According to an item in Legal Week, Poland is moving to eliminate the requirement that graduates of a five-year university course must pass a tough exam before they can be admitted to a three-and-one-half-year law training course. The present system, Legal Week reports, gives Poland
one of the longest courses of law preparation in the world.
However, a challenge to the system was recently mounted in the Polish courts when one law graduate claimed the first exam was uncompetitive, as local Bar Associations were deliberately making it difficult for people to enter the profession. The case has led the Polish Government to consider legislation to address the issue and improve the transparency of the training structure.
The reform proposals also caught the eye of EU Competition Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, who said in a speech on 21 November: "Poland provides an example of where excessive qualitative entry requirements in the legal profession have had a negative impact on consumers. Changes have been made to promote greater access to the legal profession."
Part of the pressure to relax admission requirements in Poland comes from the fact that the economy is booming and British and American law firms are establishing offices there.
I tend to believe that despite the challenges of the bar exam, our own preparation for the bar is too slack. For example, American lawyers need not train in a law office before being admitted to practice on their own, as is the requirement in Europe. I will follow developments in Poland with interest. Read the entire story here.
MCG
