Advokat

Advokat (hereinafter referred to as "Advocate") is the Danish title reserved exclusively for lawyers who are duly authorized to practice law by the Danish Department of Justice. Such authorization traditionally required the candidate to graduate from law school followed by three years of employment with a law firm or other eligible institution. In recent years, candidates have also been required to undergo training and to pass a bar exam administered by Advokatsamfundet, the Danish Bar and Law Society. Sweden and Norway have the same term and system.

To practice law as an Advocate, the lawyer must maintain a current membership with the Danish Bar and Law Society, which supervises its approximately 4,800 members. Apart from paying annual dues to the association, an Advocate must also adhere to its professional code of conduct, and may face disciplinary action as a consequence of conduct deemed unprofessional by Advokatnævnet, the Disciplinary Board.

As in other jurisdictions that regulate the legal profession, the purpose of these formalities is to promote high professional standards. Advocates are generally viewed as a reputable profession within Danish society, although the cases decided by Advokatnævnet occasionally reveal misconduct ranging from tardiness to fraud.

As a result of legal reform implemented in recent years, Advocates no longer hold a monopoly on providing most legal services in Denmark.

External links

The Danish Bar and Law Society [http://www.advokatsamfundet.dk] The Swedish Bar and Law Society [http://www.advokatsamfundet.se]