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Internship

Lawyers

Legal basis

The legal traineeship is regulated by articles 17 to 24 of the law on the legal profession(RSF 137.1), articles 12 to 15 of the ordinance on the legal profession(RSF 137.11) and the collective labor agreement between the Ordre des Avocats Fribourgeois (OAF) and the Association des Avocats-Stagiaires fribourgeois (AdASt).

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the course, the person concerned must:

  • be employed by a law firm in the canton of Fribourg and assigned to a training supervisor;
  • have completed legal studies leading either to a bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university, or to an equivalent diploma from a university in one of the states that have concluded an agreement with Switzerland on the mutual recognition of diplomas;
  • meet the requirements of art. 8 para. 1 letters a to c of the Federal Lawyers Act.
Duration

The minimum training period is 18 months. The Bar Examination Commission may, however, reduce this period by a maximum of six months in the case of a person who has exercised a legal activity relevant to training as a lawyer.

The trainee must complete a minimum twelve-month internship with a lawyer registered in Fribourg. The other part of the traineeship may be completed with a judicial authority or the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Bar Examination Commission may provide that this part of the traineeship may also be completed in the legal departments of other authorities or companies established in the canton, or with lawyers or judicial authorities in other cantons or the Confederation.

For further information, please consult the Justice Department website.

Collective bargaining agreement

The Collective Agreement on working conditions for trainee lawyers in the canton of Fribourg was signed on October 1, 2004 between the OAF and AdASt.

It governs the relationship between the internship supervisor and the intern, including remuneration. The provisions of the Swiss Code of Obligations and the specific rules governing individual employment relationships are applicable by way of supplement.

For more information, you can download the text of the collective agreement, the explanatory letter, the March 4, 2016 amendment to the CLA, and the2025 wage indexation.

Reviews

The bar exams are governed by the Ordinance on the Legal Profession(RSF 137.11).

There are three exam sessions a year, starting in January, May and September.

The bar exams are divided into two parts: a written part comprising three papers and an oral part. To sit for the oral part, candidates must have passed the written exams.

Bar exam candidates are allowed three attempts at the written exams. The same applies to the oral examination.

Exam registrations must be submitted to the Justice Department:

  • for the January session: between October 15 and 31 ;
  • for the May session: between February 10 and 28 ;
  • and for the September session, between June 1 and 15.
Equipment available

Examination materials are supplied by the Justice Department.

Notary

Legal basis

The notary internship is governed by:

-the regulation of December 13, 1977 on notarial training and examinations for lawyers and notaries (RSF 137.12);

-the directive of May 15, 2023 from the Commission du notariat on notary internships (ROF 2023_047 FR/DE).

Admission requirements

To obtain a training authorization, the notary applicant must:

  • have the exercise of civil rights ;
  • be of good character;
  • not to have been convicted of acts contrary to the dignity of the profession, unless rehabilitated;
  • hold a law degree from a Swiss university;
  • be hired for the duration of the internship by one or more internship supervisors.

For further information, please consult the Justice Department website.

Duration

The minimum duration of the internship is 24 months. It begins on the date of authorization. The Department of Security and Justice may, however, reduce the duration of the internship by a maximum of eight months in the case of a person who has spent at least one year in a legal activity relevant to training as a notary.

The trainee must complete a minimum of sixteen months’ training in the office of a notary established in the canton; the other part of the training period may be completed in a Land Registry office. As a general rule, the traineeship is completed in a single office. The Direction de la sécurité et de la justice may authorize exceptions upon written request.

Reviews

There are three exam sessions a year, starting in January, May and September.

The brevet exams are divided into two parts: a written part comprising two sets of three acts, and an oral part. To sit the oral part, candidates must have passed the written tests.

Candidates for the brevet exams have three attempts at the written tests. The same applies to the oral examination.

Exam registrations must be submitted to the Directorate of Security and Justice:

  • for the May session: between February 10 and 28;
  • and for the September session: between June 15 and 30.

Candidates must provide their end-of-course certificate when registering for the exams.