Judicial practice
In Austria, court practice refers to the legal internship that is a prerequisite for the office of judge and the legal and notarial profession . Colloquially, the court practice is often referred to as the court year .
Individuals who are in court practice are known as legal interns. The structure of the court practice is regulated in the Legal Internship Act 1987 (RPG). § 1 RPG contains a programmatic definition: " The court practice should give people who have completed the intended academic professional preparation for an occupation for which the court practice is legally stipulated as a professional, appointment or registration requirement, the opportunity to complete their professional training through an activity to continue in the jurisdiction and to test and deepen their legal knowledge. "
For persons who have completed an Austrian law degree, there is a legal right to admission to court practice to the extent that court practice is stipulated by law as a professional, appointment or registration requirement; Since July 1, 2011, this is at least five months in accordance with the legal professional regulations (e.g. Section 2, Paragraph 2 of the Lawyers' Act). This apprenticeship has to be completed at the district court and the court of first instance ( regional court ). Since January 1st, 2008 it has also been possible to work as a legal intern at the public prosecutor's office. a. appears as a district attorney before the district court.
The court practice can be extended, which is particularly important for candidates for admission to the training of judges.
Legal interns are entitled to a training contribution according to § 16 and § 17 of the RPG.
In Germany, a similar practical training phase for a lawyer is the legal clerkship .
