In December 2021, the Ministry of Justice issued a notice on the publication of the National Plan for the Development of the Public Legal Service System (2021-2025), in which article 36 of chapter 12, “Promoting the standardisation of legal service practitioners”, clearly proposes to “promote the professionalisation and specialisation of arbitral case managers”. It is clear that promoting the professionalisation of arbitral case managers will become an essential part of the construction of China’s public legal service system in the next four years. Drawing from the author’s work experience and personal reflections on the profession, this article discusses how the process can be taken forward in China.
Clarifying the professional and legal status of arbitral case managers. With the continual development and improvement of the arbitration system, the number of cases and subject matter value in major domestic arbitration institutions have increased rapidly in recent years. Arbitration has become a highly regarded option in the diversified dispute resolution mechanism. Arbitral case managers, as procedural managers and service providers in arbitration cases, have become part of the legal professional community.
Yuan Ning is a case manager at the Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Centre (BAC/BIAC)
