The Prestige of Legal Professions among Students of Law and the Intention to Practice These Professions
The Prestige of Legal Professions among Students of Law and the Intention to Practice These Professions

Summary/Abstract: The study presents the results of a qualitative survey carried out among students who study law at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, which refers to the results of a quantitative survey conducted in 2017. The qualitative research was carried out on a representative sample chosen in a deliberate-and-random manner. The research technique consisted of recording the results of direct interviews based on a standardised questionnaire. Substantive questions were aimed at identifying the reasons for the previously identified discrepancies between the prestige of legal professions as perceived by law students and their intention to pursue these professions. Definitely, the profession of judge enjoys the greatest prestige, but the future legal practitioners mostly do not indicate this profession as the one they intend to practise. Preferred are the professions related to the provision of legal assistance services, i.e. of advocate (adwokat) or attorney-at-law (radca prawny). The profession of judge is endowed with high prestige, while at the same time it is the most demanding legal profession. The difficulty of this profession consists especially in the manner of entry into the profession, the high responsibility and the stress related to the exercise of the function of judge. They have also pointed that judge’s salary is not proportionate to the workload and responsibility imposed on judges. On the other hand, the professions of advocate and attorney-at-law are the most popular ones because of the huge opportunities they offer. This includes the accessibility to these professions and the wide range of powers and autonomy of those who pursue them. They are associated with different forms in which legal assistance services may be provided, in the case of attorneys-at-law also under an employment contract.

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