This professional activity consists in providing legal services, particularly, representation in court and during proceedings held by other bodies, acting on behalf of defendants in criminal cases, providing legal counsel, drafting memoranda, drawing up legal analyses and offering other forms of legal assistance providing such activities are supplied systematically and for a fee.
Persons wanting to practice the profession of attorney must first be registered in the list of articled clerks. Following completion of a spell of practical experience, he or she must pass an attorney exam in order to obtain the relevant certificate. The above examination does not have to be taken by applicants who have passed a professional justice exam, a judge exam, a single judge exam, a public notary exam, a prosecuting attorney exam, a court administrator (liquidator) exam and a professional commercial lawyer exam. The same applies to the spell of practical experience. Once the relevant exam has been passed, an application may be sent to the Czech Bar Association for inclusion onto the list of attorneys. Once the oath of attorney has been sworn, the applicant shall obtain an official stamp and become an attorney.
Conditions applying to awarding a licence and application requirements
Procedure for obtaining authorisation:
- Application for inclusion onto the list of articled clerks
- Application to sit the attorney exam
- Application for inclusion onto the list of attorneys
- A professional liability insurance policy must further be taken out in order for the applicant to start work as an attorney
1) Application for inclusion onto the list of articled clerks
- The application shall be submitted to the Czech Bar Association
- There are no prescribed requirements or a set form for the application. The application shall be supported with a document attesting to the educational qualification, a contract of employment certifying that the applicant has been employed by a legal practice, an extract from the Criminal Register and copy of an approved ID document.
Following completion of a three-year spell of practical experience, an articled clerk may apply to sit the attorney exam
2) Application to sit the attorney exam
- The application shall be filed using a prescribed form (in Czech)
- The attorney exam is regarded as having been successfully completed once one of the following exams has been passed: professional justice exam, judge exam, single judge exam and attorney exam, prosecuting attorney exam, public notary exam, court administrator (liquidator) exam and/or professional commercial lawyer exam.
- The application shall be submitted to the Bar Association.
The application shall be supported with:
- confirmation by the attorney who has been employing the applicant to the effect that the same shall remain employed by them until they have completed their mandatory spell of practical experience as an articled clerk,
- confirmation(in Czech) of their participation in educating articled clerks
- listing (in Czech) of major legal services the articled clerk has taken part in providing or where they have represented the attorney
- extract from the Criminal Register
- document attesting to payment of the attorney exam fee. The examination fee amounts to CZK 5,000 and can be transferred to the Bar (ČAK) account no. 12432011/0100 maintained by KB, a.s., KS (constant code): 308, VS (variable code): 5-digit registration code of the articled clerk concerned (others shall indicate "9") or paid in cash at the ČAK cash office. The cash office is open from Monday to Thursday, 8:00 to 15:30, and on Fridays, 8:00 to 14:00.
Further information on licence proceedings
Applicants shall be provided with the relevant certificate as soon as they pass the exam
3) Application for inclusion onto the list of attorneys
The application shall be filed using a prescribed form (in Czech)
The application shall be submitted to the Bar Association of the Czech Republic
The application shall be supported with:
- a solemn declaration of probity
- a single 2.8 x 3.5 cm format photo
- a document attesting to the completed employment
The authority shall include the applicant onto the list within one week at the latest
4) A professional liability insurance policy must further be taken out in order for the applicant to start work as an attorney
Attorney insurance is provided by the Economic and Organisational Department of the Czech Bar Association. Contact telephone no.: +420 221 729 011
Proceed to the next step
The business may be conducted after fulfilling all the above stated requirements.
Related information:
If you have any questions, you can contact Points of Single Contact (PSC) set up at 15 municipal trade licence offices in all regions. More information on PSCs.
- Recognition of qualifications in business in the Czech Republic
- Leasing property in the Czech Republic
You can write your comments and proposals in the discussion forum.
Forms referred to in the guideline:
- Application to sit the attorney exam – prescribed form (in Czech)
- Confirmation of their participation in educating articled clerks (in Czech)
- Listing of major legal services the articled clerk has taken part in providing or where they have represented the attorney (in Czech)
- Application for inclusion onto the list of attorneys – prescribed form (in Czech)
