"He never gets agitated by judges who seem to have made up their minds and who refuse further argument. In situations like this, he would speak just as calmly and smoothly as you could imagine, in what we call `the manner of Fan' to persuade the judges," said Wellington Koo (
"`Your honor,' he would say, `it's a very impressive opinion you've made, but may I propose another possibility to you ...,' which is typical of the Fan-style rhetoric," Ku said.
"It's a number one rule for an attorney never to irritate the judge, but it's also just as important that you get your message across. Fan is pretty talented at that."
Born to a big family in Hsinchu County, Fan has nine brothers and two sisters. His father, a former county councilor, became widely known for his children's educational achievements -- among them are three doctors, two masters, and five university graduates.
Under the influence of his father, Fan became very interested in politics and had wanted to run in National Assembly elections in 1978. The election, however, was called off after the US announced the severance of Taiwan-US diplomatic ties.
childhood dream
John Chen (
"Although he did not make it in the end, the way in which he speaks and behaves is quite the manner of a diplomat," Chen said.
While legal matters can be very serious and very dull too, his friends say Fan knows well how to enjoy life and always looks for surprises.
Fond of red wine, he organized a red wine society consisting of some 20 lawyers, which meets every three months to celebrate fine wine and good food. He is also said to enjoy traveling and would reportedly seize every opportunity to look for fun.
Making a career shift at the age of 62 is not easy and giving up a multi-million dollar income makes it all the more harrowing.
But Ku said he understands why Fan made the choice: "His life is just like an expedition. After being a lawyer for so many years, he is still seeking challenges -- and I think this is just what the new position means to him."
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