Course in the Module "Legal Professions, Theory and Practice" (3 ECTS)
The course deals with the special characteristics of legal professions (lawyers in general or judges, advocates, law professors etc. in specific). It draws on the sociology of professions, which distinguishes professions from other occupations based on the specialised education and expert knowledge required and the social closure and self-regulation of the respective occupational group. While the legal profession is generally characterised by a high social status and a powerful role in society, the structure of the legal field, the position of lawyers, and the demand for legal expertise differ between countries and change over time. This course lays emphasis on comparative perspectives and global trends in legal professions (e.g., gender structure, size of law firms, internationalisation, digitisation, lay juries, judicial politics).
By completing this course, students will adopt a sociological understanding of law as a profession. They will be able to describe its basic features in comparison with other expert professions. They will be able to discuss the role of legal expertise in society and to reflect on the position of lawyers as gatekeepers and socio-political elites. They will be able to source information on the demographic properties, social dynamics, and political influence of legal professions in specific historical, cultural and economic contexts.