Advokat (in English,

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However ...

) is the title in the

Scandinavian languages The North Germanic languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages—a sub-family of the Indo-European languages—along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages. The language group is als ...

reserved exclusively for

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicit ...

s who are duly authorized to practice law in the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sw ...

(i.e.

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

, and

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

Usage by country

Denmark

Authorization to practice as ''advokat'' traditionally required the candidate to graduate from

law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

Candidate of Law Candidate of Law ( Latin: ''candidatus/candidata juris/iuris'') is both a graduate law degree awarded to law students in the Nordic region as well as an academic status designation for advanced Law School students in German-speaking countries. ...

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 examination A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associ ...

administered by Advokatsamfundet, the Danish Bar and Law Society. To practice law as an ''advokat'', 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 ''advokat'' 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 a result of legal reform implemented in recent years, there is no longer a monopoly held by those bearing the title ''advokat'' on providing most legal services in Denmark.

Finland

Any lawyer applying for membership in the Finnish Bar Association must have completed a Master of Laws degree, entitling them to hold judicial office, and must be known to be a person of integrity. They also must have several years experience in the legal profession and other judicial duties. Only members of the bar association are entitled to use the

Swedish language Swedish ( ) is a North Germanic language spoken predominantly in Sweden and in parts of Finland. It has at least 10 million native speakers, the fourth most spoken Germanic language and the first among any other of its type in the Nordic cou ...

professional title ''advokat'' ( fi. ''asianajaja''). The Finnish Bar Association has about 1,570 members.

Norway

A candidate seeking permission to practice from the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice ( no. ''Tillsynsrådet for advokatvirksomhet'') is required to graduate from law school as a Candidate of Law, must be a person of integrity, must be at least 20 years of age, and must have practiced for two years. Only those authorized by the Supervisory Council are entitled to use the professional title ''advokat'' in Norway. To a certain extent, there is a monopoly held by those bearing the title ''advokat'' on providing legal services in Norwegian courts of law.

Sweden

A candidate seeking admittance to the Swedish Bar Association is required to graduate from

as a

entitling the candidate to hold judicial office, must be a person of integrity, and must have practiced for three years. A bar exam must also be passed. Only members of the bar association are entitled to use the professional title ''advokat'' in Sweden. The Swedish Bar Association has in excess of 4,400 members. In principle, there is no monopoly held by those bearing the title ''advokat'' on providing legal services in Sweden; a person may appoint almost anyone as ''ombud'' (representative) whether in civil, tort or criminal proceedings. However, if a defendant wishes to recoup expenses, the ''ombud'' typically needs to be an approved member of the SBA.

References

{{Reflist Law of Denmark Law of Norway Law of Sweden Law of Finland Professional certification in law Scandinavian titles Swedish titles