How to become a lawyer?
Step 1: Bachelor’s degree in Law or Tax Law
You start with a Dutch Bachelor’s degree in Law or Tax Law at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The programme takes 3 years. During this degree, you learn how the law operates and are introduced to different areas of law, such as criminal law, private law and administrative law.
Step 2: Master’s degree in Law (LLM)
After completing your Dutch Bachelor’s degree in Law, you continue with a Master’s degree in Law at the UvA. Upon completion, you are awarded the degree of Master of Laws (LLM) and obtain civiel effect*.
Obtaining this Master’s degree is compulsory if you wish to qualify as a lawyer at a later stage. The programme usually takes 1 year. Civiel effect grants access to the professional training programme for lawyers and other traditional legal professions (in Dutch: togaberoepen).
Step 3: Trainee lawyer (advocaat-stagiair) and professional training
After completing your Master’s degree, you cannot immediately practise independently as a lawyer. You first start as a trainee lawyer (in Dutch: advocaat-stagiair) at a law firm. This means that you:
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work on real cases for clients;
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receive supervision from an experienced lawyer (known as a patroon, i.e. a supervising practitioner); and
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at the same time follow the 2-year professional training programme organised by the Netherlands Bar.
This phase lasts approximately 3 years. At the start of this period, you take the oath and are admitted to the Bar, allowing you to handle cases under supervision. You are then conditionally registered with the Netherlands Bar. After completing the professional training and obtaining your traineeship certificate (in Dutch: stageverklaring), you move on to the next step.
Step 4: You are a lawyer
Have you successfully completed your traineeship and professional training? If so, you may officially call yourself a lawyer and practise independently.
Continuing professional development
Even once you have qualified as a lawyer, learning does not stop. Annual continuing professional development is compulsory to ensure that your legal knowledge remains up to date.
*Civiel effect refers to the set of statutory course requirements that grant access to the legal professions in the Netherlands.
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How long does it take to become a lawyer?
In total, if everything goes according to plan, it takes around 7 years to become a lawyer. This process consists of:
- 3 years’ Bachelor’s degree in Law or Tax Law
- 1 year’s Master’s degree in Law (LLM)
- 3 years’ legal training
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Can you become a lawyer without a Bachelor’s degree in Law?
No, you must first obtain a Dutch Bachelor’s degree in Law or Tax Law and then complete a Master’s degree in Law to become a lawyer in the Netherlands.
If you have not completed a Dutch Bachelor’s degree in Law but have completed a Bachelor’s degree in another subject, you can often follow a bridging programme to gain admission to a Master’s degree in Law; however, this will not grant you civiel effect. Civiel effect (the entry qualification required to train for legal professions: lawyer, public prosecutor or judge) is required in the Netherlands to become a lawyer. So if you do not have a Bachelor’s degree in Law, it is not possible to become a lawyer.
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What is civiel effect?
A ‘civiel effect’ is the entry-level qualification required to train for a legal profession. Do you want to become a solicitor, a public prosecutor or a judge? Then you need civiel effect in the Netherlands. To obtain civiel effect, you must first complete a Bachelor’s degree in Law or Tax Law, followed by a Master’s degree in Law.
‘A working week as a trainee lawyer is varied’
Yanthe knew from the very start of her law degree that she wanted to become a lawyer. She enjoyed helping people, solving problems and making a real difference to someone’s life. What she didn’t yet know was what the work actually involved in practice. It was only by doing an internship at a law firm that she really discovered that. ‘An internship like this helps you see whether the work suits you and what kind of environment you like to work in.’ After completing her Master’s degree, Yanthe immediately started working at a law firm as a trainee lawyer. At first, she worked on various types of cases to gain experience. By learning and trying out lots of things, she discovered what she was good at. ‘This is an important and educational period in which you grow from a student into a professional,’ says Yanthe. ‘A working week as a trainee lawyer is varied: you work on cases, consult with colleagues, liaise with clients and study for your professional training. It’s intensive, but also very educational.’
It’s a wonderful profession where you learn something new every day
Yanthe’s main piece of advice is: ‘Ask lots of questions, be curious and be willing to learn. Nobody expects you to know everything already. It is precisely by asking questions and gaining experience that you’ll discover whether the profession suits you and that you’ll grow quickly. Becoming a lawyer is a challenging journey, but also a wonderful profession in which you learn something new every day.’