A legal foundation
Understand basic legal concepts, recognise unfamiliar issues, and know when to ask for guidance.
A personal portfolio / Legal career direction
Business mind.
Legal direction.
I am Yan Yangzhao. With a major in Marketing and a minor in Law, I want to build a career where commercial understanding meets careful legal thinking.
MEET THE PERSON BEHIND THE PLAN ↘EducationTianjin Normal University
Academic backgroundMarketing major / Law minor
Target roleJunior Corporate Legal Assistant
01
My background, my direction.
My name is Yan Yangzhao. I studied at Tianjin Normal University, and my major was Marketing. I also studied Law as my minor subject.
I plan to work in the legal field. I am especially interested in how companies handle contracts, communicate with consumers, and manage legal questions in everyday business.
My marketing background encourages me to consider a company’s goals and the customer’s perspective. My law minor introduced a second question: what rules, rights, and responsibilities should guide a decision? I want to develop the ability to consider both.
Academic foundation
Tianjin Normal University
Major: Marketing
A business perspective on customers, communication, and commercial decisions.
Minor: Law
An introduction to legal study and a starting point for further professional learning.
My next step is to strengthen practical legal knowledge through focused study and supervised experience.
02
Understanding what employers need.
A company needs legal support that is accurate, organised, and useful to the business. For an assistant, the aim is to help the legal team prepare information and identify questions that need a qualified supervisor’s attention.
This is a role-based analysis, not a quotation from a particular company’s vacancy. Exact duties and entry requirements vary by employer and jurisdiction.
Reliable information
Locate relevant materials, check their authority and date, and prepare clear research notes.
Careful preparation
Organise contracts, check details, compare versions, and record unresolved questions.
Commercial awareness
Understand what colleagues are trying to achieve before helping the legal team assess the issue.
Clear communication
Ask focused questions and explain information without hiding uncertainty or using unnecessary jargon.
Professional conduct
Respect confidentiality, meet deadlines, maintain accurate records, and work within assigned responsibilities.
03
Connecting my studies to the work.
My academic background gives me two perspectives. The following areas describe the skills I am developing and how I intend to apply them; they are not claims of completed legal employment.
Commercial understanding
I can approach a business question by considering its purpose, audience, and customer impact. I want to use this perspective to give the legal team useful context.
Structured legal thinking
My approach is to separate the facts, the questions, the sources to check, and the points still needing advice. My Law minor is a foundation to build on.
Clear written communication
I value short summaries and specific questions. A colleague should be able to see the issue and the next action without reading a long, unclear explanation.
Careful document handling
I aim to check names, dates, wording, and versions systematically. Consistent filing and confidentiality are habits I want to strengthen in practice.
04
A business question, examined carefully.
Illustrative exercise / Not client work
Before a promotion
goes live.
A company plans an online promotion with a headline discount. The conditions and refund wording are still being drafted.
How would I support the legal team? I would organise the facts and flag questions for review, while keeping the intended customer experience in view.
This proposed exercise demonstrates my thinking. It does not claim a completed internship, campaign, or professional legal opinion.
Understand the offer
Collect the campaign text, eligible products, promotion dates, and intended sales channels.
Compare the messages
Check whether the headline and detailed conditions describe the same offer. Flag wording that could confuse a customer.
Prepare the questions
Ask what exclusions apply, who approves the terms, and which jurisdiction’s requirements need review.
Escalate and record
Send a concise issue list to the legal supervisor. Keep the approved version and record any changes.
Example review note: “The headline says ‘all items’, but the conditions exclude several products. Please confirm the intended scope and align the wording before approval.”
05
Where I fit — and where I need to grow.
My strongest connection to this role is the combination of business study and introductory legal education. I would seek an entry-level position that accepts my background and offers supervision.
| Employer requirement | My connection | Evidence / next step |
|---|---|---|
| Business awareness | Marketing major at Tianjin Normal University. | The promotion exercise connects commercial intent with questions for legal review. |
| Legal foundation | Law studied as a minor subject. | Continue focused legal study; check each vacancy’s degree and qualification requirements. |
| Issue identification | A structured approach to facts, wording, and unanswered questions. | Build research notes and case summaries with verified sources. |
| Clear communication | An interest in audience needs and accessible explanations. | Practise concise legal-support emails and request feedback. |
| Practical reliability | An understanding of the need for accuracy, confidentiality, and supervision. | Gain supervised experience with real document processes and deadlines. |
A Law minor does not establish eligibility for every legal role. I will match my applications to the employer’s stated requirements and develop any additional qualifications needed.
06
My next steps in the profession.
First / Strengthen the foundation
Study with a clear purpose.
Develop legal research habits and deepen my understanding of topics relevant to company legal support.
Next / Build practical evidence
Learn through supervised work.
Seek suitable assistant or internship opportunities and develop a portfolio using non-confidential exercises.
Over time / Find my focus
Connect business and law.
Explore legal support involving commercial documents, customer communication, and compliance processes.