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mariabegona
06-20-2010, 12:58 AM
Dear Sirs/Madam

I am an english qualified solicitor and would like to go to Spain and be able to work in Galicia as a solicitor/abogada.

What do I need to do?

Is it possible/is there a market for English qualified solicitors en Galicia.?

Do I need to qualify as an Abogada en Galicia to be able to work there and if so, what is the process?.

Muchas gracias

Lawbird Lawyer
06-21-2010, 09:43 AM
Dear Madam,

There are quite a few threads open on the matter in the immigration subforum:

Studying Law in Spain (in Spanish) (http://belegal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114)
Unregistered

how can i study law master in spanish? (http://belegal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=699)
firas

Studying law in Spain (http://belegal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57)
Henno

homolgate your degree to spain (http://belegal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=769)
sarahmorrison

Convert title (http://belegal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1103)
Henkk

You first need to homologate your UK Law degree. This procedure needs to be applied before the Ministry of Education. More details on their web:

http://www.educacion.es/educacion/sistema-educativo/convalidaciones.html

Once you have your law degree homologated you can then join any of Spain's 83 Bar Associations to practise as a Lawyer. Only Lawyers that are registered can address themselves as such and perform the roles and tasks reserved to them. Here's a list of the 83 Bar Associations in Spain:

http://www.cgae.es/portalCGAE/printPortal.do?urlPagina=S001011001/es_ES.html

However, this is set to change in the near future as a new law, "Ley de Acceso a la AbogacÃ*a", is bound to be passed requiring an exam to be taken to qualify as a lawyer. It is still uncertain what this exam will consist on, as negotiations are ongoing. It has generated great controversy. But it seems it will consist on both multiple choice questions and two practical cases. A Law graduate will be required to study additionally 100 credits in a period spaning two years before being able to take this exam.

The introduction of this new law will bring an unexpected consequence to the labor market. Between 2012 and 2013 there will be no Law graduates available in Spain to be recruited as they will all be studying the compulsory 2 year Master to take the Bar exam.


Yours faithfully,
Raymundo LarraÃ*n Nesbitt