Born and raised in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, Chien holds a master’s in economic and financial law from the city’s Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU). She started practicing in 1995 and co-founded the firm Chiu and Chien with her husband in 2014. Chien chairs the Female Lawyers Committee of the Taoyuan Bar Association and is an adjunct instructor at CYCU.
“When I studied law at university, I wasn’t really intent on sitting the bar exam. Right after graduation, I was recruited by a large company as a legal affairs assistant to the general manager. In that role, I realized that I lacked the knowledge and training of my more experienced colleagues, so I left. Later, I worked at the national taxation bureau, but I found the life of a civil servant somewhat tedious due to the heavy and repetitive workload. Still, I was fascinated by public finance and taxation, so I quit my job again to pursue postgraduate study in that field. And like many of my classmates, I began preparing for the bar.
Once I’d qualified as an attorney, I found work at a law firm run by a retired prosecutor. I handled many civil and criminal cases during my time there and learned a lot. After giving birth to my two children, I chose to start my own firm so I’d have more time to spend with them. Deciding whether to launch your own business can be a really tough call, but for me the impetus was my kids.
A lawyer’s role is to help people find solutions to their problems. Clients usually have their own perspectives about an issue and it can take patience to get to the heart of them. And while people always believe the opposing side is in the wrong, sometimes they need to be told that they could be at fault, too. This has to be handled delicately and at the appropriate time to avoid causing anger or offense.
(Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)
Winning a case for a client is an amazing feeling. I remember about 10 years ago, a young doctor hired me after being saddled with a massive NT$70 million [US$2.27 million] tax bill because his mother used his name to gamble unsuccessfully on the stock market. If he’d been forced to pay the fee, his medical career would have gotten off to a rough start. He was very grateful when I was able to free him from this enormous debt. Another case that stands out involved a friend who had a troubled relationship with her husband. She came to me and I was able to help her get out of the marriage.
As a female lawyer, I recognize the substantial progress that has been achieved in gender-related legislation over the past two decades. Revisions to the Civil Code have established the right of women to retain control of their property after getting married. Other landmark laws include the 1998 Domestic Violence Prevention Act, 2002 Act of Gender Equality in Employment and 2005 Sexual Harassment Prevention Act. Some of Taiwan’s leading female attorneys have been a driving force behind these achievements and I’m very appreciative of their devotion to safeguarding women’s rights and promoting gender awareness. Their work demonstrates that the law can benefit not just the individual but society as a whole.
With this improved legal framework in place, we need to pursue institutional reforms to ensure full implementation of the new and revised laws. To this end, female lawyers, including myself, have been invited to join or provide consultation services to local government organizations such as Taoyuan’s Center for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention. The city has been a leader in this area and was among the first to call for the establishment of the 113 national women and children protection hotline [operated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare].
The legislative progress is a significant indicator of Taiwan’s social development, but it’ll take more time to tackle lingering gender stereotypes and discrimination. Some companies continue to discourage employees from taking parental leave and our culture still exhibits a preference for sons because boys are viewed as the bearers of a family’s legacy. In many households, even those that are highly educated, women are expected to assume sole responsibility for cooking and chores. Many men see nothing wrong with this mindset. In extreme situations, when people are being mistreated, the law can offer them hope and the opportunity to begin a new life. That’s the true value of my profession.”
—interview by Pat Gao
Write to Pat Gao at cjkao@mofa.gov.tw