Shortage of lawyers in Saxony-Anhalt: Who will fill the gap?

Shortage of lawyers in Saxony-Anhalt: Who will fill the gap?

An alarming signal for the legal landscape in Saxony-Anhalt: the shortage of lawyers is becoming increasingly clear. The number of lawyers has fallen dramatically in recent years. From 1,757 in 2016, only around 1,400 lawyers are still working, which has a particularly strong impact in rural regions. Christian Lisec, managing director of the Saxony-Anhalt Bar Association, predicts that around 500 lawyers will retire in the next ten years. The problems are diverse and range from a declining interest in traditional legal practice among law graduates to demographic changes in the legal profession. In a year like 2024, according to Magdeburg-klickt.de, there were only around 20 new lawyers admitted.

What is driving young lawyers in a different direction today? The desire for a better work-life balance and the lower willingness to take risks when working independently play an important role. For many graduates, jobs in the civil service are tempting - regular working hours and a secure income are big advantages here.

The situation in Germany

But Saxony-Anhalt is not alone with this problem. Across Germany, the number of lawyers is increasing slightly to 166,504, as the latest statistics show, but here too the trend is not without challenges. The bar associations are recording a slight decline in members and an increasing number of law students who do not want to opt for traditional legal practice. Around 140,000 students began their law studies in 2020, but not all of them find their way into the practices of law firms, as Anwaltsblatt.de reports.

In addition, the age structure of the legal profession has caused concern: the average age of lawyers is 51.7 years and more lawyers are over 60 than under 40. Could this perhaps also endanger access to justice? In rural areas, the average age of lawyers is even higher, further exacerbating the situation. Possible regulatory interventions are being discussed if access to law cannot be guaranteed in the long term, as lto.de also notes.

Women and diversity in the legal profession

Another aspect of the shortage of lawyers is the low presence of women and people with a migrant background in the industry. While almost 60 percent of law students are women, the proportion of women among practicing lawyers is only 34 percent. The integration of people with a migrant background into the legal profession also remains a challenge. Around 22 percent of law students have a migrant background, but the proportion among lawyers is only 10 percent. The reasons for this discrepancy must be further researched in order to better reach future generations of lawyers, as Anwaltsblatt.de emphasizes.

Despite the problems that the legal profession in Germany is currently experiencing, there are also bright spots: efforts to make the profession more attractive for women are slowly being heard. The increasing numbers of female in-house lawyers show that there is hope for a more diverse and balanced legal profession.

In summary, it can be said that the shortage of lawyers in Saxony-Anhalt and beyond is reaching alarming proportions. It is up to the industry to master the coming challenges in order to secure legal supplies and make the legal profession attractive again.