Within the prescribed scope of professional activities, it accepts entrustments from Chinese and foreign parties and provides various legal services; it is responsible for the specific assignment and guidance of the professional work of its lawyers; as needed, with the approval of the Ministry of Justice, it can set up professional law firms, and qualified law firms can set up several internal business groups based on the principle of professional division of labor. In principle, law firms are located in counties, cities, and municipal districts, and there is no affiliation between law firms.

There are partnership law firms, individual firms run by individual lawyers, and cooperative law firms run jointly by lawyers. The former has the same nature as the Legal Counsel Office, but has a different name. The latter emerged during reform and opening up, and is responsible for its own profits and losses and has independent accounting. There is no difference in the content of legal services they provide.

A partnership law firm can be established in the form of a general partnership or a special general partnership. The partners of a partnership law firm shall be legally responsible for the debts of the law firm in accordance with the partnership form.