Cheng Ping, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), edits the suggestions she is preparing to submit during the annual session of the NPC in March 2023.[Photo/provided by National People's Congress]

Lawyers must uphold justice and take the realization of legal justice and fairness for the people as their own responsibility. This is the code of conduct that Cheng Ping, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), has held fast over the past 20 years working as a lawyer in Linyi of the Yimeng area, East China's Shandong province.

"Nurtured by the 'Yimeng Spirit', which highlights loyalty to the Party and the people, I have always prioritized the interests of the people and diligently handled every case that involves the vital interests of the masses," said Cheng, a legal professional who has grown up in the Yimeng area, an old revolutionary base and one of the major strongholds of the Communist Party of China during the 1930s and 1940s.

"Making money should not be the only concern of lawyers, they should also think more about how to safeguard the dignity of the law and delivering justice to the underprivileged," said Cheng, who started her career as a lawyer in 1997 and is currently the Party branch chief and director of a local law firm.

Over the past two decades, instead of concentrating solely on those big cases that can easily bring in a high income and reputation, Cheng has devoted a lot of time to serving the general public, especially vulnerable groups. Her sincere and persistent efforts have resulted in fair judgments, much needed economic benefits, as well as close friendship with parties who have received her legal services.

"Fortunately, at the darkest moment of my life, I met Cheng, the thoughtful lawyer. She gave me the hope and strength to go on," said a woman surnamed Li, who was seriously injured and lost her child during a traffic accident. Worse still, her husband filed for a divorce due to her long-term bedridden condition.

Cheng spared no efforts to claim compensation for Li's traffic accident, and help her obtain a disability certificate and judicial assistance. After three years of hard work, she helped the woman reach a mediation agreement with her ex-husband, and preserved her rights to the greatest extent possible.

In another case, after countless negotiations with a local company, Cheng helped a forklift operator receive nearly 100,000 yuan (about $13,700) in severance compensation.

"To be honest, I was about to give up, I couldn't bear to see her working so hard for me," said the forklift operator surnamed Gao, who still feels grateful to the lawyer today.

Cheng is well aware that only through understanding the lives of the ordinary people can one be a good spokesperson for them.

After being elected a deputy to the Shandong Provincial People's Congress in 2013, Cheng established contact offices in nearby villages to promote the rule of law to villagers and respond to their legal inquiries. She also used the venues as research bases to learn the needs of local people and better play her role as a lawmaker.

Cheng said that over a period of two months in 2014, she visited more than 30 individuals who received legal aid in eight towns to learn about the situation of legal aid for vulnerable groups, and submitted a suggestion on revising the Shandong Provincial Legal Aid Regulations during the annual session of the provincial people's congress that same year.

Based on one of Cheng's suggestions, the Shandong High People's Court issued a guideline for piloting unified compensation standards for personal injury in urban and rural areas in 2020.

Cheng was elected a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress this year, and submitted three motions on legislation and five other suggestions during the annual two sessions in March, including suggestions on accelerating the establishment of a long-term care insurance system, which was widely covered by major national media outlets.

"I believe that becoming a lawyer was the most correct life choice I have made," said Cheng, emphasizing her commitment to continue helping people in need with her legal expertise.

Cheng Ping (front row, right) discusses motions with other deputies during the annual session of the National People's Congress in March 2023. [Photo/provided by National People's Congress]

Cheng Ping (R) provides legal consultation services to a party involved in a case on March 16, 2023. [Photo/provided by National People's Congress]