How To Become A Lawyer In Switzerland

Last Updated on July 29, 2023

The study of law in Switzerland calls for at least 5 years of university education. There is no common period fixed by law, but 5 years are usual. Here you can get information on how to become a lawyer in switzerland and legal education requirements. You will also find information on length of study, career prospects and entry requirements as well as average salary in this profession.

Law Degrees in Switzerland In order to become a lawyer in Switzerland, students must complete a three-year Bachelor of Law (LLB). However, in order to be admitted to the bar and enter practice, a subsequent two-year Master of Laws is also required.

Becoming an attorney in Switzerland can be a complicated process. As a lawyer in Switzerland, you are exempt from the Swiss bar exam if you attend a law school approved by the Swiss government and successfully complete your education requirements. The process for becoming a lawyer in Switzerland is different for those interested in public law versus private law.

Of a truth, the article below brings the most up-to-date information on how much do lawyers make in Switzerland & average salary for a lawyer in Switzerland. All you have to do is read on to get more details. You will also find related posts on top law schools in Switzerland, bar exam Switzerland and so much more right here on Collegelearners. Take out time to visit our catalog right here for more information on similar topics.

How To Become A Lawyer In Switzerland

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Law Degrees in Switzerland In order to become a lawyer in Switzerland, students must complete a three-year Bachelor of Law (LLB). However, in order to be admitted to the bar and enter practice, a subsequent two-year Master of Laws is also required. An alternate option which is popular with many international students is the shorter and specialized LLM, which offers the opportunity to gain targeted knowledge in one particular area of the law, such as arbitration or banking law. It is also possible to pursue a PhD in law following the completion of the LLB, Master of Law and/or Professional LLM. Graduates must also complete a one to two year apprenticeship with a law firm or court — preferably in the canton in which they plan to practice — and pass a written and oral examination administered at the conclusion of their training in order to be admitted to the bar. Law Higher Education in Switzerland Switzerland has no private institutions for training lawyers: all nine law schools are affiliated with the country’s cantonal universities. These include University of Lausanne, University of Basel, University of Bern, University of Fribourg, University of Geneva, University of Lucerne, University of Neuchâtel, University of St. Gallen and University of Zurich. Because Switzerland is the home of innumerable international organizations and banking institutions, and due to its status as the birthplace of significant progress in many areas of humanitarian concern as well as business and banking, Switzerland provides students from all over the world with a new and comprehensive global perspective. Furthermore, the country’s commitment to cutting edge research offers international students a more profound understanding of legal global affairs. While the cost of living in Switzerland is notoriously high, tuition fees are relatively low — particularly when compared to the U.S. and the U.K. Additionally, there are a number of scholarship opportunities available for international students. Once again, tuition fees may vary from one institution to the other. Because of its global prominence in business and finance, there are plenty of career opportunities for lawyers in Switzerland, particularly within primary sectors, such as banking, finance and intellectual property rights.

Master in Law Switzerland

The Master of Laws (LL.M. degree) provides opportunities for Law students to advance their career. LL.M. degrees taught by top law schools worldwide offer specialisations in European Public Law, Environmental Law, Corporate Law, Taxation, Human Rights, or Criminal Justice. LL.M. graduates start careers as lawyers, law professors, judges, diplomats, politicians, legal counsellor, mediators and more.

  • LL.M. Online Master of Laws in International Business Law University of Cumbria Zürich,
  • Switzerland LL.M. Online LL.M International Commercial Law
  • University of Salford Zürich, Switzerland LL.M. Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice,
  • Human Rights and the Rule of Law Faculty of Law Genève, Switzerland LL.M. Master of Law,
  • Economic Law, Right of Public Action, Civil and Criminal Law University of Geneva Genève,
  • Switzerland LL.M. TRAIL World Trade Institute Bern, Switzerland LL.M. International and European Law
  • University of Geneva Genève, Switzerland LL.M. International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
  • Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Genève, Switzerland

practice law in switzerland

In Switzerland, only admitted attorneys may commercially represent clients in court. Any admitted attorney can represent clients in any area of law in front of all courts in Switzerland, cantonal or federal. A distinction between barristers and solicitors is unknown to the Swiss legal profession.

To be admitted to the bar, a lawyer must complete a Bachelor of Law (BLaw, which involves 3 years of reading at a university), a Master of Law (MLaw, which lasts three terms), a one-year to two years apprenticeship (depending on the Canton), and pass the bar exam. Also, the admission requires the registration with a cantonal bar.

