Following their law degree, graduates wishing to access legal professions in Luxembourg must complete the so-called “Cours complémentaire en droit luxembourgeois” (CCDL) taught over six months.

This course is open to all law graduates but out of around 600 candidates every year, a large number fail, president of the Luxembourg bar association Valérie Dupong told lawmakers at the end of January when discussing the reforms that were officially presented on Monday.

An entrance exam to the CCDL course--held annually in October--is set to be introduced to help sift through applicants. The multiple-choice test will include questions on Luxembourg law with Dupong saying many candidates who studied law in different countries fail because of their lack of knowledge in this area.

Following the CCDL, lawyers embark on a traineeship between two and four years long. The final exam is being replaced with regular tests throughout the duration of the traineeship.

The trainee period for notaries meanwhile is being extended from 12 to 18 months, in addition to the two to four-year lawyers’ traineeship, which candidates must have completed successfully. The trainee period for court bailiffs is also being extended to 18 months.

The draft law must be approved by lawmakers before the changes to Luxembourg legal training can come into effect.