How to become a lawyer: degree, internship and state exam
Becoming a lawyer is still a dream for many law students, despite the difficult period in which professionals find themselves working.
The profession of lawyer, even today, is chosen by many Italian graduates: according to recent data a number so high as to bring Italy in third place in Europe among countries with more lawyers.
This data should push aspiring lawyers to a preliminary reflection: do you really want to become a lawyer? Not only is the state exam notoriously demanding, but the number of lawyer colleagues present in the Bel Paese will make the exercise of the legal profession very competitive and consequently also the chances of earning. At the moment the average income of a lawyer in Italy is around 37 thousand euros.
But if your goal, despite everything, is to understand how to become a lawyer,
So let’s see how to become a lawyer in 4 points.
How to become a lawyer: graduate in Jurisprudence
First of all, to become a lawyer you need to be a graduate in Law.
The law faculty does not require a particular schooling address to be able to enroll in the Law Degree Course, nor do you need any particular knowledge acquired during the years of High School to become a lawyer.
Surely having studied at the Liceo Classico could be an advantage, more than for the knowledge of Latin, a language still used by lawyers in the practice of the forensic profession, for the study method that this High School requires to its students.
However, nothing prevents brilliant students from technical-scientific backgrounds from obtaining a Degree with honors in Law and pass the State exam without any difficulty.
At the moment it is possible to enroll in the 5-year Master’s Degree Course in Law (LM), which replaces the previous Old Law Degree Course (DL) as well as the 3 + 2 Course consisting of a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Sciences (Class 31) and a subsequent two-year Master’s Degree (LS).
How to become a lawyer: the legal practice
Once a law degree has been obtained it is necessary to start the legal practice in a law firm of a lawyer (the so-called dominus) which has been enrolled for at least 5 years in the profession of lawyers.
The legal practice has a duration of 18 months and the practicing lawyer will have to participate in at least 20 hearings of his dominus for each semester by having his presence.