European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) attorneys are free to occasionally represent clients in Swiss courts. If they regularly represent clients in Swiss courts, a registration exam with the cantonal bar must be passed. Non-EU or -EFTA nationals must successfully acquire a master’s degree in law from a Swiss University, pass the bar exam and fulfil all other prerequisites for admission to the bar.

top law schools in switzerland

1. Universität Zürich – Faculty of Law

With 26.000 enrolled students, the University of Zurich is the largest one in Switzerland. Today, the University of Zurich is the leading university in the German-speaking cantons. That this university is one of the foremost educational institutions in Switzerland, proves its position on most of the world university rankings. Worldwide, it has achieved ranking as the 90th best university in the world.

Zurich Law School also ranks in leading positions for research and as the most diverse faculty in Europe. The university’s membership in the League of European Research Universities has turned this university into one of the most prestigious research institutions.

Specializations

Zurich Law School offers a range of programs starting with Civil Law, Commercial Law, Criminal Law, and State, Administrative, and International Law.

UZH Admission Requirements

Admission requirements of the Faculty of Law of Zurich focus mostly on the obtained high school diploma and the study program’s language requirements. Your secondary level of education qualification must be equivalent to the Swiss Matura. Law Program courses are delivered in the German language; therefore, you need to provide evidence of your C1 level of German competence.

UZH Tuition Fees

All interested students who choose the University of Zurich pay an amount of CHF 100 for the application fee. This fee is non-refundable in the case you’re not admitted. In the case of your successful admission, the tuition fee per semester is going to cost you CHF 720 and another total of CHF 54 goes for the mandatory semester fees, which are considered as compulsory contributions.

2. Universität Bern – Faculty of Law

The University of Bern is located in the center of the Swiss capital. The academic excellence of this university has helped in building a reputation internationally for the city. The University of Basel, as a comprehensive university, follows the tradition of the European universities. According to some of the renowned international university rankings, the University of Bern is one of the top 200 universities in the world. The World University Rankings ranks this university in 113th place. Nevertheless, the rankings don’t necessarily imply the quality management of it.

Specializations

The University of Bern offers students a range of programs to choose from, starting with Legal Theory and History of Law, Public Law, Private Law, Penal Law, and Economic Law.

UNIBE Admission Requirements

The admission requirements of this university depend on where the prospective students got his secondary education. All international students have to fulfill one of the elements. You must have a school-leaving diploma equivalent to a Swiss certificate (Matura). However, there are some country-specific requirements you need to fulfill to be admitted. Another admission requirement is language efficiency. The University of Bern offers its programs in the German language. Therefore, it’s required of you to submit evidence of your knowledge of the German language. Otherwise, you’ll have to enter a language test the university offers. The university recognizes several language efficiency certificates.

UNIBE Tuition Fees

The University of Bern has issued an application fee which will cost you CHF 100. In case of your successful enrollment, this fee will also serve as a registration fee. Per semester, students are asked to pay CHF. 750. Non-Swiss students will pay an additional fee of CHF 200 if they don’t have their civil law residence in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein at the time of their admission.

3. Universität Freiburg – Faculty of Law

The University of Fribourg is the only bilingual university in Switzerland. All the courses are offered both in German and in French. Also, it offers courses with an international aspect delivered in the English language. The university has an outstanding reputation in research. Its rankings in the Times Higher Education show that this university is perceived as a strong university internationally. According to this ranking, the University of Fribourg ranks in the 300th place.

Specializations

This faculty offers its students an array of programs starting with Private Law, Public Law, Criminal Law, International, and European Law.

UNIFR Admission Requirements

The University of Fribourg considers students to be eligible for admission when their high-school diploma is equivalent to the Swiss Maturity certificate. Additionally, international students have to present proof of language proficiency in German and French.

UNIFR Tuition Fees

International students will have to pay a total sum of CHF 985 for the semester fee. CHF 870 will go to the tuition fee, and CHF 115 goes to the basic registration fee.

4. Universität Luzern – Faculty of Law

The University of Lucerne is a young university, as it was founded in the 2000s. However, its roots stretch back to the 1600s. The university aims to be a center of research and teaching that provides different academic programs and shares the findings with the world.

