A small number of bufetes specializing in providing legal assistance to foreign nationals have arisen in recent years. Independent Law Offices Independent legal practice is not permitted. Legal Advisors to State Institutions and Enterprises As of 1999, 30% of lawyers worked as legal advisors to state agencies, ministries, and commercial enterprises. These lawyers receive a lower salary than their counterparts in the bufetes, but this is offset somewhat by added perks and bonuses from their employer. Although historically relegated to ensuring contracts complied with government regulations, the shifts in the Cuban economy following the collapse of the Soviet Union have led to legal advisors taking a more active role in the market-based, commercial dealings of Cuba. Professional life The salary of lawyers is based upon the number and complexity of the cases which they handle. Better lawyers typically earn a higher salary. Legal Ethics Conflicts of interest (usually relationships with the opposing party) bar a lawyer from representing particular clients. The ONBC propagates rules of ethics and conduct and carries out punishment for their violation, usually in the form of warnings, although suspension, dismissal, and imprisonment are possible in cases of serious violations. Lawyers are expected to uphold the principle of socialist legality in their practice, thereby strengthening socialism and socialist law. Critics argue that this requirement of the lawyers make it difficult for lawyers to defend their clients against the state. In 1984, laws were passed to remedy this problem, mandating that lawyers defend their clients with diligence and independence to the best of the lawyer's ability. Whether this law has its desired effect is debatable. Examples of passive defense counsel in criminal cases abound (such as the case of General Arnaldo Ochoa, sentenced to death for drug trafficking), while there also exist cases of defense counsel acting diligently on behalf of clients whose interests are diametrically opposed to those of the government. National Union of Cuban Jurists The National Union of Cuban Jurists (UNJC) is a professional organization for lawyers. Membership is voluntary and some 85% of practitioners are members. Headquartered in Havana, the UNJC comments on proposed legislation, publishes a law review (Revista Cubana de Derecho), and organizes various national and international legal conferences and symposia. Legal Education In the early days of the revolution, Fidel Castro, himself a lawyer, advised the young people of Cuba not to study law, instead opting for the study of the