Application for lawyer's license, authorization as trainee lawyer, and legal aid permits

Please submit your application with attachments to the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice.

The following documentation shall be enclosed with the application:

Application for a lawyer's practising certificate:

• Diploma, master's degree in law, or legal degree - Sent as a link via the Diploma Registry with a code to post@tilsynet.no. Alternatively, the diploma must be sent by post, confirmed as a "certified copy" by a practicing lawyer, court, or similar judicial body, with place, date, and signature (full name). If you have previously been registered in the Supervisory Council's registry, it is not necessary to resubmit the diploma.
• Standard police certificate of conduct- If the certificate is received via Digipost, it should be forwarded via Digipost to the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice. If it is received via e-Boks or Altinn, it should be sent through e-Boks or Altinn to post@tilsynet.no. If the certificate is received by mail, it must be sent to the Supervisory Council in its original form. The police certificate must not be older than three months. The police certificate can be sent later. Information on how to apply for a police certificate can be found on the police website.
• Certificates from employers for the employments claimed, cf. the Ministry of Justice circular G-25/97 section 4.4. The certificate should provide information on the percentage of employment, the nature and duration of the work, and whether there has been any absence from work beyond one month, such as leave or sick leave, cf. the Ministry of Justice circular G-25/97 section 4.1.1.
• Mandatory Advocate Course
• Procedural documentation, cf. the Ministry of Justice circular G-25/97 section 4.2. Copies of court rulings and court records must be submitted in their entirety. If a case has been transferred to conciliation proceedings and the time of this is not stated in the court record, the clerical officer must obtain a separate confirmation from the court where the time is stated. Sensitive content in judgments and court records may be considered for redaction before submission. The case number must always be provided.

Application for authorization as a trainee lawyer:

• Diploma, master's degree in law, or legal degree - Sent as a link via the Diploma Registry with a code to post@tilsynet.no. Alternatively, the diploma must be sent by post, confirmed as a "certified copy" by a practicing lawyer, court, or similar judicial body, with place, date, and signature (full name). If the individual has previously been registered in the Supervisory Council's registry, it is not necessary to resubmit the diploma.
• Standard police certificate of conduct- If the certificate is received via Digipost, it should be forwarded via Digipost to the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice. If it is received via e-Boks or Altinn, it should be sent through e-Boks or Altinn to post@tilsynet.no. If the certificate is received by mail, it must be sent to the Supervisory Council in its original form. The police certificate must not be older than three months. The police certificate can be sent later. Information on how to apply for a police certificate can be found on the police website.

Application for licence to provide legal assistance for individuals who have satisfactory education within specific legal areas, cf. the Court Act § 218 second paragraph no. 3"

Should be sent as a link via the Diploma Registry with a code to post@tilsynet.no. Alternatively, the diploma must be sent by post, confirmed as a "certified copy" by a practicing lawyer, court, or similar judicial body, with place, date, and signature (full name). If the individual has previously been registered in the Supervisory Council's registry, it is not necessary to resubmit the diploma.

Standard police certificate of conduct- If the certificate is received via Digipost, it should be forwarded via Digipost to the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice. If it is received via e-Boks or Altinn, it should be sent through e-Boks or Altinn to post@tilsynet.no. If the certificate is received by mail, it must be sent to the Supervisory Council in its original form. The police certificate must not be older than three months. The police certificate can be sent later. Information on how to apply for a police certificate can be found on the police website.

Norwegian Act No 05 of 13 August 1915 relating to the Courts of Justice (the Courts of Justice Act) Section 220 cf. Sections 218 and 223.

In addition to granting certificates/permits/authorisations to Norwegian nationals, certificates/permits/authorisations are also granted to practising lawyers and other legal professionals in EEA member states in accordance with the EEA Agreement and other regulations. The Supervisory Council for Legal Practice also administers permits for lawyers from outside the EEA who wish to practice in Norway.

Criteria/conditions:

A law degree or Master of Laws is required in order to apply for a lawyer's practising certificate or authorisation as an assistant lawyer. Application for a license to provide legal aid in special areas of the law requires adequate education in applied field of law. In order to act as legal assistant in Norway, one must own or be employed by an enterprise that is established in Norway.

More information is available at the the Supervisory Council For Legal Practices website.

Additional requirements for law firms:

According to the act of 13th August 1915 (Act relating to the courts of justice) § 231, second paragraph, first sentence; only persons who perform a considerable part of their professional activity in the service of the firm may own shares or hold office as a director or deputy director.

According to the act of 13th August 1915 (Act relating to the courts of justice) § 231 fourth paragraph; in addition to legal practice the firm may only carry on such business as is naturally connected with legal practice.

Remarks:

Separate rules apply to persons who have been educated abroad/hold foreign certificates.

If you have a foreign education or professional qualification and wish to practice your profession in Norway you can find more information here.

Separate requirements apply to starting up and running one's own business. More information is available at the the Supervisory Council For Legal Practices website.

Processing deadlines:

The Supervisory Council for Legal Practice shall confirm receipt of your application within one month of its receipt and notify you of any missing documents or lacks in the application.

The Supervisory Council for Legal Practice shall have completed the processing of the application within four months from the date the application was deemed complete, see section 4-2, paragraph two of the Attorney Regulations.

Fees:

No fee for application or processing.

When the notification of the start of the business is received by the Supervisory Council, the lawyer will receive information about what needs to be arranged before the business can commence. An invoice for the payment of contributions to the Supervisory Council and the Disciplinary Board will also be issued simultaneously. In 2023, the total contribution was NOK 4,600.

One is only registered as a practicing lawyer once the contribution has been paid, collateral has been provided, and it has been clarified whether the lawyer is to be subject to accounting obligations or if an application for exemption from the audit requirement has been received and accepted by the Supervisory Council.

Right of appeal:

If the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice has rejected an application, the decision can be appealed to the Lawyer Licensing Board, see section 225, fourth paragraph of the Court Act. The rules in Chapter VI of the Public Administration Act apply to the appeals process, cf. section 225, eighth paragraph of the Court Act.