More obstacles for young professionals
Aspiring lawyers halved after the pandemic: one in three waits four to six years to pass the bar exam and it takes another five to achieve financial independence. Towards more guarantees for those in mono-committal status
3' min read
3' min read
Among the gaps that characterise the legal world is also the distance that separates young new lawyers from their older colleagues: a furrow, an obstacle course that weighs on the choice of a university career first, and then of free profession.
In fact, it is not only the number of law school enrolments that has fallen (according to the 2025 Report on Lawyers by Cassa Forense and Censis, the number of enrolments in 2023 is down by more than 10,000 compared to 2010): the number of candidates for the State examination in 2024 has also halved compared to 2019, from 22,199 to 10,316.
This is also due to the opening of public competitions and the presence of alternative routes to take once you have finished law school.
After all, one only has to look at the time between obtaining a law degree and registering with the Bar. According to the Cassa Forense report, most graduates (34.2%) take between four and six years. The bar exam only takes place once a year and many choose to wait and prepare themselves as best they can, increasing the chance of success but also the distance separating them from entry into the world of work. Not only that: the results of the written test come out many months later, lengthening the timeframe. And the practice that takes place in the meantime is not subject to pay.
Even once they have passed the exam, then, the path to economic independence is long and complex. To reach a level of income sufficient to guarantee independence, 21.8% take between five and six years from the time of registration. Another important slice (21.1%) goes beyond six years and only one fifth takes less than two years.
