minimum wage security system for young lawyers; the sixth is establishing and improving a mentorship mechanism for young lawyers; the seventh is creating an vocational study and exchange platform for young lawyers; and the eighth is instituting a reward and punishment mechanism for the work on cultivating young lawyers. Among others, the Opinions call for efforts to establish and improve the minimum wage system for young lawyers in accordance with the law, to ensure that the wage rate for a young lawyer shall not be lower than the local minimum wage standard. Each law firm is required to earnestly implement the Labor Contract Law and its detailed rules by entering into labor contracts or employment contracts with young lawyers and making "five types of insurance contributions" for them.