Experts’ Report on the Legal Education and Training System in Turkey

Abstract

This report outlines the findings of a group of European legal experts on the Turkish legal education and training system following scoping visits to seven different regions of Turkey: Adana, Ankara, Denizli, Elaziğ, İstanbul, Samsun and Şanlıurfa.

The scoping visits took place in November 2008 and constituted the first practical activity of a joint project between the Union of Turkish Bars (Türkiye Barolar Birliği - TBB), three other project partners – The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), the French Conseil National des Barreaux (CNB) and the Law Society of England and Wales (LSEW) – and four project associates – the Spanish Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (CGAE), the Italian Consiglio Nazionale Forense (CNF) the Polish Krajowa Rada Radców Prawnych (KRRP) and the Österreichischer Rechtsanwaltskammertag (ÖRAK) of Austria. This 18-month project is funded by the European Union under the Civil Society Dialogue programme.

The general objectives of the “Promoting Civil Society Dialogue between Bars Through Legal Education” project are to review the legal education and training system in Turkey in the light of other European experiences and best practice and to foster an evidence-based debate within the Turkish legal profession, prior to reforming the initial education and training system as well as introducing a continuous professional education system.

This report contributes to the above-mentioned objectives in several ways. It includes in its annexes individual reports on the seven scoping visits, relying on a methodology of direct observations, interviews and discussions with the various stakeholders identified (bar association officials, practising lawyers, trainers and trainees, court and police officials). The body of the report, resulting from subsequent discussions between experts and Union of Turkish Bars officials, offers a description of the current legal education and training system in Turkey and provide a “gaps and needs” analysis in light of other European experiences and best practice. Finally, the report will be translated into Turkish and used in subsequent project activities, notably regional workshops as well as the project closing conference, so as to foster an evidence-based debate on the issue within the Turkish legal profession.

Co-authored Dr Julian Lonbay, (chair of the expert group), Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham (UK), Chair of the CCBE Training Committee; Me Marc Jobert, Paris, (France) Dr Florence Lec, Amiens University (France) Mr Mickaël Laurans, International Policy Manager, Law Society of England and Wales, London (UK) Abogada Marta Isern, Barcelona (Spain) Avvocato Roberto Sorcinelli, Cagliari (Italy) Radca Prawny Agata Adamczyk, Kraków (Poland) Rechtsanwalt Frank Markus Nestl, Vienna (Austria), Me Florence Legrand, CNB, (France)

Keywords: Legal education, legal training, Turkey, EU