Judges and court clerks in a city in Zhejiang province are giving up their secure posts to become lawyers.

A lack of career opportunities is behind the surprising move, said legal figures in Wenzhou.

"Although working in the court is a stable job with a regular salary, it offers few chances for promotion in the system, as vacancies only come up when a senior officer retires," said attorney Ren Dingguo at the Zhejiang Zeshang Law Firm.