Becoming a lawyer is the dream of many. But how exactly do you become a lawyer? What steps do you need to take, how do you find a mentor and a law firm that suits you? And what should you pay attention to when looking for a legal internship? In this article, we give you a comprehensive overview of the route to the legal profession and practical tips to increase your chances.

1. The Law Studies: The Basis for the Legal Profession

To become a lawyer in the Netherlands, it is essential that you have completed a law degree. However, not every graduation direction gives access to the legal profession. Other law studies, such as notarial law, do not give the right to enter the legal profession, but lead, for example, to become a notary.

Although a graduate law student is not yet a lawyer, he or she is already a legal expert. A legal expert can perform certain procedures, such as cantonal cases and administrative law matters, but for cases where the law grants a process monopoly to the legal profession, such as family matters and commercial disputes, a lawyer is necessary. Many legal experts who gain experience with, for example, a legal expenses insurer, eventually choose to make the transition to the legal profession.

2. Legal Internship: The Path to Full Lawyer

The journey to the profession of lawyer begins with the legal internship. As a starting lawyer, you are a lawyer intern. This internship usually lasts more than three years and consists of two components: the professional training and practical experience.

• Professional Training: Together with other starting lawyers, you follow a compulsory training course. This consists of courses, training days, and sometimes a pleading contest. It is an intensive period in which you learn the tricks of the trade. In many districts, there is also an active “Young Bar” that organizes networking activities and social events, which is a great way to expand your network.
• Practical Experience: Besides the training, you handle cases independently under the guidance of an experienced lawyer, your mentor. From the first day, you are authorized to act as a lawyer and can represent clients in procedures. To the outside world, you are a full-fledged lawyer, even though you are still under supervision.

3. Swearing in and Patronage: From Legal Expert to Lawyer

Before you can officially start as a lawyer, you must be sworn in. This process starts with finding a mentor, an experienced lawyer who guides you during your internship. You also need a certificate of conduct (COG), and you must have graduated from the required law studies.

Once the Bar Council has given its approval, you submit a request for swearing in at the court. During a special hearing, you take the lawyer’s oath, in which you promise “not to recommend a case that you do not honestly believe to be just.” From that moment, you are officially a lawyer. Your mentor guides you during the internship, assesses your performance, and regularly submits internship reports to the Bar Association.

4. Employment or Self-Employment as a Lawyer Intern

There are different ways to start your career as a lawyer intern:

• Lawyer Intern in Employment: Most lawyer interns receive an employment contract for the duration of their internship. The office is then the employer, and the mentor is the supervisor. The intern’s salary is annually advised by the Bar Association, and the office usually pays the costs of the professional education. This arrangement provides financial stability but often contains provisions on repayment of training costs if you switch to another office prematurely.

• Lawyer Intern as Self-Employed: It is also possible to start directly as a self-employed entrepreneur. In this case, you don’t receive a salary, but you retain the entire revenue you generate. This model offers more flexibility and potentially higher earnings, but also brings risks. For example, you are responsible for the costs of your professional training and office expenses. Our office, Arslan & Arslan Advocaten, for example, works with intern entrepreneurs, where an open and equal collaboration is central.

5. Small, Medium-sized or Large Law Firm?

Choosing a suitable office is crucial for your development as a lawyer. There are significant differences between small, medium-sized and large offices:

• Small and Medium-sized Offices: Here you often get the chance to handle cases yourself and appear in court. This provides valuable experience, especially for those who want to develop into a versatile lawyer.

• Large Offices: These offices provide access to complex, specialized cases and often have an extensive training program. However, there is a risk that you gain less court experience, because procedures sometimes remain absent. This can be an important consideration for ambitious lawyers in the making. 

6. Skills a Lawyer Needs

A good lawyer needs more than just knowledge of the law. Skills such as communication, empathy and strategic thinking are indispensable in this profession. You must be able to advise clients, sometimes bring them difficult messages, and effectively plead in court. You must also be able to handle the pressure of deadlines and the responsibility that comes with representing a client.

At Arslan & Arslan Advocaten, we attach great importance to these skills and ensure that our interns can develop in all these areas.

7. The Final Step: The Internship Declaration

After completing your internship, you receive an internship declaration. This means that you are no longer working under supervision and you may establish yourself as a lawyer without limitations. Of course, there are still obligations, such as obtaining training points to keep your knowledge up-to-date. If you also handle cases on addition, you must meet additional quality requirements.

Why Apply to Arslan & Arslan Advocaten?

At Arslan & Arslan Advocaten, we provide a stimulating environment where you as a lawyer intern get the chance to grow and develop. We believe in open collaboration without hierarchy and offer both salaried positions and opportunities for lawyer entrepreneurs. You get the chance to handle cases independently quickly and work in a team that is always ready for each other.

Are you ready to take the challenge and start your career as a lawyer? Then apply now at Arslan & Arslan Advocaten and take the first step towards a successful career in the legal profession!