Founded in 2001, Lucerne’s Law School is the youngest in Switzerland. Despite its youngness, the Lucerne Law School has had an increase in popularity and the number of interested students. Its curriculum is based on the Bologna Model. Not only has this university experienced an increase in its population in the country and internationally, but it also stands out pretty well even in the rankings.

Specializations

Lucerne Law School offers students several law programs to choose from, starting with Criminal Law, Public Law, and Private Law.

UNILU Admission Requirements

For you to be considered for admission, you need to submit your secondary school leaving diploma or any other qualification and proof of German language competence.

UNILU Tuition Fees

All interested students who have chosen this university as their higher education institution need to pay the application fee of CHF 100, which is the same for all levels of study and study programs. Tuition fees at this university will cost you CHF 1800.

5. Université dé Lausanne – Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration

The University of Lausanne is a higher education and research institution located at the heart of the French-speaking region in Switzerland. The law school here provides various courses that help to acquire the knowledge of the law and the critical and analytical skills essential to the exercise of any legal profession.

In this university, you can feel the international atmosphere as ⅕ of the students and ⅓ of the academic staff are from foreign countries. Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks this university in the seventh-place from Swiss universities, whereas Times Higher Education World Rankings ranks it at 198th globally.

Specializations

Lausanne Law Schools offers Bachelor’s students the program of law as a general course without further subjects. Whereas,  Master’s students can choose a law specialization.

UNIL Admission Requirements

Prospective international students of this university have to fulfill one crucial admission requirement. The high school diploma must be equivalent to a Swiss secondary school diploma issued by an institution recognized by the government. This diploma must be related to the six branches of education: first language, second language, mathematics, natural sciences, human and social sciences, and free choice. These branches must have been taken during each school year for the last three years of secondary education.

UNIL Tuition Fees

The University of Lausanne requires its students to pay fees. Starting with non-refundable 200 CHF for the application fee and the tuition fee 580 CHF per semester.

6. Universität Basel – Faculty of Law

Founded in 1460, the University of Basel is the oldest university in Switzerland. It holds a reputation for outstanding achievements in research and teaching. With its various teaching methods, the University of Basel is the Mecca of legal training in Switzerland. What characterizes this university is that more than half of all the students are female, respectively 55,7%. Moreover, four of the most prominent international university rankings have ranked this university as one of the top 150 universities in the world. It is also continuously ranked highly in the list of top ten universities in German-speaking regions.

Basel Law School being part of the oldest university in Switzerland has a long tradition of legal training. However, this hasn’t stopped the faculty to adjust to contemporary legal developments in research and training. The teaching methods in the Basel Law School are tailored to practical requirements.

Specializations

Basel Law School offers Bachelor’s students the program of law as a general course without further subjects. Whereas, the Master’s students can choose a law specialization.

UniBAS Admission Requirements

The University of Basel has a list of admission requirements. First things first, you’ll need to make sure that this university recognizes the diploma of the second-level education you got in your country. The university has a list of criteria that you’ll have to fulfill for your qualifications to be recognized. The lectures are delivered in two languages, German and English. Therefore, you may be required to submit proof of sufficient knowledge of those languages (level B2 or C1).

UniBAS Tuition Fees

The university has an official university regulation to which they base the sum of their fees. Students-to-be have to pay an application fee of 100 CHF. In the case of a late application, they’ll get charged an amount of 150 CHF. Students spend their tuition fees semesterly. A semester at this university will cost you CHF 850.

how long does it take to become a lawyer in switzerland?

Law Degrees in Switzerland In order to become a lawyer in Switzerland, students must complete a three-year Bachelor of Law (LLB). However, in order to be admitted to the bar and enter practice, a subsequent two-year Master of Laws is also required.

switzerland lawyer salary

A person working as an Attorney in Switzerland typically earns around 245,000 CHF per year. Salaries range from 113,000 CHF (lowest) to 389,000 CHF (highest).

This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Attorney salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.

The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range

Salary Range

Attorney salaries in Switzerland range from 113,000 CHF per year (minimum salary) to 389,000 CHF per year (maximum salary).

Median Salary

The median salary is 264,000 CHF per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Attorney(s) are earning less than 264,000 CHF while the other half are earning more than 264,000 CHF. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.

Percentiles

Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Attorney(s) are earning less than 170,000 CHF while 75% of them are earning more than 170,000 CHF. Also from the diagram, 75% of Attorney(s) are earning less than 353,000 CHF while 25% are earning more than 353,000 CHF.

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