These are challenging times for lawyers.

In a few weeks, the "major reform" of the professional law for lawyers (BRAO) will come into force.

The most important changes concern mergers with other liberal professions such as engineers, doctors or pharmacists.

For the first time, these units will then be able to choose legal forms such as GmbH & Co. KG.

But it is not only these topics that will determine the discussions at this year's German Lawyers' Day - from Thursday onwards for the first time since 2019.

Almost all partnerships, from small office communities to large international law firms, are concerned with the crisis of young talent and cost pressure.

Marcus Young

Editor in Business.

  • Follow I follow

The latest statistics show that the classic job profile is undergoing a change: the legal profession is shrinking, it is more female and more often than previous generations of lawyers is looking for a career away from the courtroom and the law firm.

In addition, the proportion of in-house lawyers working in companies continues to grow steadily, almost eight years after the groundbreaking judgment of the Federal Social Court on pension insurance law.

According to its membership statistics at the beginning of 2022, the Federal Bar Association recorded 165,587 admitted lawyers, slightly fewer than in 2021. The number of female lawyers rose to 60,057, which corresponds to a share of more than 36 percent.

However, if one subtracts the in-house lawyers and in-house lawyers with a double license from the total number, the result is 142,822 lawyers with a single license - which represents a decrease of more than 1900 professionals within one year.

Attractive starting salaries

The Soldan Institute comes to a clearly sobering conclusion.

The researchers at the University of Cologne, who examine the profession with long-term studies, speak of a shrinking process.

According to them, the number of lawyers established throughout Germany has fallen from 154,700 to 142,822 since 2017.

The decline of around 7.7 percent does not represent stagnation in the long-term perspective, but rather a clear decline.

In the current professional law barometer 2021, for which 2770 lawyers were surveyed, the researchers are investigating the possible causes.

According to the Soldan Institute, the majority of survey participants confirmed that it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit young people.

At the same time, more and more lawyers from the baby boomer cohorts are retiring due to age.

A decline that the young fully qualified lawyers on the legal market can no longer compensate for.

Their number has been falling continuously for years.

On the other hand, degree programs with a focus on business law are enjoying growing popularity.

“One piece of the jigsaw puzzle of the young talent crisis is that more and more school leavers are deciding against the traditional law degree and in favor of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law.

The reasons for this should be investigated urgently," explained Matthias Kilian,

According to the Soldan Institute, 20 percent of all law entrants are now majoring in business law rather than law.

However, these courses of study, which are geared towards bachelor's and master's degrees, do not provide access to legal clerkship and do not pave the way to the later legal profession.

Nevertheless, the area of ​​application for commercial lawyers in law firms and industry, especially in project management and mass proceedings, has expanded considerably.

In addition, attractive starting salaries are paid there.

In smaller law firms in particular, young fully qualified lawyers sometimes earn significantly less.