University of Szeged Faculty of Law

Legal education in different states ( Great Britain, Germany, Hungary)

Prof : Zsolt Nagy Student: Diana Onita Faculty of law 3rd year

Szeged 2 !

LEGAL EDUCATI ! I! G"EAT B"ITAI!#

"d#ission to t$e legal %rofession in &ngland is controlled 'y organizations re%resenting t$e solicitors and 'arristers( t$e two great divisions into w$ic$ t$e %rofession is divided) *$e division of t$e %rofession into two classes( t$e solicitors and 'arristers( does not e+ist in t$e United States) *$e activities of t$e solicitor corres%ond( roug$ly( to t$ose of t$e so,called office lawyer in "#erica( w$ile t$e 'arrister corres%onds to t$e trial lawyer) *$e so$citor #ay a%%ear as an advocate in t$e inferior courts and # noncontroversial #atters in c$a#'ers 'efore -udges of t$e .ig$ /ourt) *$e su%ervision of t$e sc$ool is in t$e $ands of t$e legal education co##ittee of t$e society( w$ic$ is co#%osed of 0 #e#'ers of t$e council of t$e society( 1 #e#'ers re%resenting %rovincial law societies( and 2 #e#'ers of t$e London law students2 society) *$e teac$ing year is divided into four ter#s of a'out eig$t wee3s eac$) /lasses are $eld at suc$ $ours as will 'est acco##odate t$e cler3s w$o are in solicitors2 offices) *$e courses covered e#'race t$e to%ics covered in t$e inter#ediate and final e+a#inations) "ttendance is not re4uired) &+a#inations are $eld at t$e end of eac$ course( 'ut attendance is voluntary and does not e+e#%t fro# t$e finals or inter#ediate e+a#inations) *.& 5"667S*&6S) *$e 'arristers are #e#'ers of t$e inns of court of t$e various law inns) Only t$e four %rinci%al ones survive) *$ey are L#coln2s 7nn( 8ray2s 7nn( t$e 9iddle *e#%le( and t$e 7nner *e#%le) &ac$ inn $as t$e rig$t to call its #e#'ers to) t$e 'ar( 'ut for t$e sa3e of unifor#ity in re4uire#ents and for t$e %ur%oses of instruction( t$e :/ouncil of legal education(: co#%osed of re%resentatives of t$e several inns( lias 'een esta'lis$ed) *$e usual %eriod of a%%rentices$i% during t$e early %eriod was seven years) *$e a%%rentice resided in t$e inn( attended lectures or readings( co%ied %leadings and %artici%ated in t$e #oots and 'otes %resided over 'y t$e 'enc$ers or governors of t$e inn) O*.&6 L"; S/.OOLS) Faculties in law e+ist in t$e Universities of /a#'ridge( O+ford( London( Leeds( S$effield( 9anc$ester( Liver%ool) 7n t$e Univer, sities of 5ir#ing$a# and 5ristol< University /ollege of Sout$ ;ales( : /ardiff< and University /ollege( Notting$a#( courses in law are

offered( 'ut no faculties of law $ave 'een organized) /ourses in law are also %rovided at various %rovincial centers( under t$e %atronage of t$e law society) 7n Scotland( faculties of law e+ist in t$e Universities of &din'urg$( 8lasgow( and "'erdeen) So#e instruction in law is given at Dundee and St) "ndrews( 'ut t$ere is no law faculty) *$ere are two ty%es of university organization( re%resented on t$e one $and 'y O+ford( /a#'ridge( and London( and on t$e ot$er 'y t$e Scotc$ universities and t$e #odern city universities( of w$ic$ 9anc$ester is a ty%e) ) *$e organization of /a#'ridge is ty%ical of t$e first class) *$e university is co#%osed of a nu#'er of distinct colleges( eac$ wit$ its own teac$ing staff( 'uildings( officers( and %ro%erty( all united toget$er in a larger 'ody cor%orate $aving its own distinct organi, zation and officers( wit$ teac$ing staff and %ro%erty) *$is latter 'ody( 3nown as t$e University of /a#'ridge( is alone entitled to confer degrees

