Lawyers' training systems

Here are factsheets describing the lawyers' training systems in the EU Member States. They can be useful to national Bars and in order to compare the training of lawyers who want to exercise their right to freedom of establishment in another Member State.

• Belgium:
  The French/German  (157 Kb)  and Dutch-speaking  (150 Kb)  Bars are responsible for organising the induction period.
• Bulgaria  (163 Kb) 
• Czech Republic  (159 Kb) 
  The Bar Association and law firms or companies are responsible for organising the induction period. The Bar Association does not supervise the continuous training but only its own training activities.
• Denmark  (149 Kb) 
  The induction period is organised by private practice or law firms and by the Danish Bar and Law Society.
• Germany  (160 Kb) 
  The German Bar and the Appeal Courts are responsible for organising the induction period. Continuous training is supervised by Regional Bars, the Deutsches Anwaltsinstitut and the Deutsches AnwaltsAkademie.
• Estonia  (158 Kb) 
  The induction period is organised by the Bar Association and universities. Continuous training is supervised by the Bar.
• Ireland  (155 Kb) 
  The induction period is organised by the Law Society and private practices or law firms.
• Greece  (162 Kb) 
  The Bar Association and the Ministry of Justice are in charge of organising the induction period.
• Spain  (150 Kb) 
  Bars and universities are in charge of organising the induction period. Voluntary continuous training provided by the Schools of Legal Practice is supervised by the Bar.
• France  (201 Kb) 
  Regional Bar schools and the National Council of French Bars are in charge of organising the induction period. Continuous training is supervised by the National Council of French Bars, the Inter-professional Funds for the continuous training of the liberal professions and professional lawyer trade unions.
• Croatia  (153 Kb) 
  The Bar Association is in charge of organising the induction period and supervising continuous training.
• Italy  (158 Kb) 
  Bar Associations, private training providers, private training providers accredited by the Bar, universities and lawyers' academies or other structures established by the Bar organise the induction period. The Bar supervises continuous training.
• Cyprus  (147 Kb) 
  The Legal Board of the Bar Association organises the induction period.
• Latvia  (167 Kb) 
  Private practice or law firms and a special institution established by the Council of Sworn Advocates organise the induction period. The Council of Sworn Advocates also supervises continuous training.
• Lithuania  (162 Kb) 
  The Bar Association and private practice or law firms organise the induction period. The Bar also supervises continuous training activities.
• Luxembourg  (150 Kb) 
  The Bar Association and private practice or law firms organise the induction period.
• Hungary  (158 Kb) 
  The Bar Association organises the induction period.
• Malta  (156 Kb) 
  Private practice and law firms organise the induction period.
• Netherlands  (153 Kb) 
  Private practice and law firms, private training providers accredited by the Bar and lawyers' academies and other training structures established by the Bar organise the induction period.
• Austria  (156 Kb) 
  The Bar, private practice and law firms, private training providers, private training providers attached to the Bar, universities and lawyers' academies or other training structures of the Bar organise the induction period.
• Poland  (166 Kb) 
  The Bar Association is in charge of organising the induction period and supervising continuous training.
• Portugal  (156 Kb) 
  The Bar is in charge of organising the induction period.
• Romania  (160 Kb) 
  The National Institute for Training and Development and Colleges Union of the Romanian Legal Advisors organise the induction period of respectively lawyers and legal advisors.
• Slovenia  (157 Kb) 
• Slovakia  (157 Kb) 
  The Bar Association and private practice or law firms organise the induction period.
• Finland  (150 Kb) 
  Private practice and law firms and public legal aid offices are in charge of organising the induction period.
• Sweden  (149 Kb) 
  The Bar Association is in charge of organising the induction period and supervising continuous training.
• United Kingdom:
  
  England and Wales:
  Barristers  (161 Kb) 
  The induction period of Barristers is organised through approved training organisations, pupil supervision from a Barrister and external training. The Bar Standards Board supervises continuous training.
  Solicitors  (158 Kb) 
  The induction period is organised by private practice firms, non-private practice organisations, commercial providers and universities. The Law Society supervises solicitors' continuous training.
  
  Northern Ireland:
  Barristers  (152 Kb) 
  The induction period is organised by the Bar, private practice firms, private training providers, universities, lawyers' academies and training structures established by the Bar. The Bar also supervises continuous training.
  Solicitors  (151 Kb) 
  The induction period is organised by the Law Society, private practice and law firms and universities. The Law Society also supervises continuous training.
  
  Scotland:
  Advocates  (150 Kb) 
  The Bar organises the induction period and supervises continuous training.
  Solicitors  (151 Kb) 
  Private practices and law firms, non-private organisations, providers authorised by the Law Society and commercial providers and universities organise the induction period.

The factsheets were put together by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and the European Centre for Judges and Lawyers of EIPA in the framework of the Pilot project on European judicial training. Click here for more information.