I want to help others who want to become lawyers in Serbia, and so this can be a very useful guide. In the extension, I will present the important rules that must be met and later guidelines for work.

Passing the Faculty of Law and then the bar exam can be associated for an individual with a great deal of sacrifice or even a source of great suffering, especially when one comes close to end of taking a large number of exams, and when there are only a few more to come. Then it can be the hardest.

It is not at all simple to become a lawyer in Serbia, and it is necessary to fulfill a lot of conditions. That is why I will set out some of the most important conditions below, so I hope that I will help those who want to become lawyers in Serbia.

These are the conditions for joining the Serbian Bar Association based in Belgrade:

Below is the Law on advocacy - legal profession act of Serbia, which prescribes all the conditions for practicing law and which prescribes all the steps to become a lawyer. I downloaded text of the law from the website of Law Office - Advokatska kancelarija Vladisavljević - Advokat Beograd https://advokatiubeogradu.rs/ Legal Profession act - Law on advocacy in Serbia ZAKON%20O%20ADVOKATURI.docx provides following conditions for future lawyers:

Conditions for making a decision on registering in the directory of attorneys, unless otherwise provided by the Act are:

• a law degree earned in the Republic of Serbia or a law degree earned in a foreign country and recognized in accordance with the regulations governing the University education sector;
• passed bar exam and attorney-at-law exam in the Republic of Serbia;
• citizenship of the Republic of Serbia;
• general health and full working capacity;
• lack of employment;
• no criminal record for a felony that would make an applicant unworthy of confidence for the practice of law;
• the absence of other registered independent activity, or the status of the statutory representative, the Director or Chairman of the Managing Board in a legal entity, member or the President of the Executive Board of a bank, representative of the state capital, receiver, procurator and person who is by employment contract banned from competing;
• worthiness of the practice of law;
• provided convenient workspace for the legal profession and the fulfillment of technical requirements in accordance with an appropriate act of the Bar Association of Serbia;

at least three years have elapsed since the final decision to refuse the application of attorney- at-law to be registered in the directory of attorneys-at-law of any bar association within the Bar Association of Serbia.

Once a person joins the Serbian Bar Association and becomes a lawyer, these are guidelines and obligations that he must respect in his professional work:

Rights and Basic duties of Attorney-at-law - Attorney-at-law shall:

• really and constantly practice law;
• provide legal aid professionally and conscientiously in accordance with the law, the statute of the bar association and the Code;
• keep a professional secret;
• in the professional work and private life that is available to the public he will protect the reputation of legal

Attorney-at-law is obliged to refuse providing legal aid:

• if he represented the opposing party in the same legal matter;
• if he was a law trainee in a law office in which the same matter is represented, or the opposing party is represented;
• if he is a member or was a member of a joint law office or law partnership, where the same matter was represented or defended, or the opposing party was represented or defended;
• if he in the same matter acted as a judicial office or official in the state body, territorial autonomy or local self-government unit;
• If the interests of party seeking legal aid is in conflict with his interests or those of his close relatives, friends, associates or clients, in accordance with the statute and the Code of Professional Ethics;
• in other cases stipulated by law, statute of the Bar Association and

There is a possibility for a person of foreign citizenship to become a lawyer in Serbia, and these are the conditions:

A foreign national may be registered in the directory A and directory B of attorneys-at-law if he practices law in his state of origin in accordance with the laws of that state and if, depending on the type of registration, meets the requirements of paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article.

To enter in the register A directory of lawyers, an applicant must meet the requirements of Article 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraphs 4) to 10) of this Act.

To enter into the register B directory of lawyers, an applicant must meet the requirements of paragraph 2 of this Article and conditions of Article 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 2) of this Act.

With an application for registration in A directory a lawyer – foreign citizen is obliged to furnish evidence of citizenship of the state whose citizen he is and a certificate of the bar association of which he is a member certifying that in the state of origin he has the status of attorney-at-law. Documents should be originals and verified translations into Serbian, not older than three months, as well as evidence of fulfillment of conditions of Article 6 paragraph 1 subparagraphs 4) to 7) and 9) of this Act.

With an application for registration in B directory a lawyer – foreign citizen is obliged to besides stated in paragraph 4 hereof, furnish evidence on fulfilled conditions of paragraph 3 hereof.

Authorized bar association is notified on the registration of attorney-at-law – foreign citizen in his state of origin.

When, after joining the Bar Association, a lawyer opens a law office,his / her law office must meet the following conditions:

Attorney-at-law may have only one law office.

The location and arrangement of the law office must be in accordance with the importance and reputation of the legal profession and the conditions necessary for keeping law secrets, in accordance with standards established by the general act of the Bar Association of Serbia.

Attorney-at-law may provide legal aid only in his law office, except when he represents at the hearings, inquiries, conversions, negotiation or conclusion of legal affairs.

As an exception, because of the particular circumstances of the case and the nature of legal aid attorney-at-law can provide legal aid both in the home or business premises of client.

Attorney-at-law is obliged to notify on the change of the seat of his law office in the territory of the same bar association, the bar association, in which directory he is entered, within 15 days of the change of seats.