Education in Germany
Unlike students in other countries, German law students begin legal studies without an undergraduate degree. At the age of nineteen or twenty, after thirteen years of school (nine years in the Gymnasium with the uniform final examination/graduation Abitur), most students go directly to a university. here is no admission test for law students. !tudents can choose the law faculty they want to attend. "nly in cases of overcrowded law faculties#$ can students be refused, and those not acce%ted are guaranteed a %lace at another university. !tudies are free of charge. &aw faculties are not allowed to establish admission exams. his easy access to the university system results in a high number of students. !ome students soon find out that they have chosen the wrong sub'ect. About #( %ercent or more change their sub'ect or leave the university before taking the )irst !tate *xamination, but the number of college dro%outs is regressive. +uring the four years at university, all law students have to cover a wide range of com%ulsory sub'ects (Pflichtf acher) and an elective sub'ect (called Wahlfach until #((# and now called Schwerpunktbereich. ,n addition, universities re-uire students to learn a foreign language, either in a lecture or in a language class. !tudents also must com%lete a %ractical stage of at least three months during the breaks.

,t also %rescribes the com%ulsory sub'ects. the main elements of civil law, criminal law, %ublic law, %rocedural law, and the law of the *uro%ean Union/ legal methodology/ and the %hiloso%hical, historical, and social foundations of the law. he o%tional sub'ects are not set by federal law. he law sim%ly states that they should broaden and dee%en the com%ulsory sub'ects. he intention is to teach the interdisci%linary and international as%ects of the law. his framework is com%leted by the res%ective &egal *ducation Act. he )irst *xamination marks the end of legal study at the university and o%ens the way to the second and %ractical stage of legal education. All successful students, now called Referendare, obtain a %ractical training, the Vorbereitungsdienst (%re%aratory service). he aim of the %re%aratory service is to train the Referendare in the %ractical work of 'urists in the main legal %rofessions. 0ractical instruction takes %lace in several com%ulsory stages (civil court, criminal court, %ublic %rosecutor1s office, administrative agency, and the law firm) he !econd, or Great !tate, *xamination marks the end of legal education. As in the first examination, the candidates take from eight to twelve written tests and have to %ass an oral examination. ,n contrast with the )irst *xamination, the !econd *xamination aims at testing %ractical skills, and the board of examiners consists exclusively of %ractitioners.

Legal education in Hungary

The role and structure of the Hungarian legal profession both changed quite markedly after the changeover from the communist regime (1989). 5ecause of t$e s%ecial structure of t$e .ungarian legal syste# it is vitally i#%ortant to e+a#ine t$e status of law students as well as t$e training of lawyers in .ungary) 7n contrast to France or ot$er &uro%ean countries( in .ungary t$e university is generally t$e only %lace w$ere lawyers can get for#al training 'efore getting a law,related -o') Legal education lasts 0 se#esters =1years> and at t$e end of t$eir studies( students are re4uired to ta3e an oral e+a#ination in t$e #ost i#%ortant su'-ects( and #ust write a t$esis) "fter t$ey %ass t$eir final e+a#inations( students receive t$e degree of doctor of law) 7n t$e .ungarian syste#( legal education $as 'een unified( i)e) a lawyer $aving a law degree and a wor3ing e+%erience of 3 years is allowed to ta3e t$e final %rofessional e+a#ination to o'tain a general 4ualification for any legal %rofession) .aving successfully fulfilled t$e e+a#ination re4uire#ents( graduates #ay 'eco#e attorneys( or t$ey can a%%ly for ot$er -o's( e)g)( at t$e %rosecutor?s office or at t$e courts)

Bibliography: 1. Journal of legal education, volume 51, September 2 1. 2. http:!!la".utoledo.edu!#tudent#!la"revie"! volume#!v$%n1!Bado&agy.htm